Overcoming Eating Disorders: How To Get Started

Approximately one in 10 Americans may experience an eating disorder at some point in their lifetime. Eating disorders often come with mental and physical struggles that can be difficult to recover from on your own. If you have come to the realization that you or someone you love may be experiencing an eating disorder, you may be unsure of what to do next. We’ve outlined the steps you generally need to take to overcome an eating disorder below. 

Therapy tends to be a critical part of any eating disorder treatment plan. If a qualified therapist isn’t available in your area, an online therapy platform can connect you with a suitable eating disorder professional.

Worried you might have an eating disorder?

Receive support in online therapy

Finding support

It may seem scary or embarrassing to share with someone that you have an eating disorder. However, in most cases, an eating disorder isn’t a condition you can fix on your own. Like a broken bone or an infection, it usually requires the help of a trained medical professional to properly treat an eating disorder and move forward with your life. 

You may begin by talking to your primary care doctor about your eating disorder symptoms. They can refer you to specialists to treat different aspects of the disorder. Your eating disorder treatment team may include the following:

• A medical practitioner, such as a primary care provider or pediatrician, who can manage and treat the physical symptoms associated with extreme weight loss
• A mental health professional to provide psychological treatment and support, such as a therapist, psychologist, or social worker
• A registered dietician to provide specialized nutrition support and advice 
• Medical specialists to treat specific conditions caused by the eating disorder
• An occupational therapist to help you replace disordered eating behaviors with meaningful activities

Treatment plan for overcoming eating disorders

Patients typically work with their team to create a treatment plan targeting all of the aspects of the eating disorder. As you create your eating disorder treatment plan, one factor to consider is your budget. Some eating disorder treatment options may be more affordable than others, and your team may be able to help you find treatment facilities that charge based on income or offer scholarship opportunities. 

Participate in treatment

Approximately 15% of women experience an eating disorder by the time they reach their 40s, and around 27% receive eating disorder treatment. Without treatment, it may be difficult to fully recover from an eating disorder. Treatment can take place in a variety of settings, depending on the level of care needed, personal preferences, financial ability, and support from loved ones. 

Residential treatment

Some eating disorder patients may participate in residential treatment, which typically involves living at an eating disorder treatment facility for a period of time. Residential eating disorder treatment is usually best for individuals who would benefit from intensive medical, psychiatric, and behavioral support. 

Intensive outpatient treatment

An intensive outpatient treatment option may be suggested for people who need regular check-ins from a professional but don’t require the round-the-clock support of a residential program. With intensive day treatment, patients may see their eating disorder treatment team several times a week for physical check-ups, therapy, and sessions with a registered dietician. 

Outpatient treatment

Some patients participate in outpatient treatment that involves meeting with their eating disorder treatment team regularly, but not as often as in higher levels of care. For example, they may have eating disorder therapy sessions twice a week and see their dietician once a week, with monthly visits to their primary doctor.  

Support your mental health

While an eating disorder often impacts physical health, it is ultimately categorized as a mental health condition. Patients usually need mental health support to fully recover from an eating disorder. In addition, the majority of patients with an eating disorder also have a core mental health disorder, such as an anxiety disorder or a mood disorder. Talk therapy is frequently recommended for individuals with eating disorders, although the most effective type of therapy may vary from person to person. 

Anorexia nervosa

Bulimia nervosa

Cognitive behavioral therapy is most commonly used to treat bulimia, although interpersonal therapy that has been modified for time-limited eating disorder treatment plans can also be an effective option. Family-based treatment is usually recommended to treat children and adolescents with bulimia. 

Binge eating disorder

Interpersonal therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy can effectively treat binge eating disorder. Dialectical behavior therapy may also be used to reduce binge eating episodes by helping individuals learn to better regulate their emotions. 

Participate in nutrition education

Many eating disorder treatment plans involve nutrition counseling from a registered dietician. Individuals may work with a dietician to plan meals, make grocery lists, focus on weight gain instead of weight loss, and develop a nutritious, well-rounded approach to eating. It can be important to work with a dietician trained in supporting people with eating disorders, as not all professionals may have this specialized knowledge. 

Treat any physical complications

Disordered eating behaviors and a lack of nutrients and calories can result in serious physical health complications, such as the following:

• Low bone density
• Digestive problems
• Stunted growth
• Low blood pressure
• Dehydration and constipation
• Dental cavities and damage to enamel
• Not having a menstrual period and challenges with infertility
• Acid reflux
• Malnutrition

Your primary care doctor may be able to monitor and treat some physical problems from eating disorders. More complex issues may require the support of a specialist, such as a dentist, cardiologist, endocrinologist, or gastroenterologist. 

Self-care

In general, self-care isn’t a replacement for eating disorder treatment, but it can act as a complement to your treatment plan and provide motivation as you move through the recovery process.  

Manage triggers

We often view self-care as the behaviors in which you engage to support your mental and physical well-being, but self-care can also involve the things you don’t do. A trigger can be anything that leads to a challenging emotion or pushes you to engage in unhealthy habits like disordered eating. Eating disorder triggers might include social media, changes in routine, social gatherings centered around food, weighing yourself, experiencing life transitions, or grocery shopping.

Eating disorder triggers aren’t necessarily good or bad, but they can lead to harmful behavior. You can implement strategies to reduce the impact of triggers or remove them from your life completely. For example, if going to the grocery store causes anxiety, consider using grocery delivery for a while. You may need to delete social media apps from your phone or unfollow accounts that lead you to engage in negative thought processes.

Engage in alternate behaviors

Managing eating disorder triggers and eliminating behaviors associated with an eating disorder may seem more feasible if you have something with which to replace them. Resume old hobbies or find new hobbies where you can focus your attention and time. You might enjoy the following:

• Listening to music 
• Learning to play an instrument
• Practicing yoga
• Going for walks in nature
• Watching your favorite TV show
• Trying different types of crafts
• Creating art

Spend time with loved ones

Your family and friends can be an important part of eating disorder recovery. They can provide long-term support and be available for vulnerable conversations you may not be able to have with others. You may also enjoy engaging in alternate behaviors with your loved ones, such as attending a concert with your sister or watching a new season of your favorite show with your best friend. 

Attend mental health support groups

Support groups aren’t always a necessary component of the treatment process, but some people may benefit from the supervised peer support that comes from meeting others who have gone through similar eating disorder experiences. This can provide a sense of community and prevent isolation during the eating disorder recovery process. Support group peers may also be able to offer suggestions about ways to manage your eating disorder triggers or suggest local resources that you may find helpful.

Worried you might have an eating disorder?

Receive support in online therapy

Helpful resources 

If you believe that you or a loved one may have an eating disorder, help is available. You can learn more from various organizations that support those with eating disorders and their families, including those listed below: 

• National Eating Disorders Association
• Eating Disorder Foundation
• Academy for Eating Disorders
• Eating Disorder Hope
• Alliance for Eating Disorders
• Families Empowered And Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders (FEAST-ED)

Because eating disorders are mental health conditions, it can be important to work with a mental health professional as part of your treatment. However, it may be difficult to find a therapist with whom you connect and who is qualified to treat those with eating disorders. 

With an online therapy platform like BetterHelp, you can connect with one out of thousands of licensed professionals who can offer qualified eating disorder support at your convenience. Therapy can also be helpful for the family members and friends of individuals with eating disorders, who are often impacted by their loved one’s condition but may not have a safe person with whom to talk about the experience. 

Research suggests that online therapy can effectively treat eating disorders, but it can be important to note that some individuals may need to seek medical care in person as well.