When you hear the word “anorexia,” what image comes to mind? Most people hear the word “anorexia” and immediately think of an extremely thin person. The reality is, however, eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes, and they do not always lead to extreme weight loss. One very serious eating disorder, called atypical anorexia, shares [...]
Contributor: Brittney Williams, LPC/MHSP at Fairhaven Treatment Center What is a “Part” in the IFS Model The Internal Family Systems Model (IFS Model) focuses on the dynamics of the internal systems of humans. This model considers the nature of the human mind is to be divided into sub-personalities known as “parts.” “Parts” may be described/experienced [...]
Contributor: Andrew Walen, LCSW-C, LICSW, CEDS, Founder and Executive Director of The Body Image Therapy Center If you have not heard of Health at Every Size (HAES), you’re not alone. It is a relatively new concept with early writings dating back less than 20 years. Simply put, HAES proposes that individuals: (1) encourage body acceptance; [...]
Eating disorders are complex disorders that affect someone’s physical and mental health. While eating disorders are characterized by someone’s relationship with food, exercise, and body image, these conditions aren’t really about this [1]. Even though food and body image can provoke someone with an eating disorder to experience a lot of distress, the eating disorder [...]
People who are in recovery from an eating disorder often work with a team of professionals, sometimes including a dietitian. This is because an eating disorder is a complex diagnosis. Eating disorders are not just mental health conditions, they also have an equally important medical aspect. In order for all pieces of the eating disorder [...]
Anorexia Nervosa is one of the most prolific eating disorder diagnoses, characterized by restriction of food intake, overwhelming fear of gaining weight, and having a distorted view one oneself. Individuals with this disorder have unique nutritional needs that must be considered in their treatment. A starved body results in a starved brain that can impact [...]
Contributor: Staff at Timberline Knolls Residential Treatment Center Over the past several years, TikTok has become one of the most popular video apps in the world, with more than 800 million users [1]. Like other major social media platforms, people use TikTok to share experiences, connect with others, and learn about practically any topic you [...]
Communicating the eating disorder struggles you are experiencing can be overwhelming. Even verbalizing the thoughts, feelings, and urges arising within your mind and body with eating disorder can be difficult to put into words, let alone verbalize to another person or partner. When that person is a partner, you may feel even more intimidated or [...]
Treating the impacts of trauma must be done very carefully, as revealing and exploring these experiences long after they have passed can cause retraumatization and increase the individual’s struggle. Some professionals believe in a “top-down” treatment approach to trauma, which involves focusing on cognitions and the “thinking brain [1].” Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, CBT, is an [...]
Most would agree that the doctor’s office is no place for discrimination. Why, then, do we accept it in relation to body weight, size, and shape? Weight stigma is more common in the Doctor’s office than may be expected. It is abhorrent enough that “people with obesity elicit negative feelings such as disgust, anger, blame [...]
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