Treatment and Recovery Options for Different Types of Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are a reality many Americans have to deal with, affecting people of all walks of life, age, race, or gender. Every year in the US, around 10,000 precious lives are lost as a direct result of an eating disorder. Nearly thirty million people in the US will struggle with an eating disorder during their lifetime. Eating disorders are becoming even more prevalent among young adults and adolescents.

With disordered eating affecting so many people, not just in the US, but across the world, knowing what they are and how to best support a loved one with an eating disorder is that much more important. For those struggling with eating disorders, understanding what they’re going through can help them process the experience. It can also help them find ways to move toward wholeness and feeling healthy.

Eating Disorders: Understanding What They Are

There are many ideas out there about what eating disorders are, how they affect a person, and who is affected. It may be helpful, by way of naming the myths surrounding eating disorders, to clarify what eating disorders are. One myth about them is that having an eating disorder is a choice that a person makes. The reality is that eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that are the result of complex causes.

Another myth that is abroad about eating disorders is that you can tell if someone has an eating disorder just by looking at them. There is, supposedly, a ‘look’ that a person with an eating disorder has, but this is based on some truth and the power of popular media. The reality is that many people who are struggling with an eating disorder will fall within the average or typical weight range, or they may appear healthy. It isn’t always easy to tell.

The other myth that is out there is that only or mainly teenage girls are the ones who get eating disorders. However, the truth is that people of all walks of life, genders, ages, and cultural backgrounds are affected by eating disorders.

These myths can make it harder to recognize problems, and people may delay seeking appropriate treatment. If you have an eating disorder, but one or more of these myths affect your perception or the perception of the people around you, your struggles may get dismissed or minimized. That can lead to a worsening of the problem.

Eating disorders are mental health conditions that go beyond any social or class divide. To address them, they need to be recognized for what they are, and professional help sought. A counselor can nurture the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being of the individual affected by them.

The Different Types of Eating Disorders

There are several types of eating disorders that have been identified and categorized over the years. They each have particular defining features that differentiate them, and their symptoms will also look different.

• Bulimia Nervosa: This eating disorder involves a person getting caught up in cycles of binge eating that are followed by compensatory behaviors such as vomiting, fasting, using laxatives, or doing excessive exercise to deal with the excess consumption and get rid of extra calories. A person who suffers from bulimia will often feel that they have a lack of control during their episodes of binging.
• Typically, after binge-eating, the episode is accompanied by feelings of shame and guilt.
• Anorexia Nervosa: Often simply referred to as anorexia, this eating disorder is characterized by a person adhering to an extreme restriction on their food intake. Likewise, they have an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image. Even if they have lost weight and are underweight or malnourished, they might continue to consider themselves overweight and carry on restricting what they eat.An individual with anorexia may also exhibit excessive exercise habits and be in denial of the severity of their condition.
• Binge-Eating Disorder: This disorder is characterized by recurring episodes of eating large quantities of food, often rapidly and to the point of discomfort, without regular use of compensatory behaviors. This can lead to significant emotional distress and various health complications. Binge-eating may be triggered by stress or other emotional states such as sadness or feeling overwhelmed.One of the differences between binge-eating disorder and bulimia is that with binge-eating disorder, instead of taking the extreme measures one does with bulimia, one may use compensatory behaviors such as eating less food at mealtimes or dieting.
• Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID): This eating disorder, which has been recently identified, is a feeding or eating disorder that is more common in children and young adolescents than older people. With ARFID, the individual significantly limits the quantity or variety of the food they consume. One impact of this is that it can cause malnutrition, significant weight loss, or psychosocial problems.
• Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders (OSFED): This category of eating disorders includes patterns of disordered eating that do not meet the exact criteria of the above disorders, but are nonetheless serious enough to impact emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing.

Key Signs of Eating Disorders

Eating disorders don’t all look or operate in the same way. The symptoms of each will be different. Each individual will have symptoms that are present in particular ways. Look out for a preoccupation with one’s body image or with food and dieting. This may be excessive, taking over a person’s life and attention.

Eating disorders can be signaled by a dramatic and noticeable weight loss or gain. Similarly, be concerned with conspicuous changes in eating habits such as eating secretively or skipping meals. If a person withdraws socially, especially from activities that involve food, take note. Gastrointestinal issues, irregular heart rhythms, or dizziness are linked to eating too much or too little.

You can also be on the lookout for hypersensitivity to food textures or taste, an aversion toward eating, and a fear of trying new foods. Should you encounter these concerns, it’s important to speak with a health professional for appropriate assessments and diagnosis. Some of the behaviors and symptoms associated with eating disorders may be linked to hormonal imbalances or life stressors, and a professional can help you discern this.

Treatment and Recovery Options for Eating Disorders

If you have a loved one with an eating disorder, how can you best support them? Educating yourself about the disorder they struggle with can help you to reduce your misconceptions and possible frustrations with your loved one. Being a present, non-judgmental presence makes a difference, as does creating a safe environment for your loved one to wrestle with and address the issues.

You can also offer your loved one acceptance and unconditional love. This doesn’t mean being blind to the issues but rather loving them in spite of it all. Choose to show up for them. Support them by encouraging them to seek and continue treatment from a professional. You can also pray for your loved ones, for comfort and strength.

Eating disorders indicate that a person may have an unhealthy relationship with food and their body. With the right support and effective treatment, it’s possible to attain goals such as rebuilding self-esteem, getting to a healthy body weight, and nurturing a healthy body image. It’s possible to begin noticing circumstances or situations that function as triggers for the eating disorder.

For effective treatment, several approaches may be necessary to achieve healing. A counselor will help by tailoring an approach that suits their client’s needs and addresses the situation effectively. A multidisciplinary approach may be necessary to effectively address an eating disorder. Immediate medical care may be necessary to see to physical health concerns from the eating disorder, for instance.

Apart from medical attention, guidance from dietitians and nutritionists is required to develop healthy eating patterns. There are support groups that can provide a sense of community and accountability as one struggles. Therapy may be helpful in pinpointing and addressing any underlying spiritual, emotional, and mental concerns that may be worsening the eating disorder.

When you are ready, you should reach out to a health professional to begin addressing any concerns you may have about eating disorders. Our office is available to receive your call and make an appointment with one of the Christian therapists in our practice. Begin your healing journey today!