Recognizing the Signs of Disordered Eating: When to Seek Help

Recognizing the Signs of Disordered Eating: When to Seek Help

As a therapist, I see firsthand how early intervention can make a powerful difference. If you're concerned about your relationship with food—or someone else's—this guide will help you recognize the red flags and understand when it's time to seek help.

Disordered eating refers to a range of irregular eating behaviors that may or may not warrant a diagnosis of a specific eating disorder. These behaviors often stem from emotional distress, body image issues, or attempts to gain a sense of control.

Common examples include:

• Skipping meals regularly

• Chronic dieting or yo-yo dieting

• Obsessive calorie counting or food tracking

• Exercising excessively to “burn off” food

• Feelings of guilt or shame after eating

• Using food to manage emotions (stress eating, binge eating)

Distinguishing Disordered Eating from Eating Disorders

While disordered eating and eating disorders share similarities, they differ in severity and diagnostic criteria. Eating disorders are clinically recognized conditions with specific diagnostic criteria, whereas disordered eating may not meet these criteria but still poses significant health risks. For instance, a systematic review and meta-analysis found that interventions targeting perfectionism were effective in reducing disordered eating behaviours, suggesting that addressing underlying psychological factors is crucial in treatment.

How Therapy Can Help with Disordered Eating

Therapy plays a vital role in helping individuals understand and heal their relationship with food and body image. For many, disordered eating is not just about food—it’s a reflection of deeper emotional pain, unmet needs, or learned patterns of coping. A trained therapist can provide a safe, nonjudgmental space to explore the root causes of disordered eating behaviors. Through therapy, clients learn to identify and challenge distorted thoughts, regulate difficult emotions, build self-compassion, and develop healthier coping strategies. Whether working through trauma, managing anxiety, or unpacking perfectionism and shame, therapy offers a path toward lasting recovery. Modalities such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and trauma-informed approaches can be particularly effective, especially when tailored to the individual’s unique needs.

When to Seek Professional Help

It's essential to seek professional help if disordered eating behaviors are affecting your physical health, emotional well-being, or daily functioning. Therapists specializing in eating disorders can provide support through various therapeutic approaches.

Effective Therapeutic Approaches Include:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): CBT is one of the most researched and effective treatments for disordered eating. It helps individuals identify and challenge negative thought patterns about food, weight, and self-worth, and replace them with healthier, more balanced beliefs. CBT also focuses on building practical skills to manage triggers and reduce behaviors such as restrictive eating, bingeing, or purging.

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Originally developed for individuals with emotional regulation difficulties, DBT is especially helpful for those who use disordered eating to cope with intense emotions. It combines mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness skills to help clients manage their emotional experiences without turning to harmful behaviors.

• Narrative Therapy: Narrative therapy focuses on helping individuals separate themselves from their problems by rewriting the stories they tell about themselves. In the context of disordered eating, it encourages clients to explore the social and personal narratives that contribute to their struggles with food and body image, and to re-author these narratives in a way that supports recovery and self-compassion.

• Mindfulness-Based Techniques: Mindfulness approaches help individuals tune into their body's natural hunger and fullness cues, reduce stress, and develop a non-judgmental awareness of thoughts and feelings related to eating. These techniques foster a more peaceful and intuitive relationship with food.

  
  

Conclusion

Disordered eating is a complex issue that can significantly impact one's health and well-being. Recognizing the signs early and seeking professional help is crucial in preventing the escalation to more severe eating disorders. If you or someone you know is struggling with disordered eating, consider reaching out to a licensed therapist specializing in this area to explore treatment options and support.

References:

• Robinson, K., & Wade, T. D. (2021). Perfectionism interventions targeting disordered eating: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders.

• Spettigue, W., Aldaqqaq, Z., Isserlin, L., et al. (2020). A brief modified family-based treatment intervention for youth with mild eating disorders: A case series. Frontiers in Psychiatry.

• Huffman, L. G., Lawrence-Sidebottom, D., Beam, A. B., et al. (2024). Improvements in adolescents’ disordered eating behaviors in a collaborative care digital mental health intervention: Retrospective observational study. JMIR Formative Research.

• Robinson, K., & Wade, T. D. (2021). Perfectionism interventions targeting disordered eating: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders.