Our therapists offer eating disorder therapy in Phoenix, AZ

Eating Disorders in Phoenix, AZ—Therapists and Counselors Who Treat Anorexia and Bulimia

A number of factors can cause an eating disorder. Environmental factors, like cultural expectations about body image, can play a part. People often feel pressure to conform their body to random standards of beauty, and this pressure create an environment that is conducive for eating disorders. Childhood abuse, trauma, and family stress can also be causes of eating disorders. As people try to cope with psychological pain, they may gain control in any way they can, even in self-destructive ways. People can also have a genetic pre-disposition for an eating disorder. Their biology can raise their risk for this mental illness.

This multi-faceted illness often requires treatment that is multi-faceted. Because eating disorders attack people’s mind and body, physicians, nutritionists, and therapists often work together to formulate a treatment plan. At Thriveworks Phoenix, our mental health professionals have helped many clients find the holistic treatment plans they need. We understand the risks of bulimia, anorexia, and other eating disorders, and we also understand the interventions that are available to those who suffer. Reach out today to get started.

Signs and Symptoms of Eating Disorders

When people recognize eating disorders for what they are—serious mental illnesses—they may be able to seek early treatment. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) outlines the symptoms for bulimia and anorexia.

The DSM-5 summarizes anorexia’s symptoms as the following:

• Feeling disgust for one’s own body.
• A self-perception that experiences one’s body as heavier and larger than it is.
• An intense fear of being fat or gaining weight along and actions that sabotage the maintenance of a healthy weight.
• Restricting food consumption to achieve and maintain an unhealthy and below normal body weight (as defined by standards for one’s sex, physical size, development, and age).

The DSM-5 summarizes bulimia’s symptoms as the following:

• Eating binges that include…
  • The inability to regulate what and how much one eats during a specific period of time.
  • Eating more, during the binge’s time period, than what other people could during a similar time period and under similar circumstances.
• Responding to the binge through utilizing unhealthy and dangerous means of weight loss. Examples may include (but are not limited to) forcing oneself to vomit, fasting for a longer than recommended period, exercising in extreme ways, misusing diuretics and laxatives.
• When one’s body dominates one’s self-image so that other attributes (like personality, skills, and intellect) are minimized or even ignored.

Treatment for Eating Disorders

Eating disorder treatment almost always involves a psychological element. There are many options available that may bring psychological healing, and mental health professionals can usually help their clients find the treatment that best fits their symptoms. Possibilities include…

• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Family Therapy

Scheduling an Appointment at Thriveworks Phoenix, AZ for an Eating Disorder

If you are fighting an eating disorder, know that you do not have to fight alone. The therapists and counselors at Thriveworks Phoenix have helped many people find the holistic treatment they need to heal from bulimia, anorexia, or another eating disorder. When you are ready to reach out for help, we are ready to meet with you.

When you call Thriveworks Phoenix, a scheduling specialist will answer your call. You may have your first appointment within the week. Weekend and evening sessions are available because we know that not everyone can make an appointment during business hours. We also accept many insurance plans.

Let’s work together. Call Thriveworks Phoenix today.