Individuals struggling with anorexia severely limit the amount of food they eat. This can include counting calories or avoiding certain foods altogether. Individuals struggling with anorexia often have a fear of gaining weight and their self-esteem is linked to their appearance and how much they weigh.
Anorexia Nervosa
Societal Pressures
You may feel like your family or society are pressuring you to be thin. At the same time, you may encounter a stigma related to eating disorders. This can cause you to feel isolated as well.
Need For Control
You may be using food and eating as a way to feel in control of your life. This could be a result of losing control in other ways.
Medical Issues
Eating disorders have a number of physical and mental symptoms. Those who have experienced anorexia for longer periods of time may experience medical issues.
What Are Symptoms of Anorexia?
Looking at symptoms on the internet can be alarming. Please keep in mind that symptoms are viewed as one part of a broad picture involving many factors. These are only some of the signs that you or a loved one my suffer from anorexia.
Behavioural Symptoms
Food rituals, such as rearranging food on their plate
Excessive exercise
Eating alone
Not hanging out with friends or family
Emotional Symptoms
Fear of gaining weight or being fat, even if the individual is underweight
Not believing their low body weight is a problem
Physical Symptoms
Insomnia Or Sleeping Too Much
Weight Loss
Eating More/Less Than Normal
Common Treatment For Anorexia
Anorexia is treated with a combination of medical care, nutritional counselling, and psychotherapy. The most common forms of psychotherapy are:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Cognitive behavioural therapy teaches clients to recognize how their thoughts impact their feelings and behaviours and to help them evaluate their thoughts to ensure they are in line with the facts of a situation.
Family Based Therapy
This type of therapy treats the parents as a resource and is present focused meaning it does not focus on determining the cause of the eating disorder. The eating disorder is viewed as an external force that is acting on the child/adolescent. This treatment is administered in three phases. In phase one, parents are fully responsible for their child or adolescents’ meals including ensuring positive eating behaviour is taking place and interrupting any behaviour related to the eating disorder such as restricting or binging. During this phase the goal is to increase the child or adolescents’ weight to healthy levels with a goal of 1 to 2 pounds of weight gain a week. Phase two begins when the child or adolescent has achieved a healthy weight, healthy eating behaviours have been established, and unhealthy behaviours have been eliminated. During this phase the child or adolescent is provided with more independence surrounding eating, for example they are allowed to eat a meal away from the family unit. In phase three any co-occurring issues are addressed.
Therapists Who Can Help
Check out our experienced team of therapists specializing in anorexia and eating disorders and find the perfect fit for you.
Virtual Support Groups
Find a variety of online support groups for anorexia and other eating disorders. Connect with peers and get support.
Around the Dinner Table Forum
A unique forum for supporting parents of eating disorder patients. Connect with peers around the world and gain support.
Challenging Eating Disorder Thoughts
Learn how eating disorders impact thinking about food, nutrition and body image and discovery coping strategies.
