Eating Disorders Therapy
Do You Wonder How You Can Have A Healthy Relationship to Food?
Do you binge or purge a few times a week?
Is your diet controlling your life?
Do you feel shame or hopelessness about your food addiction?
You may be wondering if you have an eating disorder. They have big names like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or terms like food addiction. You may have begun to cope with life stressors by using something called a compensatory behavior: use of laxatives, extreme exercise, meal skipping, fasting, or binge-purge. The latter is rapidly eating a larger than normal amount of food and then eliminating it within two hours. When you find yourself in a pattern of compensatory behaviors this is a significant health problem. It may look to your friends and family like you are normal that morning but frequent binge-purges can put you in the hospital that same day. Or you may feel people avoid you because of your weight. How you cope with these situations matters. Eating disorders can affect anybody.
In an eating disorder mindset you may look at yourself in the mirror in a supremely critical view and see a fat belly where everyone around you sees skin and bones. This describes anorexia nervosa, a distorted view of body image and a rigid set of rules to cope with life stresses.
Possibly your eating disorder compensatory behaviors began when your sports coach commented “you need to lose a few pounds.” A cycle of shame can lead to hopelessness. Shame is often at the root in eating disorders regardless of your body shape. The true you may be hiding behind all those diet related behaviors, be it hording specific foods, secretive eating, or guarding time to binge and purge. It is all about stopping the eating disordered mindset.
Dieting can be normal, starving or binge-purging weekly is not.
All people over the course of their lifetime wonder about their size, their diet. Bodies change; with pregnancy, middle age or with severe illnesses. Are you feeling compelled to diet? What may have begun as a normal diet can develop into an eating disorder. Statistics show 45 million Americans go on a diet each year and 70% of Americans are overweight. Given the fact that eating disorders mortality rate is surpassed only by opioid addiction makes timely treatment essential. It is normal to seek eating disorder counseling.
Many clients like you feel emotionally and physically exhausted in their efforts for a healthy weight or find a nutritious food plan for life. Do you need tools to manage stress? Eating disorders affect all ages, all races, all nations, all socioeconomic groups, and genders. You may think that you have to be emaciated to be in need of eating disorder treatment. This is just not true. You cannot tell from outward appearance who is in need of treatment. There are treatment options for people of all ages and levels of treatment.
It can be challenging to get those who suffer from an eating disorder to admit and accept the help they so desperately need. Family and friends can ask thoughtful questions that express not only concern but compassion. The blame game is not helpful and distracts from the issue of getting you into treatment. The why question has no answer. The important element to know is, eating disorders do not resolve on their own. You need professional help.
Eating disorder treatments address both the symptoms and the causes so you can reach your potential.
It is normal and essential, to have professional counseling to treat an eating disorder. Those with eating disorders, anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge purge eating disorders, or ARFID: avoidant restrictive food intake disorder; can require getting to the root. Your treatment will address the fears that force you to eat alone. You will learn new coping skills, and strategies. You will learn what are your triggers and how to respond in new ways. I work with medically stable out-patient adults to help you understand that eating disorders may require dealing with additional diagnosis like depression or other addictions. Solutions require a new normal and attention to not just the food on the fork, but the thoughts, behaviors, and desires. Each interaction within and between your body, mind, soul, and spirit has meaning. I offer to join you in the goal to find your true self and to regain balance from an eating disorder mindset.
My friends think I have an eating disorder can that be true?
If you are a friend or family member, and you notice strange behavior patterns related to food, care enough to speak the truth in love. People with eating disorders often deny they have a problem. Stay with the facts. If your friend or family member seems to be skipping lots of meals, is excessively focused on their weight and self-isolating, pull them aside. Start by expressing your care for them, your love for them and you wonder if they need to see a physician and a counselor. Do it without a critical voice. Be clear that you want to help, and that you desire their best. Show them this website. We all have challenges or difficult seasons in life. We all need good friends to walk alongside us and just be there with compassion.
Primary methods for treating eating disorders.
As a Licensed Clinical Social worker I begin where you are. I begin with family systems and attachment theories. See additional models:
Attachment, Family Systems Theory, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy.
Attachment Theory
Attachment Focused-Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Cognitive Behavioral Theory (CBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy(DBT)
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT, EFCT)
Eating Disorder Intuitive Therapy (EDIT)
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Solution Focused Therapy (SFT)
Are there really Solutions for eating disorders?
There are no cookie cutter solutions to treating eating disorders, food addictions, or mental health treatment. Maybe you feel like you are on an emotional roller coaster with fluctuating low self-esteem. If your response to one of life’s storms is use of compensatory behaviors such as binging, purging, excessive exercising, laxatives, enemas, fasting or meal skipping; therapy gets to the root of your problem. You may ask, “What is the trigger for each eating disorder?” Each person has their own trigger, their own comfort food or food myths. In addition to eating disorders, you might also have an addiction, or a mental illness like an anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, trauma or PTSD. Now is the time to learn replacement options which will address your root problems. Psychological treatment is the most important component to successful eating disorder treatment. I encourage you to consult your physician and come in for a free consultation. Be assured, just like you, every client wants to know there is help, there is hope and you are not alone.
Will It Be Worth It?
This is the best question! If you knew sometime this year you might need an intensive medical intervention for either binge-purging or anorexia, would you begin counseling? Some people learn through simple life challenges others need a crisis to change course. The intensity and severity of your behaviors can reveal what motivates you for recovery. Eating disorders are so complex that professional intervention is essential for successful recovery. Success is encountering a future stress, noticing triggers or behavioral responses and implementing one of a handful of strategies. I use programs which go to the root to explore complex values, thoughts and then empowers you to own your story. Let’s work together to find body neutrality, body liberation and learn to trust yourself.
Choosing a therapist can be stressful. Compare the process of finding a therapist to taking a class. We all need to grow and learn new skills. Counseling is the best way to treat an eating disorder. I believe in moving at a depth and pace each week that works for you. I will begin your therapy by setting a boundary and creating a safe compassionate place, and time for you. It means allowing your story to be heard.
Can’t I just read a book on this?
You may be brilliant and read a plethora of books on eating disorders. The problem is head-knowledge does not heal an eating disorder. You have to walk it out. Some people end up hospitalized because they do not take their eating disorder seriously. Often a secondary diagnosis such as anxiety or depression must be simultaneously addressed so as not to cause relapse. A therapist’s role is to know how and when to address your blind spot. Every eating disorder requires some level of medical coordination with your treatment team (ie: physician, an RD: registered dietician/ nutritionist, and psychotherapist) to maintain a sustained recovery. My plan is to use a program which is a safe, deliberate, out-patient plan to teach, practice and sustain your goals. We have all had trustworthy people give us the right answer to a problem. Even then people need to choose it. You must own your recovery.
Is eating disorder treatment a short or long term therapy?
Eating disorder treatment is a marathon not a sprint. Successful eating disorder treatment is practicing in and between sessions what you learned. Compulsive behaviors can switch expressions such as from eating disorders to: drugs, food, sex, or gambling. We all know someone who is/has battled alcoholism. Many have lead successful normal lives for decades in recovery and their story is not public. It takes courage to face an eating disorder, but you are not alone. The tests of life build resilience, renewed purpose and new skills. I hope you will choose to invest in yourself.
Yes, what you need to do can be done.
Next Step…
You may feel afraid to try. You may feel afraid to make the call to take that leap of faith. In order to put you at ease I offer a free consultation. I would be honored to work with you and respond to any questions you might have. Interested in beginning eating disorder counseling?
Simply call Gena Hepworth at (970) 400-1574
May you be peaceful
May you be happy
May you be free from suffering
May you be liberated
~ Loving Kindness Meditation
Eating Disorder Blogs:
Northern Colorado offers Eating Disorders Counseling at Restore Grace Counseling. Stop dieting, end food addiction and find wholeness through compassionate psychotherapy. Learn to love yourself again. Restore Grace Counseling is in Fort Collins, Colorado.