Therapy for Eating Disorders
Therapy for Eating Disorders
Do thoughts about food, weight of body shape consume your day? Eating disorders (and disordered eating) can feel isolating, overwhelming and exhausting. They can affect your physical health, emotional wellbeing and relationships. You don’t have to face this alone — support is here. Kristal has undertaken specialist training to support those living with eating disorders
Signs You Might Need Support for an Eating Disorder
Frequent dieting or food restriction
Obsessing over calories, meal planning or “good” and “bad” foods
Binge eating episodes
Feeling out of control around food, eating large amounts of food quickly (it can feel like you’re on autopilot) and/or eating in secret
Purging behaviours
Vomiting, excessive exercise or misuse of laxatives to control weight, shape or size
Body dissatisfaction
Constantly checking, criticising or hiding your body
Fear of weight gain
Intense anxiety about change in weight, shape or size
Physical symptoms
Dizziness, fatigue, digestive issues, brittle hair and nails, cold sensitivity or irregular periods (if you’re someone that menstruates) related to disordered eating patterns
If any of these signs resonate with you, know that support is available. Therapy can support you with recovery, no matter where you are in your journey
Some Forms of Eating Disorders
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa is characterised by restrictive eating that leads to a person being unable to maintain what is considered to be a normal and healthy weight. People experiencing Anorexia Nervosa possess an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming overweight, no matter their current weight and appearance
Disordered Eating
Disordered eating is a disturbed and unhealthy eating patterns. They can include restrictive dieting, compulsive eating or skipping meals. Disordered eating behaviours, and in particular dieting are the most common indicators of the development of an eating disorder
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia Nervosa is characterised by repeated episodes of binge eating, followed by compensatory behaviours such a purging or excessive exercise. People experiencing Bulimia Nervosa often place an excessive emphasis on their body shape or weight
ARFID
Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is more commonly known as “extreme picky eating”. A person who is experiencing ARFID often shows highly selective eating habits, disturbed feeding patterns or both
Binge Eating Disorder
Binge Eating Disorder is characterised by episodes of eating large amounts of food over very short periods of time, with no compensatory behaviours. People who experience binge eating often feel a loss of control during episodes of binge eating
Orthorexia
Orthorexia isn’t currently recognised as an official eating disorder diagnosis, however there is growing recognition that this may be a distinct eating disorder. It involves an obsession with healthy or “clean” eating. People will often obsess about the benefits of healthy foods, food quality, but not necessarily quantity of food
How Therapy Can Help
Break free from food rules
Develop a balanced, flexible approach to eating
Address emotional triggers
Learn healthy ways to cope with stress and emotions
Improve body image
Shift toward self-acceptance and body respect
Regain trust in your body
Reconnect with your hunger and fullness cues, as well as overall body signals. Place trust back into your body that it knows how to intuitively eat without external trackers
Building lasting tools for recovery
Develop habits that support both mental and physical wellbeing