Eating Disorders

When a troublesome relationship with food interferes with your wellbeing or impacts negatively on your life, it can be considered to be an eating disorder. This is becoming a common problem, in fact about one in 20 Australians has an eating disorder and the rate in the Australian population is increasing. While it’s most prevalent in adolescence, eating disorders can occur in people of all ages, rich and poor, and from all cultural backgrounds.

Eating disorders are generally classified into four main types: Bulimia, Binge Eating disorder, Anorexia and Atypical Eating disorder.

Common symptoms

If you have serious concerns about your weight, shape, eating and body image and you find that you are using food:

To cope with difficult emotions such as depression, anger, stress or anxiety
To comfort, soothe or pamper yourself
To experience a greater sense of control
To cope with feelings of low self-worth

Then you may have an eating disorder.

Many people who have eating disorders also present with depression, anxiety disorders, personality disorders or substance abuse problems. If you think that a loved one may have an eating disorder be aware that they may go to great lengths to hide, disguise or deny their behaviour, and may not believe that there is anything wrong.

Eating disorders are associated with significant physical complications and increased mortality. Evidence shows that early diagnoses and intervention can greatly reduce the duration and severity of an eating disorder. It is therefore vital to seek professional help at the earliest time.

Help is available

If you feel that you have an eating disorder, would like help to understand it, learn how to manage it better and to reduce its impact in your life then therapy may be a helpful for you. At Inner West Psychology, a holistic therapy approach addresses the causal factors underlying the eating pattern as well as providing you with new skills and insight into your behaviour and triggers.

Our experienced psychologists will be happy to help. To get answers to your questions please contact us via the form on this page or call (02) 9518 1061 to make an appointment with one of our psychologists today.