WHAT DOES AN EATING DISORDER LOOK LIKE? WHAT TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE?

Individuals are often surrounded by various messages and feedback from different sources like the workplace, family, and friends that impact the way they feel about their physical appearance. For some, poor body image is a sign of a serious problem: an eating disorder, defined as disorders in which there is excessive concern with the control of body weight and shape, accompanied by inadequate, irregular, or chaotic food intake. Eating disorders can affect any individual regardless of their gender, age, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. Eating disorders are not just about food but often about how we cope with our day-to-day problems or issues. They are complicated illnesses that affect a person’s sense of identity, worth, and self-esteem.

There are three main types of eating disorders:

anorexia nervosa, - individuals restrict themselves from the amount of food they eat or exercise much more than usual. They feel that they are overweight regardless of their actual weight and may think about their body weight often and fear that they will gain weight and have a distorted body image.

bulimia nervosa, - individuals indulge in periods of uncontrollable binge-eating, which includes compensatory behaviors like fasting, overexercising, vomiting, and using laxatives.

binge-eating disorder – involves periods of over-eating, individuals consume large amounts of food and may feel like they do not have control over their eating habit, they may feel distressed, depressed, or guilty after bingeing.

Symptoms

Symptoms maybe emotional, behavioral, and/or physical. They may differ per eating disorder. The most common include extreme mood swings, withdrawal from social activity, extreme insecurity and concern with body size and shape, noticeable fluctuations in weight (up and down), fainting, sleep problem, dizziness, and difficulty in concentration. These symptoms can negatively affect individuals’ daily activities.

Treatment

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

CBT emphasizes collaboration between therapist and client where the client is an active participant. The therapy involves a variety of techniques that helps individuals to understand the interaction between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and develop strategies to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors to improve their moods and functioning. CBT works on challenging and then eliminating negative and destructive cognitive thoughts and emotions.

Dialectical-behavioural therapy (DBT)  

DBT focuses on distinguishing a balance between the two opposing factors of, acceptance and change. This form of therapy helps the client realize and accept themselves the way they are, but it also motivates the client to change and improve some areas for a positive and healthier future. This is accomplished by introducing a set of skills that will be applied to the client’s daily life. The therapist will spend the session coaching the client and practicing the use of mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and emotion regulation. After the session is over, the client must practice these skills when they are out and about in their daily events and interactions. DBT effectively rids the client from feeling negative emotions for a temporary time and therefore helps patients regulate and manage their negative urges such as binge eating or fasting.

For more information on Eating Disorders or if you would like to book an appointment with one of our therapists that specializes in Eating Disorder please give us a call 647-267-9853 or email us info@vaughanpsychotherapist.com