Eating Disorders

You’re more than a number.

Each day that numbers dictate your life is one more day that you feel trapped, exhausted, frustrated.

The numbers: calories in food, pounds on a scale, grams of protein, sugar, carbohydrates. Numbers, numbers, more numbers.

Each time you resolve that this weigh-in, this binge, this purge, this diet will be the last, it is only a matter of hours or days before it all begins again. Life just seems to get away from you – and so does food. Everyone else seems to be able to manage – why can’t you?

Walking past your reflection in the mirror is painful – you never know whether you’re going to cringe or feel relief.

The scale never has the right number – if it’s up you hate yourself, if it’s the same you feel frustrated, if it went down, is it ever really low enough or does the bar keep moving? Getting dressed is a nightmare – especially as the seasons change and you wonder if those pants from 6 months ago are still going to fit.

When you go out with friends, it’s so hard to control your food – what you eat, how you eat, how it’s prepared. So you isolate more and more because the stress of navigating shared meals is just too great.

Life must be more than this…

At least, you hope. Because your life is looking more and more like a fun house at an amusement park – you’re caught in a hall of mirrors and all you see reflected back is your misery and frustration – on repeat in each progressive reflection.

The good news is, you’re right. Life is more than this. So much more. And there are tools to help you. There is help available.

So when you’re finally ready to say, “When,” therapy is here to help you find your way back.

It’s incredibly important that you see someone who actually specializes in eating disorders – who is trained in working with this specific issue. Seeing someone without the requisite expertise can inadvertently exacerbate an eating disorder.

There are 3 primary reasons why you need to see a specialist:

1. An eating disorder is about the food.

Okay, it’s not all about the food, but the food is a big piece of the puzzle. A lot of therapists hold the belief that if you talk about your relational dynamics and solve those issues, the food will miraculously fix itself. Unfortunately, it’s just not so. Whoever your therapist, they need to understand that it’s not just okay, but necessary to discuss the food. And, they also need to be able to weave together the relational dynamics in your life and understand how you’re using the food to cope.

Therapists also need to recognize when a dietician – someone with a true scientific expertise in food – would be of help in the healing process. What is more, therapists need to know the difference between dieticians who understand eating disorders and those who promote approaches to food that actually will make your symptoms worse.

2. When treating an eating disorder, your therapist needs to work with your other practitioners – a Team Approach.

The ideal treatment team is comprised of a therapist, dietician, psychiatrist and physician. While not all of these practitioners are always necessary – and sometimes none except the therapist – when multiple people are working on the same problems, it’s of the utmost importance that everyone understand their roles and coordinate their efforts.

If your therapist doesn’t know how to work in a team, you’re going to struggle with the mixed messages and differing approaches you will be hearing.

3. Eating Disorders are high risk.

You need a therapist who is familiar with the signs and symptoms of your eating disorder. As the person on the team who sees you most frequently, can report to your doctors when things are heading into dangerous territory.

A therapist familiar with eating disorders can understand the reports from your doctors and will know when outpatient care is not only insufficient, but dangerous. The last thing a therapist wants to do is perpetuate the very problem they are trying to solve.

I can help you sort out the right treatment approach, put together a team of practitioners and lead you down the road to recovery.

To schedule an appointment or for more information, email camilla@camillamager.com

You’re more than a number.