Do I Have an Eating Disorder?

If you have landed on this page, you are probably in a tough spot.

Maybe someone has expressed their concern about your eating behaviors, and you are beginning to think that they might be right. Or maybe you are realizing that you feel out of control when it comes to food, the mirror, or your body image.

As someone who has gone through their own eating disorder recovery and is now an eating disorder recovery specialist, I know firsthand that it’s a scary place to be.

You don't have to navigate this alone. Keep reading for answers to common eating disorder recovery questions.

You likely have a lot of questions on your mind if you are wondering whether or not you might have an eating disorder, and that’s okay. I’m here to help guide you through. If you already know that you could benefit from online eating disorder treatment, click on the button below to book your free consultation. Otherwise, let’s take a look at some of the most common questions that I get as an eating disorder recovery specialist.

What is an eating disorder?

Eating disorders come in many different forms. They are often kind of like fingerprints – no two are exactly the same. But, something that all of them share is that they impact your quality of life in some way. Eating disorders are also thought to be biopsychosocial conditions. This means that in order for an eating disorder to develop, the right biological, psychological, and environmental conditions have to be present. 

Some examples of eating disorder diagnoses include: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, other specified feeding and intake disorder (OSFED), avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), and rumination disorder. I won’t go into the symptoms of each individual diagnosis (if you have specific concerns, feel free to book a free consultation with an eating disorder recovery specialist here), but some common symptoms of an eating disorder or disordered eating are:

• Preoccupation with food and weight

• Restricting food intake to control body size or shape

• Eating unusually large amounts of food in a short amount of time

• Inducing vomiting (purging) to “get rid of” what you’ve eaten

• Laxative use to “get rid of” what you’ve eaten

• Over-exercising

• Intense fear of gaining weight

• Avoidance of food due to fear of choking or getting sick

Who Can Have an Eating Disorder?

The short answer is that anybody can have any eating disorder. If you consume any type of media, you’ve probably seen someone struggling with an eating disorder portrayed as a very thin, white woman in her teens or 20s. This is a massive misrepresentation of the majority of people struggling with eating disorders. There are many, many people existing with an eating disorder diagnosis who are a variety of genders, races, ages, and socioeconomic statuses. The truth is that eating disorders do not discriminate.

How Do Eating Disorders Start?

Eating disorders are so complex, and they truly are different for everyone. So, to be honest, there is not really a straightforward answer to this question. What I can tell you is that eating disorders are thought to be biopsychosocial conditions. This means that in order for an eating disorder to develop, the right combination of genetic, psychological, and environmental elements have to be present. I do tend to see common denominators in a lot of my clients such as childhood trauma, CPTSD, sensory struggles, neurodivergence, and introduction to diet culture at a very young age. However, not all of the clients I have seen have experienced all or even any of these things. When it comes down to it, we don’t necessarily know what definitively causes an eating disorder to occur, and it likely comes down to a variety of complex factors.

What Does Eating Disorder Recovery Look Like?

Eating disorder recovery can simultaneously be an incredibly challenging journey and the best decision you have ever made. Eating disorder recovery definitely doesn’t have a quick fix, and you can expect it to be a process. Just like every person’s eating disorder is different, so is their recovery. So, while I can’t give you a perfectly painted picture of exactly what your eating disorder recovery will look like, I can explain some of the common things that are involved in the eating disorder recovery process. 

In eating disorder recovery, it can be helpful to have a comprehensive treatment team of eating disorder recovery specialists. This means that it is recommended to have a team of different providers who specialize in eating disorder recovery, usually made up of a therapist, dietitian, medical doctor, and psychiatrist. Like I mentioned before, eating disorders are complex issues. Having a full treatment team can make sure that you are supported in all aspects of your eating disorder recovery. 

A lot of times, eating disorder recovery involves as much unlearning as it does learning. You might have to unlearn things like unhelpful patterns from childhood, messages you learned from diet culture, and misinformation that your eating disorder has latched onto. Things that you can expect to learn in eating disorder recovery are how to feel safe in your body again, manage your emotions, fuel yourself, and live a life that isn’t limited by your illness.

I Think I Might Have an Eating Disorder. What should My Next Steps Be?

If you are concerned that you might have an eating disorder, you have already accomplished a difficult task – acknowledging that there is a problem. You may be feeling a bunch of different emotions at once, and it’s normal to be confused about what you should do next. When you are struggling with an eating disorder, it is important to enlist the help of a medical professional. Eating disorders can really take a toll on our bodies, so if you are wondering where to start, definitely consider talking to your primary care physician first. Additionally, most eating disorder treatment centers will offer a free eating disorder assessment to determine an appropriate level of care. You can typically access this by calling the admissions number on an eating disorder treatment center’s website. A lot of places are now offering both in-person and online eating disorder treatment, and there are several eating disorder treatment directories such as this one. You can also reach out to an eating disorder recovery specialist, like me! To schedule a free consultation with me, click on the button below.

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