Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating
Eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes.
The old idea that you have to be completely emaciated and essentially just skin and bones to have a diagnosable eating disorder is ridiculous. Sure… some cases get that extreme.
But most people with an eating disorder look like “normal” people. They go to school and work, have friends, go to the gym, have interests and hobbies, and care deeply about the world.
You don’t have to be hospitalized for your struggles to be real and valid. You deserve treatment no matter your size, weight, body type, or the length of time you have lived with disordered behaviors.
Most of us are familiar with certain labels…
… anorexia, bulimia, or binge-eating disorder, for example. But eating and body image disorders exist on a continuum.
Many clients I work with don’t qualify for a diagnosable eating disorder, but that doesn’t make their suffering any less worthy of the right therapy and care.
If you’ve experienced chronic dieting, emotional eating, or weight loss/gain repeatedly…
If you’ve ever been stuck in that restrict-binge cycle…
If you’ve constantly worried or obsessed about your body…
Or if you’ve exercised excessively or taken healthy eating to an extreme…
I see you. I see your struggles. And I can help.
Julie* is a professional in her late 20s who lives in Manhattan.
She is successful and smart. She goes on dates, has a good group of friends, and most of her family is supportive. Her friends often go to her for advice and comment on how confident and “together” she is.
Julie smiles politely, but inside she knows her reality couldn’t be further from the truth. Julie has been dieting since she was 14. She always felt uncomfortable in her body and wanted to look like all her skinny friends. At first, she lost weight successfully and received so much praise and attention. It lit her up, and she felt on top of the world.
But when things get challenging or stress is high, she notices she snacks a lot more. Once she gains a bit of weight, she restricts herself again and goes to the gym every day. But after a while, it leads to bingeing.
Julie feels so ashamed about bingeing, yet she can’t seem to stop. She promises herself that she will be so much better the next day, but getting “back on track” is getting harder and harder. Shame and guilt are Julie’s constant companions. Recently she has been gaining weight and feels like her life is getting out of control. She is terrified of becoming fat and always being obsessed with her appearance and eating.
Ally* is a college student and has just completed…
… her second round of residential eating disorder treatment.
She had lost a lot of weight previously and was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. Her friends and parents were really worried about her, as she ate less and less and exercised for hours each day. They talked to Ally and tried to help her see how destructive her behaviors were, but Ally seemed obsessed and only interested in herself.
Thankfully, after the school intervened because of Ally’s missing classes, she agreed to residential treatment.
She gained weight and was cooperative in the program. As Ally was becoming healthier and ready for discharge, she began to feel overwhelmed by the idea of continuing her recovery in the real world. She wanted to continue to make progress, but she felt lost without a strong support system to get it right this time.
After some hesitation, Julie reached out and started online therapy.
In our work together, she learned how her attempts to restrict and lose weight were causing her bingeing. She learned to eat in a more balanced way and understood the importance of providing her body with enough energy to live and function well. She made great progress developing a neutral relationship with her body… and even learned to appreciate it for all the things her body does for her every single day.
Without the pressure to lose weight, she developed healthy, sustainable, eating habits, and her weight stopped fluctuating.
We also focused on understanding why Julie felt insecure and not good enough. She challenged those beliefs and learned to trust herself by committing to her well-being, prioritizing her needs, and never giving up on herself.
She has just been promoted at work and is now in a healthy relationship with her boyfriend. She knows how to handle times of higher stress without relying on emotional eating. She has discovered a deeper appreciation for her body as she sees it through her boyfriend’s eyes.
Ally reached out to me from her treatment program.
After a quick consultation, she decided to work with me, knowing she would be more comfortable stepping out into the real world with a strong support system in place. We set up 2x/week therapy meetings… as well as appointments with a new psychiatrist and nutritionist.
In our work together, Ally became more confident in her recovery and learned how to prioritize consistent eating and self-care – all while being back in school, socializing, and living with a roommate. She worked hard to cultivate a more flexible mindset and develop healthy coping skills that didn’t include restriction. She became more comfortable in her healthy-sized body and appreciates all she can do in her life: go out to dinner with friends, focus on homework, go on dates, travel, and enjoy holidays with her family.
You don’t have to live this way! Let me be your guide…
It doesn’t matter how insignificant your symptoms may seem, your suffering is valid, and you deserve help.
Maybe Julie’s or Ally’s story resonated with you. Trust your gut and take a chance on yourself. If you don’t change, nothing changes. You CAN recover from eating disorders, disordered eating, and body-image issues.
A life free of the shackles of dieting, hating your body, and keeping yourself small is waiting for you!
Please call (914) 888-6413 or email me to set up a free 20-minute phone or video consultation. You will see how good it feels to take responsibility for taking that first step toward improving your life.
*Names changed to preserve client confidentiality.