How to Treat Eating Disorders

An eating disorder is a disorder that includes negative attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors toward food and body image that arise from feelings of unhappiness related to food. ^{[1] X Trusted Source HelpGuide Go to Source} Behavior can vary, such as restricting food, vomiting after eating, binge eating, and resisting the urge to eat. If you’re ready to get treatment for an eating disorder, you’ve probably found that eating healthy can be overwhelming. It’s not easy to admit that you have a problem, but accepting and starting treatment is a battle. You should know that many people have overcome emotional problems related to eating disorders and you can too.

Table of Contents

Looking for help

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Go see a psychiatrist. At the heart of an eating disorder are extreme pain, problems with self-esteem, shame, and difficulty expressing emotions. ^{[2] X Trusted Source HelpGuide Go to Source} A Counselor is someone with the qualifications and resources to help you recover. Eating disorders can be life-threatening, and even if teachers, friends, and loved ones are caring and well-meaning, it’s still important to talk to a professional for help and care. trustworthy person.

If you’re a middle school or high school student, you should talk to your school counselor. If the school does not have this staff, you can talk to the nurse about your condition.
If you’re a student, you can talk to a counselor at your university. In addition, you can find a medical center and contact a specialist. Many large universities offer this service, especially as they offer a wide range of careers, including nursing and medicine.
For adults, you can find a mental health professional who specializes in eating disorders. Visit this website or this website to search if you live in the United States. Outpatient treatment is also a good starting point in recovery, and can help overcome the emotional needs that accompany eating disorders. ^{[3] X National Eating Disorders Association Trusted Source Go to Source}
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are two useful forms of treatment for eating disorders. ^{[4] X Research Sources}^{[5] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to Source} These methods challenge important thoughts and feelings to check for eating disorders.
Family therapy is often a key element in the treatment of an eating disorder. ^{[6] X Research Resources} Families need to better understand eating disorders and how to help a loved one with an eating disorder with an understanding attitude. Sometimes, family dynamics make an eating disorder worse.
Many people with eating disorders have had successful treatment and are no longer experiencing emotional problems. They lead a happy, peaceful and satisfying life.

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Contact a medical professional. Eating disorders, especially anorexia, can negatively affect the body and even lead to death. ^{[7] X Trusted Source HelpGuide Go to the source} Do not take your health lightly. You need to see a doctor for an accurate assessment and identification of your health condition. The assessment may reveal some of the potential health problems you have as a result of an eating disorder, such as osteoporosis, unusually slow heart rate, severe dehydration/kidney failure, stomach rupture. stomach ulcers, or stomach ulcers. ^{[8] X National Eating Disorders Association Trusted Source Go to Source}

By taking care of your body, you can begin to nourish yourself and form strong connections with your mind, body, and emotions.
Always follow your doctor’s instructions during recovery.
If you’re experiencing cravings and anorexia or bulimia, your doctor may prescribe fluoxetine (Prozac) to correct overeating. ^{[9] X Trusted Source National Institute of Mental Health Go to source}
People who are not interested in eating disorders are often at high risk of death. ^{[10] X Research Resources} In an effort to get the best chance of living a long and healthy life, you should seek medical and psychological treatment.

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Monitor mental health. If you are depressed or stressed or have other mental disorders, you may need to seek therapy and/or medication to deal with your problem. ^{[11] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source} Therapy teaches you coping skills for good health and overcoming the causes of stress in your life. If you’re feeling anxious or depressed, you’re at high risk of repeating erratic eating habits, so it’s important to practice these much-needed skills.

Many people with eating disorders have a history of trauma, including childhood neglect, bullying, physical abuse, or sexual abuse that causes low self-esteem. ^{[12] X Trusted Source National Eating Disorders Association Go to the Source} It is important to talk about these feelings and deal with trauma when you talk to a therapist.

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Get support from family and friends. Surround yourself with your loved ones and always support you. Appreciate those who want you to be happy and healthy. Stay away from people who trigger erratic eating habits or make you feel bad about your body. ^{[13] X Trusted Source HelpGuide Go to source}

Maybe you should find other friends to help you avoid triggers. Surround yourself with people who want to love and support you, not oppress you. Ignore the judgments of others.

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Consider inpatient or at-home treatment. Long-term inpatient treatment is appropriate for people who are unable to manage their psychological and/or physical symptoms on their own and require intensive care. ^{[14] X National Eating Disorders AssociationTrusted Source} . Home treatment is for people who are in a more stable condition and often focuses on psychological treatment with medical support. Many centers also have a team of registered dietitian and nutritionists to help plan or provide nutrition options. ^{[15] X National Eating Disorders Association Trusted Source Go to Source}

If you need more support than weekly therapy, or struggle with physical and emotional symptoms, you may need inpatient or home care.

Learn the symptoms

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Recognize emotional symptoms of eating disorders. Eating disorders can vary from person to person, but a few symptoms are common with this condition. Most people with eating disorders are overly concerned with their body, weight, and appearance. Emotional symptoms include: ^{[16] X Research Source}

Worrying about food and energy levels
Fear of certain foods, such as fatty foods
Feelings of extreme fear about gaining weight or being “fat”
Perception of self-esteem based on body awareness
Avoid food-related situations
Check your weight regularly
Denying the problem of eating or losing weight
Avoid friends

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Recognize the signs of anorexia . It is difficult to determine what weight is good or not ideal for each person. If weight loss and negative feelings about your body haunt your mind, you are and will not be satisfied with your appearance, and assume that your body will always be overweight no matter how much weight you lose, you are at risk of anorexia. ^{[17] X Trusted Source National Institute of Mental Health Go to the source} Anorexia is a serious health condition that can be fatal. Some signs of anorexia include: ^{[18] X Trusted Source National Institute of Mental Health Go to source}

Limit extreme eating
Too skinny, too emaciated
Inability to properly control weight, always keep losing weight
Missing menstruation in women
Dry, yellow skin and brittle hair
Low blood pressure

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Recognize the signs of bulimia . Binge eating is eating a lot of food and then preventing weight gain by vomiting, using laxatives or other drugs, or exercising too much. ^{[19] X Research Source} Most people with bulimia are average or sometimes heavier. Symptoms of bulimia include: ^{[20] X Trusted Source National Institute of Mental Health Go to Source}^{[21] X Trusted Source HelpGuide Go to Source}

Eat a lot at once
Can’t control myself while eating
Eat even though you feel full
Eat until you feel uncomfortable
Find comfort in food when feeling sad or lonely
Vomiting or taking laxatives or exercising right after eating
Overeating and/or vomiting in silence
Damaged tooth enamel
Sore throat or swelling

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Recognize the symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder. Binge eating occurs when a person eats large amounts of food, but does not lose weight afterward. ^{[22] X Trusted Source National Institute of Mental Health Go to the source} When you overeat, you feel out of control or out of character. Binge eaters are often overweight or obese. Binge eating often leads to feelings of shame and low self-esteem, prompting them to eat more. ^{[23] X Trusted Source National Institute of Mental Health Go to source}

Change bad habits

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Identify triggers. It is possible that the eating disorder is caused by looking at pictures of thin women, visiting a professional anorexic website, preparing for the beach season, or dealing with the stress of an exam or anniversaries coming up. a sad event. Be aware of a time when it’s easy to revert to erratic eating habits. ^{[24] X Trusted Source HelpGuide Go to source}

After identifying the trigger, you need to come up with a plan to deal with it. Maybe you need to talk to a sibling, close friend, pray, or see a doctor.
A therapist can help you manage your triggers in a healthy way.

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Avoid dieting. Dieting is like forbidding a child from playing an attractive toy: the more you ban, the more you want. This principle can be applied to eating disorders. The more you abstain from food, the more you want to eat, and after eating you feel guilty and ashamed. Dieting can cause cravings and binge eating. ^{[25] X Research Sources}

Talk to a dietitian to help you form healthy eating habits.
You can choose to be a vegetarian, but you need to consider your own motivations. If you choose to become a vegetarian for food restrictions rather than for health or ethical reasons, you need to reconsider this lifestyle. ^{[26] X Trusted Source Science Direct Go to Source}
Allow yourself to eat to your heart’s content from time to time. If you enjoy eating chocolate cake or cheeseburgers, you can reward yourself once in a while. ^{[27] X Trusted Source HelpGuide Going to the Source} Food serves to nourish and bring us joy. The important thing is that you eat your favorite foods and enjoy them.

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Limit movement. You should consider limiting your habit of overtraining. ^{[28] X Trusted Source National Institute of Mental Health Go to the source} Physical activity is as healthy as food, but both are beneficial if in moderation. Too little or too much can affect your body.

Minimizing physical activity doesn’t mean stopping it completely, but you need to limit it temporarily so that your body feels more comfortable after you put too much pressure on. Consult your doctor if you are ready to adjust your exercise routine.
Let exercise be something you do to honor and love your body, not to torture yourself or lose weight.

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Improve body image. Stop spreading negative content about yourself or others. ^{[29] X Research Source} This also includes commenting on celebrity physiques. You need to train yourself to stay away from self-destructive views about your own and others’ appearance, and don’t let others make fun of themselves.

List the good characteristics of the body. They are not necessarily related to weight; Maybe you appreciate curly hair or eye color, or the fact that you have belly fat. Your body has many beautiful features but is forgotten and you focus only on the flaws.
It’s hard to accept compliments without humiliating them, but just smile and say, “Thanks.”
If you hear others make extreme statements about their bodies, remind them to treat themselves and others with respect.
Avoid situations that encourage criticism of fat people, including those involving the media, friends, or in magazines.

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Practice mindful eating. Instead of having a negative attitude towards food, you should be mindful of your eating behavior. Take the time to practice awareness when eating. Schedule a time to eat and sit down to enjoy. Appreciate the food in front of you. Before eating take a few seconds to enjoy the food pictures: observe the color, texture, and layout. Smell the food and note the salivary activity in the mouth. When eating, you should chew slowly and enjoy the taste and texture of the dish. ^{[30] X National Eating Disorders Association Trusted Source Go to Source}

When eating, you should focus on the present moment. Turn off the TV and remove distractions. Put down your chopsticks between meals, and try to focus on the taste, texture, temperature, and even the sound of your food. ^{[31] X Research Source} If mind wandering isn’t a big deal, just focus on the present moment gently.
Enjoying a meal includes making choices about what to eat and what you’re eating. ^{[32] X Research source} has difficulty enjoying meals, you should tell yourself, “I will eat breakfast to nourish my body because I love myself.”
When faced with a previous diet, you might say, “I’m deciding to eat this chocolate cake because I love it.”

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Resist the negative words you say to yourself. Maybe you don’t really realize how many extreme thoughts pop up in your mind. When you realize this, you should stop and observe them. Then challenge these notions.

Ask yourself if the thought comes from reality (Is it true or just an association?).
Find another explanation (Is there a more aggressive approach? Is there any other meaning?).
Put your thoughts into perspective (Have you ever been exaggerating the situation, or expecting the worst? Will the issue still matter two years from now?).
Adopt a goal-oriented mindset (Is there a way to approach this situation that will help me achieve my goals? What can I learn from this?). ^{[33] X Research Sources}
If you have the thought, “I’m too fat and no one likes me,” you should take note and start fighting. You can ask yourself, “Is it true that no one likes me? No, I have my best friend and dog beside me, and I know that they love me.” Or: “Am I really fat? I’m only 55 kg and 1m73 tall”, and that’s underweight. Also, my friends say I’m too skinny. Even if I get fat, I’ll still be cute.”

Psychological adjustment

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Listen to the body. If you have an eating disorder, you are in the habit of ignoring your body’s signals. You need to learn to listen to your body carefully. When your body gets enough food, you will feel full. No bloating or pain, but a feeling of fullness. ^{[34] X Trusted Source National Eating Disorders Association Go to the source} The same is true of physical exercise: you’ll feel tired or drained once you’ve exercised enough. The key here is to have moderation.

The body will signal when to eat and stop, when to exercise and when enough exercise. You need to believe your own message, and the most important thing is to listen to your body. Believe in your body’s innate ability to send messages to you. ^{[35] X Research Source}
If you’re overeating or have experienced binge eating, you need to listen to your body and its cues of hunger and fullness.

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Pay attention to your feelings. Do you eat when you feel happy, stressed, or sad? Or do you torture yourself emotionally by restricting your food intake? Some people deal with emotional problems by venting on food. You should face your emotions and allow yourself to feel them. Realize that eating disorders are really not food related but rather emotional avoidance. ^{[36] X Trusted Source HelpGuide Go to Source} Refusal to eat is a way of self-control, while binge eating is a way to calm the mind when feeling hurt or sad, also like vomiting is a way to punish yourself.

Think about the emotions that trigger your eating habits, and remember that “fat” is not a feeling. You may struggle with confidence and self-esteem issues. When attention turns to food, what happened before that? Do you focus on shortcomings, loneliness, or boredom? Learn about the emotional causes of eating disorders. ^{[37] X Trusted Source HelpGuide Go to source}

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Solve problems in a healthy way. After figuring out the emotional causes, you should find a way to deal with them and the cause of the stress when it arises. Everyone is different, so it takes time to find a solution to your problem. Try a few different methods and choose the one that works best. Some of the techniques include: ^{[38] X Trusted Source HelpGuide Go to source}

Call a friend or relative
Listening to music
Play with pets
Read a book
Take a walk
Writing
Go out

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Stress management. You should find a way to solve everyday problems that are not related to food. Carry out daily activities that help you relieve stress and avoid being overwhelmed. ^{[39] X Trusted Source HelpGuide Go to the source} When stress management becomes part of your daily life, you can work through stress as it arises rather than gradually building up.

Do yoga, meditation, and light relaxation exercises.
Dynamic relaxation, tension – slack muscles. Lie down and relax your body, breathing deeply while relaxing. Start with a right fist, squeeze the muscle, then relax. Continue with forearms and upper arms, squeezing tight then relaxing. Perform from right hand over left hand, face, neck, back, chest, hips, shins and feet. You will feel the relaxation of the whole body, no muscle tension. ^{[40] X Research Source}

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Accept yourself. Eating disorders are active protests against emotional and physical needs. Learning to accept yourself is a thorny and long process. You need to accept yourself on all levels: body, mind, spirit, and emotions.

List your good qualities. Maybe you are smart, creative, artistic, good at math, kind, considerate, and compassionate. ^{[41] X Trusted Source HelpGuide Go to the source} You have many good things to contribute to this world; Learn to appreciate them!
Fight extreme thoughts about your appearance with affirmations about the whole of yourself. When you find yourself criticizing your appearance, you should shift your focus to things that add value to you beyond your appearance. These can include kindness, generosity, intelligence, and skill. Remind yourself that your worth is not in your appearance, but in who you are.

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Trust yourself. The main effect of eating disorders is to control the body’s natural processes by imposing control over them. You should allow yourself to release your mental control and start believing in yourself. ^{[42] X Research Sources} You may have made food rules (“I don’t eat red foods” or “I can’t eat high-calorie foods like bagel”), but you may allow itself to challenge its own regulations. Start slowly and enjoy the present moment.

Think about how it feels to break the “rule”. Have you experienced anxiety before? How is it now? How do you feel then? How did the body react? You should learn to improve your relationship with food, and start enjoying the process instead of dreading it.

Advice

Be kind and love yourself more. Treating an eating disorder can be exhausting and painful. Acknowledge your efforts and believe that you will succeed.

Steps

Looking for help

Learn the symptoms

Change bad habits

Psychological adjustment

Advice

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