Do you feel a loss of control when you're around food?
Do you skip meals, or do you rigidly restrict your food intake?
Are you consumed with thoughts about your body shape or your weight?
Many people are aware of what an eating disorder is, but disordered eating may sound less familiar. Disordered eating is not a diagnosis but a phrase used to describe a range of problematic eating behaviors. The signs and symptoms of disordered eating are similar to those of an eating disorder, although they will vary with frequency and severity.
While disordered eating and body image issues may not result in the extreme symptoms seen in a diagnosable eating disorder, it has the potential to negatively impact a person's life. For example, someone with disordered eating may miss work, school, or personal events because of anxiety or discomfort around food, or because of an obsessive exercise routine. Their obsession with food and exercise may affect their ability to focus or concentrate, impacting their performance at work or school.
Disordered eating can also take a mental and physical toll on a person. Negative self-thinking can impact their mental health, and their poor eating habits can affect them physically. Disordered eating also puts the individual at high risk of developing an eating disorder.
If you find yourself struggling with:
- Frequent dieting or obsessive calorie counting
- Rigid food restriction or skipping meals
- Feeling anxiety, guilt, or shame about certain foods or food in general
- Obsessive exercising, or exercising to "punish" for overeating
- Binging and/or purging
- Gauging self-worth or self-esteem based on weight or body shape and weight
- Feeling out of control around food
… then you may be suffering from disordered eating or body image issues.
What causes people to engage in harmful eating habits is complex, and varies by individual. I can help you examine your past to understand what led to these behaviors and learn to accept and love yourself as who you are. We can work together to create an improved relationship with your body and food; a positive one.
If you're struggling with disordered eating or body image issues, I am here to support you.