Eating disorders can be extremely distressing and can take over an individual's life. In our culture there is so much emphasis on body-image that many people who struggle with eating disorders experience a lot of shame. Unfortunately, our society's stigma around eating disorders and the shameful feelings that often comes with eating disorders causes many of these individuals to avoid getting help. Many of my adult patients who struggle with eating disorders report to me that they have been struggling with their relationship to food since they were a child.
If you are struggling with an eating disorder, there are many forms of treatment. The type of therapy and treatment setting that will be the best fit for you will depend upon the severity of the problem and the underlining issues. It is difficult for me to describe all of the factors that must be assessed in order to determine the best type of therapy and treatment setting. However, I will say that it is most important to think about how much support is needed. This will help you determine if a private practice therapist like myself can help or if a more comprehensive inpatient treatment is needed. I encourage you to call me, so that I can point you in the right direction.
The way that I work with people who struggle with eating disorders is I help them examine their relationship to food. Together we try to understand the emotional triggers that lead to a person's unhealthy and often destructive eating patterns. In addition, I have found that people who struggle with eating disorders have difficulty tolerating painful feelings and use their relationship to food as a way to manage these feelings. Together we explore other more healthy ways to cope with feelings of shame, feelings of losing control, and feelings of sadness.
