When Should I Seek An Eating Disorder Therapist Near Me?

If you’ve ever watched a commercial or glanced at a magazine in a grocery store check-out line, you already know that the discourse of disordered eating is everywhere. In fact, it seems that, everywhere you look, someone is touting the promise that you can “lose weight fast!” or “get beach body ready!” Implicit in these headlines is the implication that there is something wrong with the body you already have and that it needs to be improved in some way.

When messages like this are all around us, it’s unsurprising that many people take them to heart. In fact, a recent study revealed that “approximately 91% of women are unhappy with their bodies and resort to dieting to achieve their ideal body shape. Unfortunately, only 5% of women naturally possess the body type often portrayed by Americans in the media.” In addition to this disturbing statistic, the study also reported some additional saddening facts, including these:

• 58% of college-aged girls feel pressured to be a certain weight.
• Studies show that the more reality television a young girl watches, the more likely she is to find appearance important
• More than 1/3 of the people who admit to “normal dieting,” will merge into pathological dieting. Roughly 1/4 of those will suffer from a partial or full-on eating disorder
• In a survey, more than 40% of women and about 20% of men agreed they would consider cosmetic surgery in the future. The statistics remain relatively constant across gender, age, marital status, and race
• Students, especially women, who consume more mainstream media, place a greater importance on sexiness and overall appearance than those who do not consume as much
• 95% of people with eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25
• Only 10% of people struggling with an eating disorder will seek professional help.

These statistics clearly indicate that far too many women are unhappy with their bodies and that these concerns can have a negative impact on a person’s mental health. But when does that unhappiness cross the line and become an eating disorder? And, if you are living with an eating disorder, when is it time to seek help for your symptoms? In this article, we’ll explore the answers to these questions and learn how you can connect with an eating disorder therapist near you.

What is an eating disorder?

Many mental health conditions are misrepresented and eating disorders are no different. Just as people often assume that “OCD” is a synonym for “clean,” or that “bipolar” means someone who often changes their mind, it’s also easy to assume that representations of anorexia are indicative of all eating disorders.

Because anorexia is the most commonly known example of disordered eating, people often make the mistake of inferring that eating disorders only affect women and girls who erroneously perceive themselves as being fat. But in reality, eating disorders can take a wide variety of forms and they are as different as the people who experience them. So, let’s take a closer look at some common varieties of eating disorders that people can experience.

Binge eating

Have you ever started eating and felt like you just couldn’t get enough? Most people experience this feeling at Thanksgiving dinner, at an all-you-can-eat buffet, or in some other pleasant context where excessive eating is encouraged. But even in the context of those events, most people overeat because they want to, not because they feel like they literally cannot stop.

Binge-eating, however, is different. When someone is living with a binge-eating disorder, they may compulsively overeat and feel overwhelmed with guilt and shame when they do. Charity organization Beat Eating Disorders has partnered with medical professionals to develop fact-driven awareness campaigns that can help people spot the signs of eating disorders and seek treatment when they need it. Their resources on binge eating disorders include the following information:

“Binge eating disorder (BED) is a serious mental illness where people eat very large quantities of food without feeling like they’re in control of what they’re doing. It can affect anyone of any age, gender, ethnicity or background, and evidence suggests it is more common than other eating disorders.

People with binge eating disorder eat large quantities of food over a short period of time (called binge eating). Unlike people with bulimia, they don’t usually follow this by getting rid of the food through, for example, vomiting, though sometimes they might fast between binges. BED is not about choosing to eat large portions, nor are people who suffer from it just “overindulging” – far from being enjoyable, binges are very distressing, often involving a much larger amount of food than someone would want to eat.

People may find it difficult to stop during a binge even if they want to. Some people with binge eating disorder have described feeling disconnected from what they’re doing during a binge, or even struggling to remember what they’ve eaten afterward.”

Symptoms of binge eating disorder

In the previous section, we explored the characteristics of binge eating disorders and the impact they can have on mental health. So, with that foundation in mind, let’s take a closer look at the symptoms that are unique to binge eating disorder. Common symptoms can include:

• Eating excessive amounts
• Eating faster than normal
• Eating until you feel uncomfortably full
• Eating when you’re not hungry
• Feeling shame or guilt about your eating habits

In their analysis of common symptoms, Beating Eating Disorders observes that people who live with binge eating disorders may also “plan binges like a ritual and this can involve the person buying "special" binge foods, or they may be more spontaneous. 

People with binge eating disorder may also restrict their diet or put in certain rules around food – this can also lead to them binge eating due to hunger and feelings of deprivation. People often have feelings of guilt and disgust at their lack of control during and after binge eating, which can reinforce that cycle of negative emotions, restriction, and binge eating again.”

Anorexia

Binge eating disorder is less commonly represented than other eating disorders but it is by no means the only condition that can impact someone’s life and eating habits. So, now that we’ve explored binge eating disorder in closer detail, it’s time to turn our attention to anorexia. Although this condition is often used as a plot device in books and movies, the information that is on display in the media is often inaccurate, so it’s important to take a look at the facts behind this very real and painful condition.

Anorexia can be dangerous and debilitating for someone’s health because this disorder drives someone to keep their weight as low as possible. By the time other people notice some of the hallmark symptoms of anorexia— such as low or no food intake and excessive exercising— it’s likely that the person experiencing these symptoms is already struggling a great deal. 

Contrary to popular misconceptions, anyone— including men, teenage boys, and adult women—can experience anorexia at any time for any reason. People usually develop anorexia as a result of a distorted body image; in practice, for example, this could mean that you see yourself as being overweight and think you are unattractive as a result.

There is also a very close link between anorexia and anxiety, so when someone becomes excessively anxious about their body image, they may become obsessed with their worries and take extreme steps to reduce their anxiety, such as drastically lowering their food intake.

Symptoms of anorexia

Common symptoms of anorexia include:

• Regularly skipping meals because you believe you need to do so
• Excessive exercise
• Excessive dieting
• Distorted and/or inaccurate perception of your weight and body image
• Extreme anxiety about your size and weight
• Excessive concern about calories
• Obsessive calorie counting and/or research about the “fat factor” of the food you eat
• Extreme fear that people perceive you as fat or ugly
• Taking diet pills or other medicines that are designed to help you lose weight

Binge eating disorders and anorexia only represent a small portion of the eating disorders that people can experience but they are among the most common and the most dangerous for your mental and physical health. So, now that we know more about these conditions, their symptoms, and the impact they can have on your life, let’s take a closer look at some red flags that may indicate you need to seek treatment for your eating disorder. We’ll also explore the resources that are available if you’re ready to seek treatment.

When should I seek an eating disorder therapist?

All mental health conditions can have a detrimental impact on your mental health but eating disorders are uniquely dangerous because they inherently damage your physical health as well. Health complications that occur as a result of eating disorders can often be fatal so if you are experiencing any of the symptoms of binge eating disorders or anorexia listed above, it is vital to seek help.

People who live with eating disorders often mask their symptoms until their condition is quite advanced so if you or someone you love is experiencing noticeable eating disorder symptoms, it is quite likely that they are struggling and need help urgently. No matter how advanced your symptoms are, it’s never too late to seek help, but if you can get help early in the onset of your symptoms, it can improve your path to recovery and prevent you from developing more serious and detrimental symptoms in the future.

How BetterHelp can help

If you are living with an undiagnosed eating disorder, seeking therapy is a vital first step. So, if you’re ready to connect with a therapist— congratulations! You’re doing the right thing for yourself and your wellbeing and this is a moment to be proud of. After you make this initial decision, the next step is to choose a therapist; for many people, location is a big factor in this choice because most people would prefer to see a local therapist who lives near them.

For example, if you pursue a course of traditional, in-person therapy, this option typically requires you to attend an in-person appointment in your therapist’s office. But the good news is that location doesn’t have to hold you back! 

Rather than expecting you to fit your schedule around therapy, BetterHelp offers you the opportunity to fit therapy sessions around your schedule. So, if you feel unable to attend an in-person therapy appointment, you should know that traditional therapy is not your only option for mental health care; online therapy is literally right at your fingertips; you can chat with your therapist from the comfort of your own phone any time you want!

So, if you feel ready to reach out and seek support through therapy, you may want to consider BetterHelp! T

They are available to help you any time you need, so don’t hesitate to reach out; hope and healing with BetterHelp is only a click away!