Eating disorders have some startling statistics. Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness in girls between ages 15-24. As many as 10 million females and 1 million males have an eating disorder in this country. Outside of a full blown disorder, many engage in eating disordered behavior. Because shame and denial are typical of Eating Disorders; many cases are unreported. Most people with eating disorders do not receive adequate care.
Suffering an eating disorder is a nightmare. Food restriction, binging, and purging undermine relationships, attention span, multi-tasking, sleep habits and seriously threaten overall physical and emotional health. Family, friends, and teachers may have trouble understanding and remaining sympathetic and this can lead to feeling alone, ashamed, and depressed. Choices that seem apparent and simple can pose grueling dilemmas and thoughts about food can become preoccupying. Even knowing one’s behavior is unhealthy, an eating disorder sufferer can be terrified of change.
The good news is there is help! With proper medical and nutritional supervision, psychotherapy can effectively assist clients towards an improved and less exclusive relationship with food. I can help develop a more realistic perspective, create the right food plans, improve tension awareness and self-regulation, and build will power to substitute healthy for unhealthy food choices. A wonderful bi-product is elevated confidence.
Contact me to discuss ways I can help.