Although anorexia nervosa—also referred to as anorexia—seems like a modern disorder, physicians published papers about a form of the disorder in the late 1800s. However, in all this time, the definition has changed considerably. A Brief History of Anorexia Some researchers claim that doctors were trying to understand “a nervous consumption caused by sadness and...Read More

Eating disorders are complex and frightening for many people. It’s imperative for a person with an eating disorder to receive comprehensive, individualized treatment to regain whole health. Here’s what to expect. What Are Eating Disorders? The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) provides this definition for eating disorders: “serious medical illnesses marked by severe disturbances...Read More

Everyone has days when they don’t feel they look their best, or wish they didn’t have a scar or some other type of flaw in their appearance. So when do these feelings actually become a problem? Body dysmorphia, also referred to as body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), is a mental health condition defined by someone’s emotional...Read More

A Complex Connection There’s a complicated connection between depression and eating disorders. The primary reasons for the complexity are the multiple layers of depression, how to address co-occurring disorders such as grief or trauma, and getting to the source of both the depression as well as the eating disorder. Types of Depression According to WebMD,...Read More

Eating Disorders Eating disorders are characterized by a disturbance of eating or an eating-related behavior.  This disturbance significantly affects physical health and psychosocial functioning.  Eating disorders include bulimia, anorexia, and binge eating disorder.  All three can have emotional, behavioral, and physical effects on the individual and can even be life-threatening for both males and females....Read More

Binge Eating Disorder Binge eating disorder or BED is an eating disorder that can be life-threatening but is also a disorder that can be treated.  BED is characterized by a person eating large quantities of food to the point of discomfort followed by purging to counter the binge eating episode.  It is the most common...Read More

  Eating Disorders and Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorders   Eating disorders and substance use disorders can be co-occurring disorders, meaning an individual can have both disorders at the same time.  An eating disorder includes anorexia nervosa, bulimia, binge eating, and compulsive eating.  These disorders cause physical and emotional pain both for the individual and their...Read More

  Co-Occurring Eating Disorders and Drug Abuse  Eating disorders and a co-occurring substance use disorder may sound like a strange combination but it is more common than many think.  Eating disorders and substance use disorders may actually share common similarities including how they affect the individual.  The eating disorder and the substance use disorder vie...Read More

Issues with body image typically begin in childhood. Children and young adults learn that there are unwritten rules about body image, as society creates evaluations of how one should look.  The problem with this is we are not creating our body images based on internal evaluations.  We look at how others perceive us and what...Read More

Eating disorders are a broad category of mental health disorders. Included disorders are the well known anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. In addition to anorexia and bulimia are binge eating disorder, body dysmorphic disorder and a smaller subcategory called eating disorders otherwise not specified. Lesser known eating disorders can include pica, orthorexia, and more cultural...Read More