Are you obsessed with food and the scale? Do you skip meals or exercise excessively? Are you stuck in an endless cycle of binging and purging? Do you wish you could regain control of your life?

Anorexia Nervosa is a life-threatening disorder characterized by extremely low body weight and an unhealthy fear of weight gain. People who suffer from anorexia have a distorted self-image, where they perceive themselves as never thin enough. If left untreated, this eating disorder can lead to self-starvation and death.

There are two types of anorexia. In the binge/purge type, the person suffering will eat excessively and compensate by vomiting or abusing laxatives. In the restrictive form, the individual will limit his food consumption, slowly starving himself by restricting his daily caloric intake.

Eating disorders are widespread. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, 30 million people in the US suffer from anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders. Men and women of all ages face eating disorders.

Every 62 seconds, at least one person dies as a result of an eating disorder.

Symptoms of eating disorders

Although anorexia can be difficult to identify, people may reveal their issue in a number of ways, including:

• chronic dieting and being very underweight
• obsession with calories, nutrition content, and recipes
• ritualistic eating patterns such as cutting food into tiny pieces, eating along, and hiding food
• lack of menstruation
• depression and lethargy
• hair loss
• constantly feeling cold
• avoiding social functions
• binge eating
• habitually going to the bathroom to purge during or after meals

Treatment

Eating disorders do not occur in a vacuum; often underlying psychological issues cause or exacerbate anorexia. Through therapy, you can treat the underlying issue, develop healthy coping skills, and improve your self-image.

Eating disorder treatment can help you:

• Cope with negative emotions in a healthy way
• Transform negative views of yourself and improve your self-esteem
• Live peacefully with food
• Love and trust yourself
• Accept and internalize your feelings
• Adopt healthy behavior and a healthy lifestyle

Therapy can supplement other eating disorder treatments such as nutritional therapy, residential therapy, or support groups, as needed.

Get help today

You deserve to feel better. To get started with eating disorder treatment, click here to connect to a therapist that can help you recover from your eating disorder. 

Don't wait. Get the help you need to regain control of your life.