There is a common understanding that eating disorders are all about control. Though there is a lot of truth to this understanding, eating disorders can be explained in other ways as well.
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Simply put, there cannot be one without the other. Compassion can come in many forms but in its most simple form, it is giving yourself the space to understand who you are without judgement. All individuals are a product of their experience. Therefore, there is no room for blame when recovering from an eating disorder.
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On average it takes about three years for someone to seek help for an eating disorder. Why three years? Well, many reasons can be attributed to this long wait. One attribute that is incredibly persistent across the board is stigma associated with having an eating disorder
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Almost every person has desires to change some part of their physical appearance but for some people this desire can turn into a chronic disorder that controls their life. Year after year the statistics for the prevalence of eating disorders within the US continue to grow. sInce it is a topic that is often considered taboo, it gets brushed under the rug. Additionally, given that our culture values thinness, it is all too common that an individual loses weight through disordered eating habits, and is complimented and validated by society for their weight loss.
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It is incredibly important to set healthy expectations for yourself during all stages of recovery. No matter how long you have been in recovery there are certain reminders that get lost along the way. Why is this? Recovering from an eating disorder can take a long time… it is all too common that someone enters into recovery and gets frustrated by the time it is taking to feel better.
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Body image insecurity is increasingly becoming an issue in today’s society. A recent study found that approximately 80% of U.S. women don't like how they look and 34% of men are dissatisfied with their body (Runfola, et. al, 2013) and that number is only continuing to grow.
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Many people approach binging as the ultimate problem. First, there is an incredible amount of shame wrapped up in this belief. As we continue to live in a culture that values thinness we are fed the idea that to overeat or to be in a heavier body is shameful. Meaning, it is something that you have done to yourself. This message is frustrating in so many ways.
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Participating in athletics, whether competitively or not, comes along with many benefits. Athletics lead to accomplishments, a sense of purpose, something to work towards, motivation, and many others other positive outcomes. Athletics can also put individuals at a greater risk for developing an eating disorder. A recent study conducted amongst female, Division 1 athletes found that one-third showed symptoms or thoughts related to eating disorder behavior.
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This is an incredibly common question when people begin thinking about entering into eating disorder therapy. The truth is, it can look many different ways depending on what your eating disorder treatment needs are.
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As I write this piece we are over a month into quarantine following the shelter in place orders during COVID-19. I have always been an advocate for online therapy. It provides those with time, travel and social restraints the opportunity to access therapy from the comfort of their own home or workplace. As quarantine has become the new norm and my therapy sessions have moved entirely virtual, I have found only more reasons to promote online therapy as an effective, productive and supportive route to achieve your therapeutic goals.
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So really, why does dieting not work? Dieting isolates many important factors that are part of what makes an individual's body, their body. You might be wondering why you just can’t seem to maintain that diet? Or every time that you do it ends in a binge that erases all the hard work that you put in. So why is this? When a binge happens your body is responding to the lack thereof.
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Why do so many college kids develop eating disorders?
College can be stressful already. It is a confusing time and if you are also trying to navigate an eating disorder, it can feel even more confusing. I wanted to put together a list of signs and symptoms that it might be time to seek help for an eating disorder or a developing eating disorder. Eating disorders come in many forms; body image dissatisfaction, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, body dysmorphia, orthorexia, and the list goes on.
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As I write this piece, we are over a month into our COVID-19 self-quarantine. Despite the time that has passed there is still a lot of uncertainty in the world and many people have felt a loss of control in their lives. The impact that COVID-19 has had on individuals' mental health is evident by the quickly-evolving support systems adapting their practices to online therapy.
People with disordered eating, most commonly referred to as eating disorders, are at an even greater risk of relapsing or increasing their disordered habits. For those affected by this you might be feeling anxious, depressed or trapped within your own body. There is a correlation between control and disordered eating habits
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There is no denying that the current pandemic has caused all of us to approach our daily lives differently. There is plenty of confusion, uncertainty and questions floating around the world right now. Which is why it is important to create as much normalcy as you possibly can - and that includes therapy. Whether you are actively in therapy or you are considering seeking out a therapist, the stay at home order should not be a roadblock preventing you from achieving the personal growth you are seeking. Many revisions have been implemented to the current mental health standards to allow for more flexibility for online therapy. As a result, I wanted to write a blog to discuss the best ways to get the most of your online therapy.
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Binge Eating Disorder Debunked, Ellie Kraus Psychotherapy, Boulder, CO
What is binge eating disorder?
Why does binge eating happen?
Why do I feel out of control when I am around food?
Perhaps these are some of the questions that you have asked yourself. So why does one binge?
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It can be really hard navigating how to best supportive of your partner, friend, family member when they are grieving the loss of a loved one. Oftentimes we don’t know if we should reach out or what exactly to say. The most important thing to remember if your loved one is grieving is that everyone handles and processes situations differently from the next person. The best possible thing to do is simply hold space for them to feel and process in whatever way that they need.
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Anxiety can be a complicated beast. Do you ever experience initial feelings of anxiety and the very acknowledgement of that anxiety sends you into more anxiety? Or do you ever find yourself trying to designate the ‘trigger’ of your anxiety, or whatever set it off?
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Codependency is a word that gets thrown around quite frequently. There are codependent romantic partners, codependent parents, codependent friends… but what actually is codependency? And is it really as bad as it sounds?
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As the expectation for perfection becomes more desired, the inevitable blemishes that occur in parenting become magnified. Resulting from this expectation came the idea of the ‘good enough parent.’ According to Psychology Today, “good enough parents do not strive to be perfect parents and do not expect perfection from their children.”
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Are you tired of being told to listen to your body? To pay attention to your hunger cues? To ‘eat intuitively,’ by eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full?
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