FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT EATING DISORDERS

What if I have a combination of eating disorders, or if I have most of the characteristics of one disorder but not all of them?

It is not uncommon to either alternate between restriction and purging, or to have some, but not all of the characteristics of any of these disorders. The most important factor is feeling unable to control your behaviors and having them interfere with your ability to live a healhty and meaningful life. If this is occuring, treatment is necesary to restore or develop your ability to achieve balance and happiness in life and to be physically healthy.

What if I have other mental health problems along with the eating disorder?

It is not uncommon for someone with an eating disorder to also have depression, anxiety, or obsessiveness. Some of this may be caused by the impact of the eating disorder on your brain. However, up to 50% of individuals with eating disorders also have at least one other separate mental health disorder. Treatment will address both your eating disorder and whatever other mental health concerns may accompany it.

I'm over 30. Don't eating disorders just happen to teenagers or college students?

Eating disorders can affect anyone from children to older adults. If you had an eating disorder when you were younger, it my have returned under the stress of a new transition in life. If you began severe dieting for the first time (at whatever age you are now), the stress on your brain and your body could have resulted in an eating disorder. You will be asked to consult with a physician to rule out any other medical possibilities, but eating disorders are no longer uncommon in older adults.

Eating disorders often show up during major transitions in life such as leaving home for college, graduating, taking on new roles, or adjusting to major changes in life such as children leaving for college. They also can be a way coping with trauma or excessive stress.

I'm a male. I thought eating disorders just happened to females.

Although the majority of individuals who have anorexia or bulimia are female, at least ten percent are male. Close to half of the individuals with binge eating disorder are male. You may have developed an eating disorder if you participated in any sport or activity that stressed making a specific weight or if you are a member of a group that highly stresses appearance. You may have started at a higher body weight than other men and tried to diet down to a more normal size. You also may be affected by cultural pressures for men to have a certain body size and appearance. There may be other paths that led you to an eating disorder. However, engaging in severe dieting and/or overexercising for any reason can result in loss of control and the development of an eating disorder. If this is the case, your therapist will be able to provide treatment for your eating disorder while also recognizing your experience as a male in this culture.