WHAT WE TREAT

What Is an Eating Disorder?

Eating Disorders are serious emotional and physical problems that can have life-threatening consequences for both males and females. Often our society overlooks the reality that there are so many males suffering silently with an eating disorder.Eating Disorders -- such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder -- include extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues. The most common are bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. Compulsive overeating/binge eating is also an eating disorder that is very common. What are the warning signs that you or a loved one may have one of these conditions?

Bulimia nervosa is earmarked by "binge eating." Bulimia is characterized by a secretive cycle of binge eating followed by purging. Bulimia includes eating large amounts of food--more than most people would eat in one meal--in short periods of time, then getting rid of the food and calories through vomiting, laxative abuse, or over-exercising. This unhealthy cycle can cause the person to refuse to maintain a normal body weight and severely restrict their diet.

Symptoms include:
- Repeated episodes of bingeing and purging
- Feeling out of control during a binge and eating beyond the point of comfortable fullness
- Purging after a binge, (typically by self-induced vomiting, abuse of laxatives, diet pills and/or diuretics, excessive exercise, or fasting)
- Frequent dieting
- Extreme concern with body weight and shape

Anorexia nervosa is another familiar eating disorder . People suffering from this condition often refuse the food they require that would bring them required daily nutrients. In short, they are starving themselves to maintain what they perceive is the perfect weight. Unfortunately, due to their distorted perception, "perfect" is far too thin. While others see a skeletal figure, the anorexic sees a not-yet-perfect image in the mirror. If left untreated, both disorders can result in premature death.

Symptoms of Anorexia include:
- Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for height, body type, age, and activity level
- Intense fear of weight gain or being “fat”
- Feeling “fat” or overweight despite dramatic weight loss
- Loss of menstrual periods
- Extreme concern with body weight and shape

Bulimia and anorexia are just two eating disorders that require psychological intervention. There are others. Patterns like obesity, dangerous dieting, compulsive exercising, and food cravings may be symptoms of deeper emotional problems. People who display these symptoms may benefit from therapy.

Binge Eating Disorder (also known as Compulsive Overeating)

Binge Eating is characterized primarily by periods of uncontrolled, impulsive, or continuous eating beyond the point of feeling comfortably full. While there is no purging, there may be sporadic fasts or repetitive diets and often feelings of shame or self-hatred after a binge. People who overeat compulsively may struggle with anxiety, depression, and loneliness, which can contribute to their unhealthy episodes of binge eating. Body weight may vary from normal to mild, moderate, or severe obesity.

Through proper nutrition, health education and appropriate psychotherapy, we effectively treat all types of eating disorders. One approach that has proven to help clients time and time again to change their destructive thought processes is cognitive therapy. Our combined approach of using cognitive therapy with behavioral, group and family therapy, and supportive 12 step programs allows our clients to achieve remarkable results in recovery of their eating disorders.