Katie Goode, M.A
Eating Disorder and Anxiety Therapist
(949) 395-7161
Eating Disorder and Anxiety Therapist
(949) 395-7161
About Anorexia Nervosa
People with anorexia nervosa have a distorted body image that causes them to see themselves as overweight even when they're dangerously thin. Often refusing to eat, exercising compulsively, and developing unusual habits such as refusing to eat in front of others, they lose large amounts of weight and may even starve to death.
Treatment for Anorexia
Although anorexia revolves around food and eating, it is actually a psychiatric illness, not unlike depression or anxiety. As such, professional care is usually required to break the compulsive behaviors and addiction. Outpatient therapy is usually the first approach to treatment. A patient can often make substantial progress with the support of a good therapist, especially one who specializes in treating eating disorders. For the best possible outcome, a medical doctor and nutritionist or registered dietician should also be part of the team.
Treatment for Anorexia
Although anorexia revolves around food and eating, it is actually a psychiatric illness, not unlike depression or anxiety. As such, professional care is usually required to break the compulsive behaviors and addiction. Outpatient therapy is usually the first approach to treatment. A patient can often make substantial progress with the support of a good therapist, especially one who specializes in treating eating disorders. For the best possible outcome, a medical doctor and nutritionist or registered dietician should also be part of the team.
Does treatment really work?
Yes. Most cases of eating disorder can be treated success-fully by appropriately trained health and mental health care professionals. But treatments do not work instantly. For many patients, treatment may need to be long-term.Incorporating family or marital therapy into patient care may help prevent relapses by resolving interpersonal issues related to the eating disorder. Therapists can guide family members in understanding the patient's disorder and learning new techniques for coping with problems.
The sooner treatment starts, the better. The longer abnormal eating patterns continue, the more deeply ingrained they become and the more difficult they are to treat.
Anorexia can severely impair people's functioning and health. But the prospects for long-term recovery are good for most people who seek help from a qualified therapist.
Regain control of your eating behaviors and your life.
If you or someone you know are experiencing symptoms of Anorexia, Call (949) 395-7161 today to make an appointment.
There is help for Anorexia.
Symptoms of Anorexia
For most people, anorexia is extremely difficult to understand. It is not a diet gone too far or a game played by a young girl to get attention from friends or a member of the family. Anorexia is a psychiatric disorder, not unlike depression or anxiety.Anorexia symptoms are physical, biological and behavioral, and include:
- refusal to maintain healthy body weight -- usually 15% or more below normal body weight;
- intense fear of gaining weight, becoming fat, even though underweight;
- distorted body image -- sees self as fat or overweight when actually underweight;
- denial of the seriousness of low body weight;
- frequent weighing, measuring, or body checking;
- skipping meals or severely limited portion size;
- refusal to eat with others (will only eat alone);
- anxiety about food or eating;
- eating large quantities of food after periods of no or very little food intake;
- food rituals (cut it into tiny pieces, eat it in special ways, eat it on special dishes with special utensils, make patterns on my plate with it, secretly throw it away, give it to the dog, hide it, spit it out before I swallow, etc.); and
- self-induced vomiting or use of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas.
Common body symptoms are:
- Complaints of being cold all the time, or wearing lots of layers of clothing.
- Hands and feet are cold to the touch much of the time and may be bluish in color.
- Evidence of increased hair loss; more hair on the pillow or in brushes. Hair looks thinner and drier.
- Lanugo hair on face or body (similar to body hair found on newborns).
- Crying without producing tears (due to dehydration).
- Yellowish skin tone due to elevated levels of carotene (caused by eating excessive amounts of vegetables and/or poor liver function).
- Complaints of dizziness.
- Fainting
What Others Are
Saying...
"Katie taught me how to set realistic expectations for myself and give myself credit for my accomplishments, instead of spending all of my time and energy thinking of what I didn't do (or didn't do well enough)."
"Katie taught me how to set realistic expectations for myself and give myself credit for my accomplishments, instead of spending all of my time and energy thinking of what I didn't do (or didn't do well enough)."