Eating Disorders
Understanding Eating Disorders
Complex Mental Health Conditions
Eating disorders are not just about food; they are complex mental health conditions that affect every aspect of your well-being. At Mindful Generation, we recognize the emotional struggles you face, the battles with anxiety, guilt, and shame, and the constant desire for control. Our compassionate therapists are here to support you through this challenging journey towards healing and recovery.
Engaging in disordered eating behaviors can take a severe toll on your physical health, leading to malnutrition, electrolyte imbalances, and cardiovascular issues. We understand the importance of addressing both the emotional and physical aspects of eating disorders, providing you with comprehensive care for a more effective recovery.
Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder each have their unique characteristics and consequences. Our expert therapists specialize in treating various eating disorders, tailoring our approach to meet your specific needs and challenges, specific to outpatient treatment.
Important Facts about Eating Disorders
Eating disorders often coexist with other mental health conditions, making the journey to recovery more complex. We believe in a holistic approach to treatment that addresses all aspects of your well-being, providing you with the support you need to overcome these challenges.
Overcoming an eating disorder requires comprehensive treatment addressing psychological, nutritional, and medical aspects. Therapy, nutrition counseling, medical monitoring, and a multidisciplinary approach are essential for recovery.
Treatment Strategies
At Mindful Generation, we harness the power of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help you break free from the grip of your eating disorder and develop healthier thought patterns and coping mechanisms.
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Changing Negative Thoughts: Our compassionate therapists will guide you through Cognitive Restructuring, a process that involves identifying and challenging negative, distorted thoughts about body image, food, and weight.
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Confronting Fearful Situations: Facing anxiety-inducing situations around food and eating can be overwhelming. With Behavioral Exposure and Response Prevention, we'll support you in gradually confronting these fears, empowering you to overcome anxiety and resist harmful behaviors. Our goal is to equip you with the tools and confidence to handle challenging situations in a way that fosters growth and well-being.
DBT combines cognitive-behavioral therapy with mindfulness and acceptance-based strategies.
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Mindful Awareness: Mindfulness practices help individuals develop nonjudgmental awareness of thoughts and emotions related to eating and body image, reducing reactivity to triggers.
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Distress Coping: Learning effective strategies to cope with difficult emotions without resorting to disordered eating behaviors is a crucial aspect of healing. With Distress Tolerance, we'll teach you practical tools to navigate emotions in a healthy and constructive manner.
Your family can be a powerful source of support on your path to recovery, and we believe in including them as essential partners in your treatment journey.
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Educating Families: Psychoeducation provides families with information about eating disorders, their causes, symptoms, and the importance of early intervention.
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Meal Support and Coaching: FBT empowers parents to support their child's recovery by actively providing meal support and coaching during mealtimes.
Understanding Eating Disorders and DSM-V Criteria
DSM-V Criteria
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is a widely used guidebook in the mental health field, providing criteria for diagnosing and classifying mental disorders, including eating disorders (ED). Here are the key criteria for three types of eating disorders:
Anorexia Nervosa:
To be diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa, an individual must meet the following criteria:
Restriction of Energy Intake:
The person significantly limits their food intake, resulting in a body weight below what is expected for their age, sex, developmental trajectory, and physical health.
Intense Fear of Weight Gain:
They have an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, leading to persistent behaviors that interfere with weight gain, even when they are underweight.
Distorted Body Image:
They have a distorted body image or an excessive focus on body weight or shape, affecting their self-evaluation. They may also lack recognition of the seriousness of their low body weight.
Bulimia Nervosa:
To meet the criteria for Bulimia Nervosa, an individual must experience the following:
Recurrent Binge Eating Episodes:
Episodes of binge eating, characterized by eating significantly more food in a discrete period than most individuals would under similar circumstances and a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode.
Inappropriate Compensatory Behaviors:
Recurrent use of inappropriate compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or other medications, fasting, or excessive exercise.
Frequency of Episodes:
Binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviors occur, on average, at least once a week for three months.
Body Shape and Weight Influence:
Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight.
Binge Eating Disorder:
The criteria for Binge Eating Disorder include:
Recurrent Binge Eating Episodes:
​Episodes of binge eating, characterized by eating significantly more food in a discrete period than most individuals would under similar circumstances and a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode.
Associated Features:
The binge eating episodes are associated with three or more of the following:
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Eating much more rapidly than normal.
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Eating until feeling uncomfortably full.
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Eating large amounts of food when not physically hungry.
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Eating alone due to embarrassment about the amount of food being consumed.
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Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty afterward.
Frequency of Episodes:
Binge eating occurs, on average, at least once a week for three months.
Absence of Inappropriate Compensatory Behaviors:
Binge eating is not associated with recurrent inappropriate compensatory behaviors (e.g., purging).