I am more than the shell for my soul that is my body and everyday I fight to remind myself of that.

Eating Disorder Treatment at Vantage Point Center for Psychotherapy 

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that can be life-threatening and often cause significant emotional distress for the sufferer and their loved ones. 

If you or a loved one is struggling with an eating disorder, we want you to know that recovery is possible, and our team of specialists can help support you along the way. Eating disorder help is possible (binge eating disorder help, compulsive eating help, anorexia help). 

At Vantage Point we offer a holistic approach to treating eating disorders, one which integrates both the body and the mind. Our specialists will work with you to identify the underlying emotional, mental, and physical dynamics that are fueling your eating disorder and keeping you stuck. We will also work with you to develop alternative ways of coping in order to help you reduce discomfort, meet your personal goals, and improve your life.  

We strongly believe in a "team" approach to eating disorder recovery, and when it is appropriate for your treatment, we can work directly with your medical doctor, and your dietician or we can connect you with a dietician, a great network of local Psychiatrists, support groups, and other complementary healthcare providers to ensure that you are getting the support you need throughout the recovery process. 

Most importantly, we will work closely with you and your loved ones (if and when appropriate) to develop and implement a treatment plan that works best for you.  

Our team of clinicians is well-versed in the following treatment types for Eating Disorders: 

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Relational Psychotherapy.   

Bulimia Nervosa is a type of eating disorder where a person engages in (bingeing) on large quantities of food and attempts to prevent weight gain by engaging in compensatory behaviors (purging) such as vomiting, excessive exercising, or the use of laxatives, enemas, diuretics, or other medications. 

• Irregular eating habits (fasting or eating excessive quantities of food)  
• Excessive concern with weight gain/loss 
• Eats large quantities of food in a short period of time 
• Eats alone or is secretive about eating 
• Feels out of control
• Feels like they can't stop eating 
• Dieting 
• Hoards food 
• Goes to the bathroom after meals
• Vomits to prevent weight gain 
• May run water in the bathroom to hide the sounds of vomiting 
• Use of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas to prevent weight gain 
• Excessively exercises to prevent weight gain 
• Tooth decay 
• Deals with emotional stress by overeating 
• Irregular menstrual period 
• Swollen facial glands (puffy cheeks) 
• Feels shame after eating 
• Fluctuating body weight

Binge-Eating Disorder is a type of eating disorder in which an individual eats an excessive amount of food in a short period of time and the individual feels out of control and/or like they can't stop eating. 

Binge-Eating Disorder differs from bulimia in that the person does not engage in compensatory behavior (purging).  

• Eating much more rapidly than normal 
• Eating until feeling uncomfortably full 
• Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry 
• Eating alone because of being embarrassed by how much one is eating 
• Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty after overeating 
• Eating an excessive quantity of food in a short period of time 
• Eating until uncomfortably full 
• Feeling like you are out of control 
• Feeling like you can't stop eating
• Eating large quantities of food when not hungry 
• Feeling disgusted with yourself or shame after eating
• Eating alone or are secretive about eating 
• Deals with emotional stress by overeating  

Anorexia Nervosa is a type of eating disorder that is characterized by starvation and excessive weight loss and can lead to life-threatening consequences.  It is a mental health condition where a person becomes severely underweight because they restrict their food intake because of a fear of being fat or weight gain. 

• Intense fear of gaining weight or being fat, even though the individual is underweight 
• Losing 15% or more of ideal body weight 
• Diets or restricts food even when not overweight 
• Body Image Distortion (perceives themselves as fat even though they are thin) 
• Denies being hungry
• Preoccupation with food (counting calories, nutrition, cooking) 
• Hair loss 
• Self-denial (denies that they have a problem) 
• Irregular menstrual periods 
• Excessive exercise 
• Frequently weighs themselves 
• May check body in the mirror for weight gain/loss
• Evaluates self based on weight  
• Changes in body temperature (may be cold when it is warm out)  
• Tooth decay
• Dry skin 
• Mood swings 
• Anxiety 
• Sleep problems 
• Digestive issues
• Infections
• Menstrual issues 
• Heart palpitations 
• Anemi

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder is a type of eating disorder in which an individual lacks interest in food, avoids food, or fails to eat enough food to meet proper nutritional value. ARFID is similar to anorexia in that both disorders involve limitations in the amount and/or types of food consumed, but unlike anorexia, ARFID does not involve any distress about body shape or size. A person with ARFID does not consume enough calories to grow and develop properly and, in adults, to maintain basic body function. 

• Dramatic weight loss
• Dresses in layers to hide weight loss or stay warm
• Reports constipation, abdominal pain, cold intolerance, lethargy, and/or excess energy
• Reports consistent, vague gastrointestinal issues (“upset stomach”, feels full, etc.) around mealtimes that have no known cause
• Dramatic restriction in types or amount of food eaten
• Will only eat certain textures of food
• Fears of choking or vomiting
• Lack of appetite or interest in food
• Limited range of preferred foods that becomes narrower over time (i.e., picky eating that progressively worsens).
• No body image disturbance or fear of weight gain 
• Stomach cramps, other non-specific gastrointestinal complaints (constipation, acid reflux, etc.)
• Menstrual irregularities—missing periods or only having a period while on hormonal contraceptives (this is not considered a “true” period)
• Difficulties concentrating
• Abnormal laboratory findings (anemia, low thyroid and hormone levels, low potassium, low blood cell counts, slow heart rate)
• Postpuberty female loses menstrual period
• Dizziness
• Fainting/syncope
• Feeling cold all the time
• Sleep problems
• Dry skin
• Dry and brittle nails
• Fine hair on body (lanugo)
• Thinning of hair on head, dry and brittle hair
• Muscle weakness
• Cold, mottled hands and feet or swelling of feet
• Poor wound healing
• Impaired immune functioning

Recommended Books on Eating Disorder Recovery and Body Image

• Andrea's Voice: Silenced by Bulimia: Her Story and Her Mother's Journey Through Grief Toward Understanding

• Diary of an Exercise Addict, First Edition

• Eating in the Light of the Moon: How Women Can Transform Their Relationship with Food Through Myths, Metaphors, and Storytelling

• Eating Mindfully: How to End Mindless Eating and Enjoy a Balanced Relationship with Food
  Father Hunger: Fathers, Daughters, And The Pursuit Of Thinness

• Goodbye Ed, Hello Me: Recover from Your Eating Disorder and Fall in Love with Life
  Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Program That Works

• Life Without Ed: How One Woman Declared Independence from Her Eating Disorder and How You Can Too

• The Body Image Workbook: An Eight-Step Program for Learning to Like Your Looks

• The Body Myth: Adult Women and the Pressure to be Perfect

• Parent's Guide to Eating Disorders: Supporting Self-Esteem, Healthy Eating, and Positive Body Image at Home

• Help Your Teenager Beat an Eating Disorder, Second Edition

• Talking to Eating Disorders: Simple Ways to Support Someone With Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating, Or Body Image Issues

• The Don't Diet, Live-It! Workbook: Healing Food, Weight and Body Issues