Eating Disorders Treatment Psychiatrist in Los Angeles and Glendale CA
Get treatment for your eating disorder today! Eating disorders are a group of psychological illnesses that lead to the development of poor eating habits. They may begin with a fixation with food, body weight, or body shape. If left untreated, eating disorders can have substantial health repercussions and could result in death in severe circumstances. In fact, eating disorders are among the most lethal mental conditions, coming in second only to opioid overdose. People suffering from eating disorders may exhibit a range of symptoms. Common symptoms include severe dietary restriction, eating binges, and purging behaviors such as vomiting or excessive exercise. You are not alone. Call our team of professionals or visit us online to book an appointment. We have convenient locations to serve you in Los Angeles CA and Glendale CA.
Table of Contents:
What is an eating disorder?
How can I improve my eating disorder?
How long does it take to recover from disordered eating?
How can we solve eating problems?
Eating disorders are behaviors characterized by severe and persistent disturbance with eating behaviors, associated with distressing thoughts and emotions. These serious conditions affect physical, psychological, and social function. Types of eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, other specified feeding and eating disorder, pica, and rumination disorder.
Eating Disordered behaviors often start in adolescence and young adulthood. Several, especially anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are more common in women, but they can all occur at any age and affect any gender. Eating disorders are often associated with preoccupations with food, weight, or shape or with anxiety about eating or the consequences of eating certain foods. Behaviors associated with eating disorders include restrictive eating or avoidance of certain foods, binge eating, purging by vomiting or laxative misuse, or compulsive exercise. These behaviors can become driven in ways that appear similar to an addiction.
Eating disorders often co-occur with other psychiatric disorders most commonly mood and anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and alcohol and drug abuse problems. Treatment should address psychological, behavioral, nutritional, and other medical complications. This can include consequences of malnutrition from restrictive or purging behaviors, heart, and gastrointestinal problems as well as other potentially fatal conditions. Ambivalence towards treatment, denial of a problem with eating and weight, or anxiety about changing eating patterns is not uncommon. With proper medical care, however, those with eating disorders can restore healthy eating habits, and recover their emotional and psychological health.
An eating disorder is a behavioral condition characterized by persistent disturbances in eating behaviors along with distressing thoughts and emotions. These conditions can have serious effects on physical, psychological, and social functioning. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, avoidant restrictive eating disorder, other specific feeding disorders, pica, and rumination disorders are some of the kinds of eating disorders.
An estimated 5% of the population suffers from eating disorders, most commonly during adolescence and young adulthood. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are more common in women, but they can affect anyone, regardless of age or gender. A person with an eating disorder is often preoccupied with food, weight, or shape, or anxious about eating. An eating disorder is characterized by restrictive eating or avoiding certain foods, binge eating, vomiting, laxative misuse, or compulsive exercise. Behaviors such as these can become driven in a similar way to addictions.
Fortunately, you can also unlearn behaviors you have learned. Eating disorders can affect anyone, and anyone can recover from them. It takes more than giving up unhealthy eating habits to overcome an eating disorder. You have to learn new ways to cope with emotional pain and rediscover who you are beyond your eating habits, weight, and body image.
It is important to talk about the problem as soon as you decide to make a change. Seeking help for an eating disorder can be frightening or embarrassing, so it’s important to find someone who will listen without judging or rejecting you.
It is essential to have a team of professionals that can address all aspects of your eating disorder because eating disorders have serious emotional, medical, and nutritional consequences. Look for professionals who make you feel comfortable, accepted, and safe as you search.
Every individual’s journey to recovery is unique. Recovery from eating disorders is rarely (if ever) linear. There are good days and bad days. The goal of recovery is to acquire the skills, coping techniques, and behavioral understanding that will help you say goodbye to eating disorders.
Recovery from eating disorders begins with medical stabilization. Individuals will see this differently, but they typically include at least one of the following: stabilization of vital signs like heart rate and blood pressure, weight restoration/maintenance, reducing maladaptive coping behaviors, restoring adequate energy levels, and regulating body temperature. A person’s recovery can then be focused on skill-building and significant cognitive change after they’ve been medically stabilized.
The recovery process can begin once the body and mind are able to function optimally and process more complex thoughts and emotions. Low-level care encourages patients to challenge their thoughts and explore the role that their eating disorders have played in their lives.
People who struggle with eating disorders have a variety of different treatment options available to them, but it is important to find the treatment, or combination of treatments, that works for them.
There is more to effective treatment than just addressing your symptoms and destructive eating habits. The treatment should also address the underlying causes of disordered eating, such as emotional triggers and difficulties coping with stress, anxiety, fear, sadness, and others.
At Psychiatry Unplugged, eating disorders can be treated and managed. What treatment plan will be utilized will be determined on a case-by-case basis as staff works with patients to determine a path toward recovery that works best for them. Eating disorders may be treated through a combination of behavioral therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. Reach out to us today, and we look forward to meeting you at your first appointment. We have convenient locations to serve you. For more information, Call us or book an appointment online. We serve patients from Los Angeles CA, Glendale CA, Beverly Hills CA, Santa Monica CA, Hollywood CA, Burbank CA, and Pasadena CA.
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