Overcoming Disordered Eating
Eating disorders are equal-opportunity destroyers. Their sufferers develop them for many different reasons. Risk factors from psychology, biology, and genetics combine with culture to create a perfect storm. And wow, what a storm it is, especially for Highly Sensitive People (HSPs). Understanding the reasons behind the prevalence of eating disorders among HSPs comes down to…
More often than you might think, people with eating disorders don’t recognize or acknowledge they have a problem. They may be full-blown into eating disorder behaviors while turning a blind eye to how severely ill they are. . Getting treatment for an eating disorder, therefore, can be difficult. And recognizing when eating disorder inpatient treatment…
The very real consequences of eating disorders– especially if left untreated — wreak havoc with body, mind, and spirit. Messages involving false promises bombard us. The essence of the messages is that dieting and exercise will let you live longer and be happier. For people with an eating disorder, the message is reconfigured and taken…
Eating disorders are insidious. They hide behind social media, dating, fitness-conscious workouts, and bathroom doors. By the time parents catch on, the challenge of catching up can be overwhelming…and consequential. It’s therefore important – imperative, really – that all parents become educated about the early signs of an eating disorder. Indicators of eating disorders are…
Relationships are mysterious things. Even the obvious ones that define our commitments and priorities can be enigmatic. But there are relationships we often don’t recognize as “relationships,” despite their behavioral influence in our lives. Money, work, food, to name a few – they are all reflective messages of often confined emotions. Binge eating, for example,…
Common signs and symptoms of eating disorders can be tough to recognize. They’re sneaky, subtle, and often socially accepted. Distinguishing between what’s “normal” and what’s indicative or symptomatic of a disorder is difficult. Thanks a lot, Diet Culture. (Trigger warning.) Eating disorders involve so much more than food. They’re not about vanity or attention-seeking. Eating…
Knowing how to help a friend with an eating disorder can be tricky. If you’re reading this article, you probably have a friend you suspect has an eating disorder. And you want to help but don’t know how to. You’re especially concerned that anything you say could make things worse. Perhaps one reason you want…
There is a lot to unpack on the topic of how to recognize if you might have an emotional eating disorder. “If you’ve never eaten while crying you don’t know what life tastes like.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Here are three facts, for starters: 1. Food is comforting, and that is ok. 2. All…
One reason stress gets a bad rap is that it can trigger physical and mental health problems, including eating disorders and depression. Knowing how stress can “cause” eating disorders and depression may help prevent you or someone you love from suffering. To be clear, stress is not always a bad thing. Think about all those…
Looking into treatment options for eating disorders for yourself or someone you love can be overwhelming. Even knowing where to start is challenging. In fact, a recent Google search for “treatment options for eating disorders” yielded 11,800,000 results. You read that correctly – over 11 million results. As hard as it has been for you…
Welcome to my Blog
Here I get real on body image, eating, sex, yoga and more. Sometimes the topics are more random. All relate to psychology (after all, I am a psychologist!) --Dr.D