How To Help If Your Brother Has An Eating Disorder

Brothers are the best. But seeing yours suffering from an eating disorder can feel like it’s eating you alive.

Anxiety and depression are on the rampage today as never before. Sometimes, even a seemingly small event can trigger a change in a person that leads them down the path of an eating disorder.

If you see your brother suffering from an eating disorder, what can you do?

Firstly, don’t panic and don’t pressure him. This is one time when you really don’t want to sound like a nagging brother or sister. Your brother needs to know and feel that you have his back and really want to help him.

Real support is not enabling. It involves you setting aside your own feelings and agenda, helping your brother feel safe, and reassuring him that you love him and will not leave him.

An eating disorder can be a lonely experience.

Sufferers are often misunderstood. It can be scary for them to feel like the compulsive behavior that makes them feel ‘better’ is going to be taken away from them. This can actually lead to the worsening of symptoms.

So don’t try to bulldoze your brother into doing what you think will help him. Do the research and share it with him at a good time for HIM.

Maybe find some local therapy practices that specialize in treating eating disorders and share those with him too. Keep reassuring him that you love him, that you want to help him, and that you will never give up trying to help him.

It’s important that you know that there real help is available, and it does work. Your brother can get better. But the decision to work towards wellness can only come from him - forcing someone to go to therapy may be a waste of time if they are not choosing for themselves to pursue treatment.

It’s also important to find a therapist who specializes in treating eating disorders.

They will be best able to support and guide your brother on his journey towards mental and physical wellness IF he chooses it.

Inside Wellness are a team of mental health professionals who specialize in treating eating disorders. We care for individuals in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah Valley, Salt Lake City, Provo, Orem, the University of Utah, BYU, and beyond.

Our team of warm, empathetic therapists are highly trained in treating eating disorders and will work alongside your brother on his journey toward mental health and wholeness.

The choice must come from your brother. Encourage him to reach out for help. Don’t give up on your brother or get angry with him. Support him and gently help him choose to get the support he needs.

Begin Eating Disorder Treatment in Provo, UT

Finding the right support can make all the difference in your recovery journey. Our team of caring therapists would be happy to offer support from our Provo, UT-based therapy practice. You can start your therapy journey with Inside Wellness by following these simple steps:

1. schedule a call with our experienced Care Coordinator to find the best fit

2. Meet with a caring therapist

3. Start overcoming eating disorders!

Other Services Offered With Inside Wellness

Our team understands you may experience a number of mental health concerns in addition to eating disorder treatment. This is why we are happy to offer support with a variety of mental health services. Other services offered include body image counseling, anxiety therapy, EMDR Therapy, and online Therapy in Utah. Feel free to visit our blog or FAQ to learn more helpful information!

Is EMDR Like Hypnotherapy Hypnosis?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) is a proven therapy that helps the mind and body to work together to change thought patterns and deeply-held beliefs.

While this may sound similar to hypnotherapy, the EMDR and hypnosis are very different ways to treat the challenges that can result from traumatic life experiences. 

Hypnosis as it is used in psychology involves moving the client into a trance-like (or hypnotic) state where they are simultaneously very relaxed with heightened mental focus. While the client is in this state, the psychologist will try to guide the person towards a specific goal or change. Hypnosis is a controversial treatment. Its aim is to target suppressed traumatic memories and change the client’s perception of those memories. It also relies on the individual to choose to respond, which can be unpredictable. 

EMDR, on the other hand, requires the client to be entirely conscious and uses techniques that are proven to have biophysical effects. 

This therapy modality builds through eight stages, normally lasting 8-12 sessions. It involves the therapist helping the client to gradually remember events from the traumatic event or events that resulted in their current symptoms. During the later stages of the process, the therapist uses guiding eye movements while talking about the traumatic experience. This use of distraction and external stimuli allows the client to recall and reprocess the memories more easily, without repeatedly going through intense emotional stress.

Another key difference between the two forms of treatment are their end goals: hypnosis focuses on achieving a single goal, whereas EMDR has a much broader reach, helping the client deal with PTSD symptoms caused by trauma and its associated memories.

EMDR is more researched than hypnosis, particularly for treatment of PTSD. Over 20 studies have found EMDR to be effective in trauma treatment.

If you are suffering from the results of a traumatic experience, EMDR may be able to help you restore your mental balance and inner peace.

At Inside Wellness, we are proud to offer the services of EMDR-specialist, Angela Cox. Angela uses EMDR to help you process your trauma and regain control of your mental health.

Schedule a call today with our Care Coordinator to book your first session with Angela.

How To Help If Your Sister Has An Eating Disorder

Seeing someone you love suffering is never easy. It can be particularly hard when it’s your sister.

Anxiety and depression are increasingly common in our crazy world, but unexpected events, even seemingly small ones, can trigger a change in a person that leads them down the path of an eating disorder.

If you see your sister suffering from a diagnosed eating disorder, or what you think might be an eating disorder, what can you do?

Firstly, don’t panic and don’t pressure her to get help. She needs to know and feel that you really care for her and want what’s best for her.

Real support is not enabling. It involves you setting aside your own feelings and agenda, really listening, and reassuring your sister that you love her.

An eating disorder can be a lonely experience.

Sufferers are often misunderstood. It can be scary for them to feel like the compulsive behavior that makes them feel ‘better’ is going to be taken away from them. This can actually lead to a worsening of symptoms.

So don’t try to scare or force your sister into doing what you think will help her. Do research, share it with her at a good time for HER, and maybe find some local therapy practices that specialize in treating eating disorders, and share those with her too. Keep reassuring her that you love her, that you want to help her, and that you will never give up on her.

It’s important that you know that there IS help available, and it does work.

Your sister can get better. But the decision to work towards wellness can only come from inside her - forcing someone to go to therapy can not be as effective as when they choose to engage in treatment for themselves.

A therapist who specializes in treating eating disorders will be able to support and guide your sister on her journey towards mental and physical wellness IF she chooses it. And choosing recovery is very terrifying for the person who is struggling even though it may seem obvious to you that they would be happier if they sought treatment.

Begin Eating Disorder Treatment in Provo, UT, & Beyond

If you are in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah Valley, Salt Lake City, Provo, or Orem, Inside Wellness can help. Our team of warm, empathetic therapists are highly trained in treating eating disorders and will work gently with your sister to help her back towards mental health and wholeness.

The choice must be your sister’s. Encourage her to reach out for help. She can schedule a call with our warm Care Coordinator, who will help her find the therapist that will be right for her.

You obviously love your sister to be reading this. Support her and gently help her to get the support she needs.

Other Services Offered With Inside Wellness

Our team understands you may experience a number of mental health concerns in addition to eating disorder treatment. This is why we are happy to offer support with a variety of mental health services. Other services offered include body image counseling, anxiety therapy, EMDR Therapy, and online Therapy in Utah. Feel free to visit our blog or FAQ to learn more helpful information!

Why do I have an eating disorder?

When you’re suffering from a physical or mental illness that profoundly affects your daily life, it can feel phenomenally unfair. ‘What did I do to deserve this?’ you may ask. Or ‘Why me? Why do I have an eating disorder?’

First of all, you did NOTHING to deserve the illness you suffer from. The sad reality is that our bodies and minds are not perfect and they can break down in seemingly endless ways. The good news is that there ARE things you can do to improve things. There is help available, and it DOES work.

The answer to the last question can be complicated. Many disorders can be traced back to negative thoughts that are triggered by trauma or exposure, prolonged stress, and environmental triggers. But eating disorders often stem from a complex interaction of biological, psychological, and environmental factors.

Some of the many triggers for an eating disorder include:

• Diet Culture

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Trauma

• Peer pressure

• Bullying

• Body dissatisfaction

• Genetic factors

This does NOT mean, however, that if you suffer from anxiety or negative self-talk that you will develop an eating disorder. The reasons why a certain mental illness affects one person and not another are many and complex.

One of the best people to help you explore why you’re suffering from an eating disorder and how best to treat it is a qualified mental health therapist. They will help you develop tools that can challenge unhelpful or negative thoughts, and work towards inner peace and calm.

Inside Wellness in Utah are specialists in helping individuals suffering from eating disorders. Each of our highly-trained therapists wants to help you recover and will treat you with warmth, respect, and dignity.

Reach out for help today - schedule a call with our Care Coordinator, who will help you find your idea therapist match.

Can Thoughts Affect An Eating Disorder?

Eating disorders are complicated afflictions, involving a web of triggers, negative thoughts, and downward spirals.

Thoughts not only affect eating disorders, they can be intrinsic in WHY the eating disorder started in the first place. This understanding may feel depressing…but it’s also good news, because if thoughts were involved at the beginning and now, they can also be retrained to work FOR you instead of against you.

We all suffer from negative thoughts at times, maybe even often. However, the difference with someone who suffers from an eating disorder is that these thoughts have created a particularly complex thought matrix that results in compulsive behaviors towards eating.

Low self-worth, early trauma, perfectionism, depression, anxiety, peer pressure, societal pressure, and negative body image can all be involved in this web of thoughts. And once they become entrenched, they can be difficult to break free from.

Sometimes, a sufferer of an eating disorder may not even WANT to stop these thoughts because they lead to the compulsions that make them feel better - at least, temporarily.

Recognizing that these compulsions are negatively impacting your life and relationships is often the first step to getting help.

Thoughts CAN be retrained. It takes time, effort, and expert guidance, but you CAN make a difference and improve your life.

A therapist who specializes in treating eating disorders can guide you on this journey towards mental and physical wellness.

If you are in the Salt Lake Valley, Utah Valley, Salt Lake City, Provo, or Orem, Inside Wellness can help you. Our team of warm, empathetic therapists are highly trained in treating eating disorders, and we want to help you.

Reach out for help today - schedule a call with our warm Care Coordinator, who will help you find your ideal therapist match.

Can EMDR Help With Negative Thoughts?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) is a proven therapy modality with many studies and research to back it up. It involves a mind-body approach to change, and can be extremely powerful for helping individuals change negative thought patterns, negative core beliefs, strong emotional reactions, and entrenched habits.

Although it may sound intimidating, EMDR is quite simple and involves mindfulness and guided meditation exercises combined with external stimuli (like guided eye movements) to ‘reprogram’ thoughts and behavior.

It is an 8-stage process during which you are always completely conscious and in control of your participation.

The goal is to help you work through memories that cause you emotional distress in a gentle way while moving you towards how you want to think and feel.

EMDR empowers you to change and even reverse negative thought patterns that have taken up residence in your mind, body, and nervous system. It can help you to reduce and even eliminate these negative thoughts and reactions, allowing you to move purposefully towards inner calm and mental balance.

If EMDR sounds like something you think you might benefit from, schedule a call with our Care Coordinator today.

Our EMDR-specialist, Angela, will gently work with you and support you through the process of restoring your inner peace.

How Perfectionism Can Ruin Relationships

Perfectionism can be exhausting to live with - both for you and your loved ones. Trying to reach and maintain extremely high standards in relationships can lead to depression, anxiety, stress, and burnout. 

While high standards can be a positive thing, moving us to do our best in a task or activity, constant perfectionism can wear you down. It can lead to feelings of being trapped, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and isolation.

It can also insidiously wear down your relationships, as people start to feel it’s impossible to reach or maintain your high standards. This can lead to feelings of sadness and disconnection in both partners even when ultimately you both want to see each other succeed while simultaneously feeling connected.

Some stress and pressure can be good. But humans are just not equipped to cope with extreme or constant pressure and stress. It affects our bodies and minds negatively.

Perfectionism often begins with a series of negative thoughts or beliefs that become increasingly entrenched. The good news is that this same downward spiral of negative thinking can often be unwound back to its source.

A trained therapist who specializes in treating perfectionism in relationships will be able to help you work towards the mental balance and inner peace you (and your loved ones!) crave.

At Inside Wellness Utah, we specialize in a holistic approach to your mental health. Our perfectionism and relationship expert, Angela, specializes in helping you restore balance to your mental health and your relationships.

A common side effect of perfectionism is procrastination. Don’t procrastinate with getting the help you need to restore your mental health and relationships!

Schedule a call with our Care Coordinator today to book your first session with Angela.

Is Perfectionism A Form Of Anxiety?

At its most basic, perfectionism is the desire to be perfect as a person or in some area of your life (eg. work).

Unfortunately, Western culture does not nurture balance. We’re under constant pressure from the media and society, in general, to be perfect - or as close to it as possible - in pretty much every aspect of our lives. Often, we’re so used to living with this type of thinking that we don’t even recognize it as unbalanced.

This pressure can be very difficult to resist and succumbing to perfectionist thinking is an ever-present reality. However, perfectionist thinking can have some major negative impacts on mental health. 

While perfectionism is not on its own a form of anxiety, it can absolutely feed anxiety and anxiety disorders.

People with disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder can be even more vulnerable to experiencing issues with perfectionism.

Perfectionism usually happens as a result of trying to live up to an internally-created ideal, but it can also stem from fear of judgment or the perception of others. 

These negative thoughts and beliefs may begin to result in avoidance behaviors, isolation, and depression. Some people become so overwhelmed with the stress and constant demands of perfectionism that they become paralyzed by fear and negative thinking. 

If you are struggling with perfectionism, or perfectionism and anxiety, help is absolutely available.

With the help of a trained therapist who specializes in anxiety, perfectionistic thoughts can often be traced back to the originating core beliefs and challenged in a safe environment. There are also practical tools you can learn to help you cope with the effects of perfectionism.

Begin Addressing Perfectionism With An Anxiety Therapist in Utah

At Inside Wellness, we can offer you a safe space to work through these challenges with a trained expert. Our team specializes in helping clients with perfectionism and anxiety. We would be honored to help you work through the traumatic life experiences that can trigger perfectionism. To start your therapy journey, please follow these simple steps:

1. Schedule a call with our Care Coordinator to book your first session.

2. Meet with a caring therapist

3. Start learning to cope with perfectionist tendencies!

Other Services Offered at Inside Wellness

We understand you may experience a number of mental health concerns in addition to anxiety counseling. This is why we are happy to offer support with a variety of mental health services. Other services offered include body image counseling, eating disorder therapy, and online Therapy in Utah. Feel free to visit our blog or FAQ to learn more helpful information!

Compulsive Exercise and Eating Disorders

Frequent and regular exercise is seen as a good thing in our culture. And when done in moderation it certainly can benefit our physical and mental health.

However, Compulsive Exercise Disorder (sometimes referred to as Exercise Addiction) is different and is actually classified as a significant symptom of an eating disorder. It happens when a person is driven to exercise too much. Pretty much nothing will stop a suffer from exercising, even injury, illness, bad weather, or going out with friends.

Compulsive Exercise and eating disorders are often seen together. An individual with bulimia may exercise excessively as a way to compensate for binge eating. Or someone with an eating disorder may work out excessively as a way to compensate for eating “too much” food or certain types of food.

A person with Compulsive Exercise Disorder may exhibit some or all of the following behaviors:

• They won't skip a workout, even if they’re tired, sick, or injured

• They can't take time off from working out

• They may seem anxious or guilty when they miss even one workout

• They are constantly preoccupied with their weight and exercise routine

• They exercise even more after eating a lot or missing a workout

• They will eat much less if they can't exercise

• They give up seeing friends or other activities and abandon responsibilities to make more time for exercise

• They appear to base their self-worth on the number of workouts they complete and the effort they put into training

• They are never satisfied with their own physical achievements

• They may have irregular periods or stress fractures

This disorder can be completely exhausting for the sufferer. They may feel trapped in an endless cycle - and believe ‘just one more workout’ will make them ‘feel better’.

It can be difficult to diagnose Compulsive Exercise Disorder because what amounts to ‘too much exercise’ is so subjective. Often, it takes the sufferer recognizing and admitting to themself that something isn’t right and reaching out for help.

If you think you may be suffering from Compulsive Exercise Disorder, there are things you can do to help yourself. They could include:

• Eating 3 meals and snacks on days you do and don’t excercise

• Enjoy exercise by being active together with friends or family.

• Try to increase your flexibility around exercise by exercising for less time or intensity or frequency

• Try to find new ways to cope with and ease stress.

If you think that you might be exercising too much, talking to a licensed therapist trained in eating disorders and/or Compulsive Exercise Disorder can really help. They have the experience and tools to help you examine your thoughts and behaviors, and see where you could introduce more balance.

Inside Wellness Utah specializes in the treatment of eating disorders. Our caring, empathetic team want to help you regain your balance and inner peace.

Schedule a call today with our Care Coordinator, who will help match you with the best therapist for you.

Is Binge Eating A Real Eating Disorder?

Western culture has created certain ‘rules’ in peoples’ minds that tell them certain things are ‘fact’, when, in fact, they are not.

Eating disorders have long been misunderstood, and Binge Eating Disorder is no exception.

There are people who think that a person ‘should just stop themselves from eating’ or ‘can’t you control yourself?’, when the sufferer of Binge Eating Disorder can no more stop themselves from eating as they can stop the earth from moving around the sun.

This is a disorder that can make the sufferer feel profoundly alone and isolated, and struggle to reach out for help because their experience has long been one of judgement.

Binge Eating Disorder is a very real affliction. Some of the signs that set this disorder apart include:

• Having a love-hate relationship with food & your body

• Chronic dieting or restriction followed by episodes of eating rapidly & feeling “out of control”

• Eating larger than normal amounts of food within a short period

• Repeatedly eating past fullness, to the point that you often feel sick

• Avoiding eating around other people due to intense fear of judgment from others

• Feeling intense shame about your behaviors

Binge eating disorder is can be present across the size, age, and gender spectrums even though no one talks about it.

If you or someone you love is suffering from Binge Eating Disorder, there is hope! Real help is available! You CAN get better from this affliction.

Inside Wellness Utah is a safe place where sufferers will find understanding, empathy, support, and expert guidance. Our specialist therapists want to help you recover.

Schedule a call today with our Care Coordinator, who will help match you with the ideal therapist for you.

How Can I Cure My Eating Disorder?

Lately you’ve been feeling more trapped than ever before. You are doing all of the “right” things to make your life happy & good, and yet underneath the happy moments or facade, you are exhausted.  Exhausted from scrutinizing your body, your grades, your conversations, your food, and just about anything your brain can come up with-and you feel like you are falling short. Your eating disorder may feel like a cage from which you can never escape.

You want to change your thinking about food and your body, but it just seems like an uphill battle, and honestly, you aren’t feeling up for that Mt. Everest vibe of a climb. It looks & seems impossible, and you’re not even sure if it will be worth it.  You want to sit down & give up, cry, or go on strike from trying so hard in every aspect of your life.  You’re ready for things to just click, to feel less anxious, and for your inner mean girl & eating disorder bestie to back down and leave you alone. If any of that resonates, eating disorder treatment in Utah is here — and this piece is for you.

Your Brain Says Recovery Isn't Possible. But Your Brain Is Not Always Right.

One of the most common things I hear each week is the fear that recovery isn’t possible and that the internal fight will never let up.  And I get it; you’ve been struggling with yourself & that inner critic for much longer than you care to count.  Our culture is swimming in diet culture land, and recently, people who never seemed concerned with their weight are suddenly experiencing body changes. 

It’s easy to believe that making peace with one's body, eating disorder or not, is just not possible.  There are only a few hills I’m willing to die on, and believing that recovery is possible is absolutely one of them.  There is hope, and it is absolutely possible to recover from an eating disorder, and if that feels like too big of a leap, then maybe you can hope that at the very least you can lessen its grip.

The first step is to admit that you have a problem.

This may seem obvious to you, and you may be thinking, ‘I’ve already done that - that’s why I’m reading this article!’  Disordered eating and eating disorders often start sooner than most people think.  Which makes sense, because exposure to dieting, body comparisons, and self-criticism has likely been present in small degrees long before it was obvious it had a strong hold on you.  Another hill I will die on is: No one chooses an eating disorder. Full stop.  This is not your fault, and I wish you didn’t have to put in the work of recovery even though you do.

I’ve yet to meet someone who, when they started doing certain behaviors, hoped to be in a state of constant fear, obsession, stress, moving through every day controlled by the presence or avoidance of food, mirrors, clothing, etc.  It can feel safe & predictable, but it is also the stuff of nightmares- that feeling when you are having a bad dream, and you are struggling to wake up & feel safe & centered again.   But admitting to yourself and being willing to admit the problem to someone who can help you are two parts of the same step.

And recovery happens one step at a time, so even reading this blog is a forward step.

Your Brain Learned These Patterns. That Means It Can Learn New Ones.

The behavior surrounding eating disorders is a set of behaviors and feelings that are very strong and very convincing.  What is also true is that feelings, even when they are SO strong and SO loud, are not facts. So yes, your brain is telling you so many fear- and shame-based things that you believe and feel like facts.  Our brains LOVE predictability, and so even fear or shame-based patterns can start to feel safe even if they are also causing harm. 

But the good news is that our brains are wildly capable of learning new patterns, gaining new tools, and feeling a sense of empowerment instead of the sense of control that the eating disorder provides. This is not easy and will take effort from you, but with the right guidance, tools, practice,  and support, it is absolutely possible to navigate your world without being pushed & pulled by an eating disorder.

To truly recover from an eating disorder, you will learn to:

• Listen to your body

• Listen to your feelings

• Listen to your thoughts that create those feelings

• Understand yourself

• Accept yourself

• Love yourself

I know that reading a list like this can kick up an array of emotions.  You may feel hopeful, you may feel overwhelmed, you may feel irritated, or you may believe that some of these things are not a problem.  And however you feel is okay; our feelings always make sense when we are looking through the lens of lived experience and where our nervous system is at the time.  So we start where it makes sense for you to start & what you think might help you most.  

Not Every Therapist Is the Right Eating Disorder Therapist — Here's What to Look For

The most effective way to see improvement is to enlist the help of a licensed therapist who specializes in eating disorders. Therapy is most successful when you find someone who truly gets how an eating disorder presents, where it’s straightforward, where it can be tricky. It’s very similar to choosing a doctor.  If you have the flu or something that’s common, you see a primary care doctor. If you are having knee problems, you see an orthopedic doctor.

You also need to choose someone who you feel like you can connect with over time.  Your eating disorder therapist needs to be an expert in the reasons you're seeking therapy; they need the tools that will best help you, and a personality style or way of interacting that is a good fit. If you are missing one of these elements, it may be time to pivot.  A good therapist will want you to be with someone who is a fit on all fronts, so it’s totally okay to ask for their help in pivoting. 

You need support- the right support, expert support, to help guide you back to health.

And eating disorders have a significant impact on both your physical health & mental health. Reaching out for help does not mean you have to agree to it right away, nor does it mean that you have to commit to a person(s) you think might be a good fit.  Contact a few providers and see who you think might work.  Call a few places and ask all of your questions.

When people reach out to us, we do a short intake call to see if we are a good fit for your needs on every front.  If you feel we aren’t, we are more than happy to connect you to someone who you think will be. Our goal is for people to get the help they need. There are many excellent eating disorder providers in Utah, and I’m confident you can find the best fit for you.  Schedule a call today with our intake coordinator, who will help you find the right therapist for you.

You Don't Have to Figure Out Eating Disorder Treatment in Utah Alone

Recovery is not a straight line. Some days the tools click. Some days the inner critic is loud, the feelings are heavy, and just getting through the day is the win. Both count. Both are recovery.

If you're reading this and wondering whether things can actually get better, that question itself is worth paying attention to. It means some part of you is still reaching. That part deserves real, specialized support — not just someone who sort of understands eating disorders, but someone who truly gets it.

Eating disorder treatment in Utah is here to meet you wherever you are in the process — whether you're just starting to consider help or you've been in the fight for a long time.

At Inside Wellness, we're here to help you get there.

• We are here to help — give us a call 801-699-6161 or visit us at insidewellness.com

• Learn more about working with an Eating Disorder Therapist in Salt Lake City, UT

• You don't have to keep doing this alone — support is closer than you think.

Other Services Inside Wellness Offers in Provo and Salt Lake City, UT

Eating disorders rarely travel alone. They're often woven together with anxiety, perfectionism, body image distress, and the exhausting pressure to hold everything together while quietly falling apart on the inside. At Inside Wellness, we offer more than eating disorder treatment in Utah. Alongside specialized eating disorder support, we provide body image therapy, anxiety therapy, support for perfectionism, online therapy, and therapy for burnout, all designed to address the full picture of what recovery actually involves.

Whether you're just beginning to reach for help, working through the harder layers of recovery, or trying to find a therapist who truly understands how eating disorders work, our team is here. You don't have to keep pushing through alone. With the right support, recovery gets to be something more than managing the noise. It gets to be your life.

Visit our blog or FAQ to learn more about how therapy can support your recovery and help you find your way back to yourself.

Help! I'm In My Thirties & I Think I Have An Eating Disorder

If you’re in your thirties and are concerned you may have an eating disorder, you are definitely not alone. 

In fact, it might surprise you to learn that eating disorders are actually most common in women in their thirties. 

According to a recent review, the majority of people reaching out for help are women aged between 25 and 35 years old. Not image-conscious teenagers, as you might imagine.

A large part of the reason for this development are our increasingly-hectic lifestyles. When you already feel out of control of your work or personal life, this can be a trigger (consciously or unconsciously) to take control wherever you can; in the case of an eating disorder, with the food you eat (or don’t eat).

There are many other possible triggers for an eating disorder - even when you’re in your thirties and feel like you ‘should be more stable.’ Just some of these triggers could be:

• Finishing college

• Starting a new job

• Going through a breakup

• Deciding to go on a diet

• Having a child

• Getting married

• Starting a significant relationship

Basically anything that unsettles you (even positively) or destabilizes your world can be a trigger for an eating disorder.

If you are in your thirties and think you might have an eating disorder, what can you do? The fact that you’ve sought out and are reading this article is a major first step - well done! 

An eating disorder is a serious condition that needs expert help and support. Reach out for support today from a licensed therapist who specializes in the treatment of eating disorders.

At Inside Wellness in sunny Utah, our warm and caring therapists will work with you to help you regain control of your thoughts, your relationship with food, and your life.

Schedule a call today with our friendly care coordinator, who will help you find your ideal therapist match. 

What Is The Most Common Eating Disorder?

Anorexia nervosa may be the most well-known eating disorder in the world. Bulimia nervosa has also seen increasing recognition in the past few decades.

However, you may be supposed to know that the most common eating disorder in the US is binge eating disorder. 

Eating disorders can have multiple causes and triggers. Any stressful or traumatic event, such as divorce, a breakup, physical illness, death of a loved one or any significant life change can all trigger an eating disorder.

The specific kind of disordered behavior around eating and food is an external expression of disordered thinking in the mind. How that manifests can vary hugely between individuals.

Individuals suffering from binge eating disorder often lose control over their eating, but they don’t show the purging behaviors that mark Bulimia nervosa.

Binge eating disorder is most often seen in individuals who are obese, compared with individuals of average weight (seen most often with bulimia), or underweight (seen most often with anorexia).

Although the dangers of binge eating are different to those associated with bulimia or anorexia, they can be just as difficult to deal with and can be just as life-threatening. 

If you think you or someone you know may be suffering from an eating disorder, reach out for specialist support today. 

At Inside Wellness, Utah, our warm team of therapists specializes in caring for sufferers of eating disorders in Salt Lake and Utah Counties . We want to give you the best care possible, so we are constantly training in new therapy modalities and the latest research surrounding eating disorders.

Get the expert help and support you need by scheduling a call with our experienced intake coordinator today.

Do Eating Disorders Affect People of All Ages?

Eating disorders have been stereotyped as a ‘young person’s challenge’. As a result, eating disorders in middle-aged, and older individuals can easily go undiagnosed and even unnoticed.

When you consider the factors that can go into the emergence of an eating disorder, it’s no wonder that increasing numbers of people (of any age) are being recognized to have one or multiple eating disorders. 

The group affected by eating disorders has expanded to affect even more individuals in midlife and beyond. Why is this?

Even though an eating disorder may not be recognized or diagnosed until later in life, the disorder is often developed while a person is still very young, often before age 18. 

Forty, thirty, and even twenty years ago, there was much greater social stigma surrounding eating disorders, and many individuals hesitated to reach out for help. This has resulted in some individuals, especially women, seeing their eating disorder as almost a ‘personality characteristic’, as many define themselves by the eating disorder.

It’s not uncommon for psychologists specializing in eating disorders to see clients in their 50s, 60s, and 70s coming forward with disordered eating behavior. Sufferers seeking help are most commonly women, but not always - men suffer from eating disorders too.

If you think you or someone you love might be suffering from an eating disorder, what can you do?

Reach out for help from a mental health therapist who specializes in eating disorders. Some older individuals hold back because they’ve been told that therapy doesn’t really work, it’s ‘pyscho-babble’, or that it’s for ‘weak’ people who ‘just want to talk about their feelings’. 

This is simply not true, and there is much data to back this up. A therapist who specializes in eating disorders has focused experience and training working with different therapy modalities that are proven to improve everyday life for sufferers of eating disorders, regardless of age.

You don’t need to suffer or try to figure this out alone. Reach out for help today from one of our gentle, supportive therapists at Inside Wellness, Utah. Schedule a call with our caring intake coordinator by simply Clicking This Link

Can You Have Multiple/More Than One Eating Disorder?

Everyone is unique and individual, and a person’s experience of eating disorders is no exception.

The disordered thinking that results in an eating disorder can just as easily cause two or more overlapping eating disorders, or cause one to morph into another over time.

It is completely normal for an eating disorder sufferer to experience two or more eating disorders at once, or to see one eating disorder they’ve grown accustomed to ‘managing’ change into a different eating disorder entirely. 

The mind is a fascinating, complex, and powerful place, and the point where thought crosses over into action can is fluid and can easily change with time.

Getting professional, expert help with an eating disorder is important for regaining control of your life. But if you feel you may be dealing with more than one eating disorder, or if it’s changed over time, you really need to get someone involved who knows what they’re dealing with.

The key is to look for a qualified mental health therapist who specializes in the management of eating disorders and all the unique challenges and complications that come along with that diagnosis.

At Inside Wellness, Utah, our caring team of therapists are constantly undergoing training to stay up to date with the latest advances in science and treatment modalities for eating disorders. We have the experience and knowledge to support you and help you heal.

Reach out for support today by scheduling a call with our experienced Intake Coordinator.

Do You Have ARFID?

Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), previously referred to as ‘Selective Eating Disorder,’ is a relatively new entry to the Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the standard classification of mental disorders used by mental health professionals in the US).

However, ARFID behavior is not new - individuals have suffered from this eating disorder for a long time.

ARFID is similar to anorexia nervosa in that both disorders involve limiting the amount and/or type of food eaten. However, ARFID typically does not involve any distress or fears about body shape or size.

Children are known to often go through phases of ‘picky eating’; however an ARFID sufferer is different. In children, the disorder results in not consuming enough calories to grow and develop physically; in adults, the restriction in calories results in a struggle to maintain basic body function. 

If you’ve been diagnosed with ARFID, what can you do? Do you feel trapped by how your eating disorder affects, your daily life, your relationships, your job? Is there any hope for improvement?

Thankfully, yes - help is absolutely available and there IS hope that things can improve for you.

Although mental health therapists are trained in a general understanding of disordered thinking and the behaviors that can result from that (eg. an eating disorder), an experienced therapist who specializes in eating disorders will have access to the latest science, training, and therapy modalities relating to eating disorders, including ARFID.

Your specialist therapist can guide you through the process of reframing your thoughts and addressing any underlying issues or past trauma that may have contributed to you developing ARFID.

Help IS available and you CAN get better. At Inside Wellness, our therapists are highly-trained and experienced in helping individuals just like you to take control and regain their inner peace.

Take the first step today by scheduling a call with our caring intake coordinator. 

Can I Have An Eating Disorder If I Am In a Larger Body?

Or Do All Eating Disorders Exist in All Body Sizes?

You feel like something is wrong, but you quickly distrust yourself because you have been raised to believe that eating disorders have a specific “look” or “size”, and in your own head and due to society, you feel like you are outside of what is “normal” on this front.

You have been taught to believe that someone who has anorexia nervosa must be extremely thin, the type of thing that everyone can agree on, that looks excessive, extreme, or even scares others. You have been taught (falsely so) that individuals in larger bodies are to blame, or that the only types of food patterns that would be considered an eating disorder are those associated with impulsivity & excessive consumption of foods, not limiting foods.

Please hear me when I say that all eating disorders exist across the size spectrum. Full stop.

Anorexia Nervosa exists in bodies across the size spectrum, irregardless of weight changing. Another full stop.

“Atypical” Anorexia Is Actually Not Atypical at All. 

In fact, many eating disorder providers deeply wish that the diagnostic criteria would change to be in alignment with reality.  The vast majority of those dealing with moderate to severe eating disorders do not meet the criteria for anorexia nervosa, but only because of one data point- weight loss per the BMI metric.  A data point that can signify significant weight changes, but one that is a stumbling block for everyone else who has an eating disorder.  

During my time as an eating disorder therapist at an inpatient hospital for eating disorders, I was surprised when my biased beliefs proved to be very off-base because I too had a belief that eating disorders=anorexia and that anorexia only applied to people who were extremely thin.  But at any given time, the vast majority of my caseload on the inpatient unit were individuals who were in varying body shapes & sizes.  Some individuals had extreme behaviors & yet their body never changed in weight, shape, or size during the course of their illness. 

Others experienced some shift in body shape

But still appeared to be in a similar size or in body shape/size or weight range that is consistent with the BMI range for their height. Some clients were in larger bodies and met the criteria for anorexia nervosa, having never engaged in any type of bingeing behaviors, even though the social stigma/bias associated with people in larger bodies is tied to eating excess food or bingeing.  And yes, there were individuals who were visibly underweight per the standards of falling below the BMI for their height, and having the visible presentation of being underweight by those standards, and looking “extremely thin”.

Why Does This Matter?

When we are geared to believe that there is a predominant look to an eating disorder, then we can miss those who are struggling all around us. We can believe that we ourselves are “fine” if we are basing it on weight or body shape/size vs. the thought content & associated behaviors of an eating disorder. I am now an outpatient provider only, and during this phase of my career, the majority of clients I see believe that they have had their eating disorder for roughly “____ years” often 2-3 years is what I am told. And they are being honest with what they know to be true based on those societal norms.

But as we start to do the work of recovery, more times than not, they realize that their eating disorder actually began much sooner than they thought. This is because they were basing the onset of the disorder on either changes in weight or blatant shifts in behavior, when in reality the onset was much slower or seemed benign, such as dieting, counting calories, eliminating a food or food group, or being “healthy” by eating certain food types more consistently than in the past.

You Weren't Born Feeling Guilty About Food. You Learned It.

Diet culture is the presence of beliefs & behaviors that are so normalized that they are not seen as problematic, nor as risk factors or indicators of the start of an unhealthy relationship with food and as the gateway into an eating disorder. Diet culture has been tee’d up to seem like the normal thing to do, and that feeling guilty about food selections/amounts is inherent, when in reality it is a learned pattern based on the cultural norms of any given group. And if you question that thought, pay attention to kids ages 1-3; they do not talk about food in a way that has moral judgment attached to it. That is a learned belief set.

We have learned to talk about food/bodies in a way that places a moral hierarchy of which foods & bodies are “good” or to be sought after, and all others are not to be celebrated or valued equally. Diet culture has sold the narrative that health is connected to certain body types & unhealthy is connected to other body types, irregardless of health practices. In reality, all illnesses run the size spectrum, including people in short/tall and small/large body types. Healthy body patterns also exist across the full size spectrum, from small to large.

You Don't Have to Earn Your Way Into Eating Disorder Treatment

The myths are endless when it comes to what actually impacts an individual’s body shape & size and overall health. There are many factors, most notably genetics, access to food, chronic stress, illness, anti-fat bias/medical recommendations to “lose weight,” even though weight gain is almost guaranteed as a by-product of weight loss because our bodies are trying to maintain homeostasis and register weight loss as a “threat” or a “famine” and are doing their best to keep us alive.

I’ve found that people who have not lost weight in their eating disorder, and those in larger bodies, have significantly higher amounts of shame, guilt, fear, and anxiety about seeking professional help. They tend to hold beliefs that have been outlined: that eating disorders are only anorexia, and that anorexia is only present if someone is “underweight”. But the data just doesn’t back that up, and anyone who minimizes or tells you that you do not have an eating disorder, professional or otherwise, is likely under educated/misinformed on this topic.

Eating disorders have a range of behaviors including but not limited to:

• Restricting or Avoiding Food

• Amounts

• Types

• Categories

• Compensating behaviors to maintain or lose weight:

• Exercise

• Restricting food amounts

• Needing to “earn” food

• Purging

• Laxatives or Diet Products

• Intense or Excessive Guilt, Shame, or Fear

Extreme patterns:

• Undereating

• Binge Eating

• Unable to cope with hard emotions with normalized food patterns that support your body's need for energy

Identity Focused on:

• Health

• Body shape or size

• Exercise patterns

• Excessive fears of judgment

• Thought content during a day that circles back to food, exercise, body shape or size (in the absence of anti-fat bias/discrimination)

There are few “hills I will die on” as an eating disorder therapist in Utah & a fellow human, but one of those is that all bodies are good & deserving bodies.

Full Stop with deep conviction.

I Practice From the Health At Every Size® (HAES®) Movement.

There is no “look” or body type associated with eating disorders or eating disorder severity. There is no weight or weight gain/loss required to have an eating disorder. And I hope that you will read this & know that you deserve to get eating disorder treatment for your beliefs & behaviors right now. You do not need to wait until things are “better” or worse; the right provider will understand what you are dealing with and help you dig in on building a life that is free from the current struggles you’ve been facing.

People really can learn to have a healthy relationship with their food & their body. Our culture makes us think that we can only do so once we “arrive” at having the body it prescribes or that we have in our heads about how we “should” look. But my experience says otherwise. The work that we do in therapy can help you separate your beliefs from your behaviors, and learn new ways to be in a relationship with your body & food.

There is a better life outside of your eating disorder and the mental hoops you are jumping through all day long.

Ready to Begin Eating Disorder Treatment in Utah?

You do not have to look a certain way to deserve help. You do not have to have lost enough weight, scared enough people, or hit a low that others would recognize. If your thoughts about food and your body are taking up space in your life — that is enough. That matters. And you deserve care right now, exactly as you are.

Whether you are just beginning to wonder if what you are experiencing has a name, or you have known for a while but convinced yourself you do not qualify, eating disorder treatment in Utah is here for you. All of you. In the body you are in today.

At Inside Wellness, we are here to help you get there — without judgment, without a size requirement, and without making you prove how hard things have been.

• Give us a call at 801-699-6161 or book a consultation

• Learn more about working with an Eating Disorder Therapist in Utah

• You do not have to wait until things get worse to ask for help — you deserve support right now.

Other Services Inside Wellness Offers in Provo and Salt Lake City, UT

Eating disorders rarely travel alone. They are often tangled up with body image distress, shame, anxiety, perfectionism, and a lifetime of messages about which bodies are worthy of care. At Inside Wellness, we offer more than eating disorder treatment in Utah. Alongside specialized eating disorder support, we provide body image therapy, anxiety therapy, support for perfectionism, online therapy, and therapy for burnout, all designed to address the full picture of what recovery actually requires.

Whether you are in a larger body and have been told your struggles do not count, you are somewhere in the middle and not sure if what you are experiencing qualifies, or you have simply been waiting for permission to ask for help — our team is here. You do not need to meet certain criteria before reaching out. Every body deserves support. Every person deserves care.

Visit our blog or FAQ to learn more about how therapy can help you build a life that is no longer run by your eating disorder.