Eating Disorder
Do you feel a loss of control when you're around food? Do you skip meals, or do you rigidly restrict your food intake? Do you overeat and feel as if you can’t stop? 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 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 may not result in the extreme symptoms seen in a diagnosable eating disorder, it has the potential to, and often does, negatively impact a person's life.
For example, someone with disordered eating may suffer from low self-worth, have a negative body image, 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, such as their cardiovascular and intestinal health. 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 exercise to "punish" for overeating
Binging and/or purging
Self-worth or self-esteem because of your weight or body shape and weight
Feeling out of control around food
… then you may be suffering from disordered eating.
What causes people to engage in harmful eating habits can be complex and vary between individuals. Individual therapy can help people examine their past to understand what led to these behaviors and learn to accept and love themselves as they are. You can also work with a therapist to create healthier habits and develop coping mechanisms for difficult cues or triggers.