Do I Have an Eating Disorder?

Sep 1

Eating Disorder Info

If you are struggling with an eating disorder, you may feel confused, embarrassed, and hopeless. You may think you are the only person going through something like this. Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that affect millions of people. You are not alone. Austin Trauma Therapy Center specializes in disordered eating and can help you.

Common Eating Disorders

The two most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, but there are many other less common eating disorders. People of all ages can be affected, and it is not just a problem for teenage women. About 1 in 1000 people are affected by anorexia and bulimia, and one in 10 people is affected by binge eating disorder.

Some signs that you might have an eating disorder include:

You have a distorted body image.
You don’t eat enough food to maintain your body weight.
You eat too much food or force yourself to throw up.
You have a fear of becoming fat.
You use diet pills or laxatives to lose weight.
You don’t eat certain foods because you think they make you fat.
You don’t eat because you’re afraid of gaining weight.
You exercise excessively in order to lose weight or stay thin.
You feel guilty after eating.
You eliminate entire food groups from your diet.
You worry about your body image and/or weight constantly.

How it Can Affect Your Health

Eating disorders are a serious mental illness and form of self-harm. They are characterized by extreme and unhealthy eating habits and attitudes towards eating, food, and weight. Eating disorders are serious and can lead to life-threatening medical problems. People with eating disorders often experience changes in their physical health, relationships, and emotions and find it difficult to manage their day-to-day lives.

Eating disorders are commonly misunderstood conditions that tend to be shrouded in stigma. With a wide range of potential behaviors, eating disorders can present themselves in an enormous variety of ways. Some eating disorders involve starving oneself, purging after eating, and/or excessive exercise, while others about the fear of eating or extreme measures taken to control one’s weight.

Get Treatment

Whatever the case, it is important to know that eating disorders are not about food. They are about struggling to cope with stress, anxiety, shame, or other difficult feelings, and it is often difficult for sufferers to seek help. However, the sooner someone gets help, the better.

Visit our website for more help: https://atxtraumatherapycenter.com/eating-disorder-treatment-austin/

If you're in the Austin, TX area, you can also visit our office!