Eating disorders can present themselves in many different ways. The common theme is a difficult relationship with food and a person’s body. Eating disorders impact people of all ages, gender, size, race, and ethnicity and are considered the deadliest mental health illness in the world. At Restoration, we offer a Christian approach to eating disorder care rooted in the belief that God’s work is good, including us and our bodies. Because eating disorders impact individuals medically, nutritionally, and mentally, we assist individuals in developing a full eating disorder treatment team to care for them in each aspect of recovery.
Types of Eating Disorders
Anorexia (AN)
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by weight loss (or lack of appropriate weight gain in growing children); difficulties maintaining an appropriate body weight for height, age, and stature; and, in many individuals, distorted body image. People with anorexia generally restrict the number of calories and the types of food they eat. Some people with the disorder also exercise compulsively, purge via vomiting and laxatives, and/or binge eat.
Bulimia (BN)
Bulimia nervosa is characterized by a cycle of bingeing and compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting designed to undo or compensate for the effects of binge eating.
Binge Eating Disorder
Binge eating disorder (BED) is characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food (often very quickly and to the point of discomfort); a feeling of a loss of control during the binge; experiencing shame, distress or guilt afterwards; and not regularly using unhealthy compensatory measures (e.g., purging) to counter the binge eating.
Other categories of eating disorders include:
- Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
- Otherwise Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED)
- Rumination Disorder
- Pica
- Orthorexia
(Text taken from NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association). You can find further information on Diagnostic Criteria and warning signs for each eating disorder at https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/.)
Disordered Eating Warning Signs
Eating disorder symptoms are on a continuum. Many people struggle with disordered eating although they may not meet criteria for one of the eating disorder types listed above. Disordered eating can lead to an increase of behaviors if not addressed. Below are warning signs that you may struggle with disordered eating.
Warning signs include, but are not limited to:
- A preoccupation with weight, calories, and dieting
- Restrictive definition of “healthy” and “unhealthy” foods
- Refusal to eat certain foods or food groups based on content (e.g., cutting out sweets)
- Difficulty listening to hunger and fullness cues (e.g., inability to stop eating)
- Decreasing portion sizes or skipping meals
- Compensating eating with another behavior (e.g., “I ate this, therefore I have to exercise.”)
- Black and white thinking patterns
- Excessive concern with body’s appearance or shape
- Frequently checking to examine body’s perceived flaws
- Labeling self using shame-based words such as fat, ugly, and disgusting
- Difficulty eating in front of others
- Hiding food or storing it away
What to expect in Eating Disorder Counseling
If you are struggling with an eating disorder, your counselor will come alongside you and support you in the mental and emotional aspects of recovery. They will work with you to identify your eating disorder’s voice, which may be difficult to distinguish from your own. They will partner with you to help you regain your voice and take care of your body’s needs. You and your therapist will work on challenging distorted thoughts around food and your body and develop a more compassionate and flexible mindset. Your therapist will also support you in the process of building body acceptance and overall self-worth. They will work with the rest of your team members to ensure that you are moving towards healing overall.
If you are ready to access support and heal from your eating disorder, do not hesitate to reach out. If you are struggling with disordered eating or body image distress, we’d also love to partner with you. We have staff members trained in each of these areas who are ready to walk alongside you.