Posts Tagged “Education”

Eating disorder recovery is challenging, and it’s never one-size-fits-all. Recovery isn’t linear because healing is a deeply personal process that happens in waves, not all at once. Making real, human progress takes time and effort. It’s common to take one step forward and two steps back.

Sometimes, old behaviors return in the form of a lapse or relapse. While this aspect of recovery can be frustrating, it’s important to remember that the “correct” path to recovery is the one that you’re already on. The more you can let go of comparing yourself to others or wishing for a smoother journey, the more you can truly and meaningfully focus on healing and mending your relationship with food and body.

The connection between alcohol use and eating disorders is more common—and more complex—than many people realize.

Research shows that up to half of those with an eating disorder have also struggled with substance use. And for people with a history of substance use challenges, the likelihood of also experiencing an eating disorder is approximately 11 times higher than in the general population.

While every story is different, eating disorders and substance use disorders can share common threads, such as emotional pain, histories of trauma, or traits like impulsivity and perfectionism. Disordered eating and substance use behaviors may look different on the outside, but both can serve as ways to cope with overwhelming thoughts or feelings.

Eating disorders don’t have a single cause. They develop from a mix of biological, psychological, and social factors. One important factor that often gets overlooked is food insecurity—the lack of reliable access to enough safe, nutritious food.

When food is unpredictable, eating patterns shift. People may skip meals, eat past fullness when food becomes available, or fall into long-term cycles of restriction and bingeing. These patterns can disrupt hunger and fullness cues, fuel emotional distress, and increase the risk of an eating disorder or make recovery more challenging.

Yet outdated stereotypes about who struggles with eating disorders often prevent those facing food insecurity from getting help. Eating disorders affect people of all sizes, backgrounds, and incomes. If providers don’t recognize the role of food insecurity, they may miss a critical piece of the puzzle.

Below, we’ll explore how food insecurity and eating disorders overlap, how to screen for food insecurity, and how to integrate food access support into treatment. Addressing both together can help people heal their relationship with food and find lasting recovery.

Morgan Eagan (she/her) is an Admissions Coordinator for The Emily Program and a longtime advocate for destigmatizing mental health. She has a history of working with both adults and children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and, in recent years, has discovered a passion for helping individuals seek eating disorder care. Morgan is committed to making the process of seeking treatment as accessible as possible. With this blog, she hopes to alleviate the confusion she often sees when individuals are first diagnosed with an eating disorder. She aspires to continue aiding The Emily Program clients in their steps to recovery and deconstructing the negative connotations associated with mental health treatment. 

When you or your child is first referred to eating disorder treatment, it can feel scary and overwhelming. On top of that, it can be confusing if the type of care recommended by your primary care provider differs from what the admissions specialist at the treatment center suggests. Treatment centers conduct more specialized assessments, which often reveal a fuller picture of an eating disorder. 

You’ve started dodging dinner plans because you’re worried your friends might notice that your eating habits have changed. 

You’ve become hyper-fixated on your body and started working out early every morning to “make up” for the previous day’s eating.

You’ve noticed that your ever-dwindling list of “safe” foods is making it hard to eat a nutritionally balanced diet.

If you see yourself in any of the above behaviors, it may indicate that you’re struggling with disordered eating or an eating disorder.

Eating disorders are characterized by a disturbance in an individual’s eating and food behaviors or self-perception. These complex, biologically based illnesses are influenced by environmental, social, and psychological factors. Unfortunately, they are not uncommon, with nearly 30 million Americans experiencing an eating disorder in their lifetime. Knowing the signs of an eating disorder can help you catch it early and get you the help you need. 

Your patient seems to be struggling more lately. More talk about food, more self-judgment and isolation. Their eating disorder behaviors are up and their motivation for recovery is down. They could use some extra support.

Then again, this doesn’t exactly scream crisis. Surely your patient doesn’t need residential or inpatient care yet.

Where to turn?

At The Emily Program, we offer partial hospitalization and intensive day (PHP/IDP) and intensive outpatient programs (IOP) to treat eating disorders; these are early intervention services that help clients recover sooner. These structured programs offer more support than traditional outpatient eating disorder treatment and more flexibility than around-the-clock care. Patients can admit directly to PHP/IDP or IOP, well before 24/7 care is warranted.

Rather than wait until your patient may need the highest level of care, consider how early intervention may help them now. Here are five reasons PHP/IDP or IOP may be right for your patient.

You don’t know what to do. You love college life, but juggling your double major, on-campus job, and social circles is a lot. The straight A’s you knew in high school are now harder to come by; self-care is even harder. The pressure is suffocating.  

If your relationship with food and your body is becoming increasingly disordered, it’s understandable to feel overwhelmed. You may try to minimize the situation – to write off the issue as temporary or even “normal.” You tell yourself that you can take care of this. You’re the one who “has it all together,” after all, and you can handle this on your own, too. Besides, you reason, help is for those who are sick – and you don’t feel sick, even though your friends and family may be worried.

Please know that if you are suffering at all, you deserve help. Your pain and your experience matter. There is no question that it is hard to face the reality of an eating disorder, but you don’t have to do it alone. We’re here to help as soon as warning signs emerge. 

Binge eating disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder in the United States, with more people experiencing BED than anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa combined. Despite its widespread impact, BED is generally less well-known than anorexia and bulimia. 

This lack of recognition can be a significant barrier to getting help. Knowing what to look for when it comes to the signs of binge eating disorder can empower you to identify BED early in yourself, a loved one, or a patient. Early intervention for this serious illness is essential to mitigating harm to physical, emotional, and mental well-being and setting the stage for a long and successful recovery.

Read on for a comprehensive exploration of binge eating disorder, including its signs and symptoms, risk factors, treatment options, and more. We’ll give you the knowledge and resources you need to help you, your loved one, or your patient understand and heal from binge eating.