Are You Struggling with Disorder Eating, Anorexia, Bulimia, or Binge Eating?
Do you feel a loss of control around food? Do you skip meals or rigidly restrict your food intake? Are you consumed with thoughts about your body shape or your weight? If these questions resonate with you, you’re not alone. Many individuals and their families seek support for eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder, as well as disordered eating patterns.
While many are familiar with the term “eating disorder,” “disordered eating” may be less familiar. It’s not a formal diagnosis but describes a range of problematic eating behaviors. This can include a pervasive need to control caloric intake or specific food types (e.g., no sugar, no fat), often accompanied by high anxiety when consuming “unhealthy” foods. These patterns of worry, and significant fluctuations in anxiety, energy, and mood when meal plans deviate, can be the start for a future eating disorder. The signs and symptoms of disordered eating are similar to those of a diagnosable eating disorder, varying in frequency and severity.
Even without a formal diagnosis, disordered eating can profoundly impact your life. It can lead to missed work, school, or social events due to anxiety or discomfort around food, or an obsessive exercise routine. An obsession with food and exercise can impair focus and concentration, affecting performance in daily life. Furthermore, disordered eating takes a significant mental and physical toll, contributing to negative self-talk, impacting mental health, and potentially leading to physical health issues affecting cardiovascular and intestinal systems. Crucially, disordered eating significantly increases the risk of developing a full-blown eating disorder.
Expert, Compassionate Eating Disorder Treatment
Dr. Arthur offers specialized and compassionate eating disorder treatment for individuals and families in thought out the United States. With years of dedicated supervision in the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders, Dr. Arthur has extensive experience helping clients on their journey to recovery. He often collaborates with a multidisciplinary team, including a nutritionist and psychiatrist, to provide comprehensive, holistic care. Dr. Arthur previously served as a primary therapist and intensive outpatient therapist at a nationally recognized eating disorder treatment center, bringing that invaluable experience to his current practice.
His “emotion-centered” treatment approach is rooted in research and clinical experience, recognizing that eating disorders are not solely about food or body shape. While stabilizing nutritional intake is a priority, Dr. Arthur emphasizes developing emotional strength, distress tolerance, social skills, and a sense of purpose beyond body image. He also integrates “real-world” exposures into therapy, helping clients apply new skills in everyday situations.
Personalized Concierge Therapy for Eating Disorders
Understanding the complex and unique causes of harmful eating habits, Dr. Arthur custom-develops a concierge-style therapy plan for each client. This individualized approach addresses specific issues as they arise. Concierge therapy services ensure a highly tailored and responsive treatment experience. Through individually tailored therapy, you can explore past experiences that contributed to these behaviors, identify current stressors and “triggers,” and learn to build strength through your emotions. The journey to “accepting and loving oneself” is personal and challenging, and Dr. Arthur will work collaboratively with you to cultivate healthier habits and develop effective coping mechanisms for difficult cues or triggers.
When to Seek Professional Help for Eating Concerns
If you find yourself struggling with any of the following, we encourage you to contact Dr. Arthur for a consultation:
- Frequent dieting or obsessive calorie counting
- Rigid food restriction or skipping meals
- Feeling anxiety, guilt, or shame about certain foods or food in general
- Obsessive exercising, or using exercise to “punish” yourself for overeating
- Binging and/or purging behaviors (e.g., self-induced vomiting, laxative abuse)
- Self-worth or self-esteem heavily tied to your body shape and weight
- Feeling out of control around food
Take the First Step Towards Healing
If you’re struggling with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, or disordered eating and need support and guidance, a licensed therapist specializing in eating disorders can help you create healthier habits for both your body and mind. Don’t let these challenges control your life any longer.
Ready to begin your journey to recovery? Call or text Dr. Arthur’s office today at 561-331-1722 to schedule a confidential consultation.