Therapy for eating disorders (ED)
Understanding and healing the relationship with yourself
Body image and eating disorders
Eating disorders tend to affect women more than men. This is not coincidence, as one of the main characteristics of these conditions is the concern with the body image.
Although there is greater awareness today about the negative effects of societal pressure to meet certain body standards, there is still much work to be done and damage to repair.
Social and emotional pressure
The society we live in continues to sell messages that we receive passively, and it continues to favor normative bodies, those that meet societal expectations.
Under the pressure to adjust to both external and internal body image expectations, eating disorders (ED) emerge.
In addition to the body factor, a high percentage of people use eating disorders as a way to manage unpleasant emotions. For example, when you are stressed and turn to binge eating, which temporarily helps you feel calmer.
Most common disorders
Generally, those who suffer from an eating disorder are able to keep it a secret for a long time, either due to shame about their close surroundings knowing what they are going through, or because they don't want to change their eating behavior.
The three most common eating disorders are:
Anorexia Nervosa
- Restriction of food intake leading to significantly low body weight, which can cause health consequences.
- Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat.
- Presence of behaviors that interfere with weight gain, even when the weight is very low.
- Distorted perception of one's own body image or lack of recognition of the severity of low body weight.
Binge Eating Disorder
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Consuming an excessive amount of food in a short period of time, more than what most people would eat in a similar period.
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Feeling a lack of control over what is being consumed.
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Eating until feeling uncomfortably full.
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Eating large quantities of food when not physically hungry.
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Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or ashamed afterward.
Bulimia Nervosa
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Recurrent episodes of binge eating.
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Compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain, such as: self-induced vomiting, use of laxatives, diuretics, or other medications, fasting, or excessive exercise.
Your Healing Space
If you believe you may be experiencing an eating disorder, here you will find a safe, non-judgmental, and respectful space to talk about it and work through it.
If you have a family member whom you believe may be going through this, we can also work on tools to support them through the process.
