Help with Eating Disorders

A person suffering with an eating disorder becomes preoccupied with food and weight, and often can focus on nothing else. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating are the most common types of eating disorders. Any eating disorder can cause physical problems; the most severe can even be life-threatening. Males can develop the condition, but it is most often seen in females. Binge-eating is the only eating disorder that affects almost the same amount of males as females. Someone with the disorder usually will require psychotherapy, nutritional counseling, medications and often hospitalization in order to help with eating disorders.

According to the National Eating Disorders Organization, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting anorexia or bulimia in the United States. There are millions more dealing with binge eating disorders. Further, though eating disorders have grown in the past two decades, research is under-funded, insurance coverage to help with eating disorders inadequate, and the pressures of society to be thin remains pressuring.

Causes of Eating Disorders

While each case of eating disorders can stem from different factors, and it is difficult to determine what exactly causes the disorder, there are several factors that may cause it.

• Psychological and Emotional – a person could suffer from low self-esteem, perfectionism, anger management, family conflicts, or troubled relationships that contribute to an eating disorder.
• Biology – while it is not known for sure, there could be a gene connection that can cause a propensity to developing eating disorders. First-degree relatives having an eating disorder suggest a possible genetic relationship. There is also preliminary evidence of a link to serotonin that occurs naturally in the brain influencing eating issues.
• Society – it is no surprise that societal pressure to being thin along with peer pressure leads to eating disorders.

Help With Eating Disorders

The people at Harmony Groves understand that eating disorders can result in deaths and suicide. Sadly, between 10 and 25 percent of those with eating disorders eventually die, with nearly 5 percent resulting from suicides.

Our mission is to provide a warm, caring, trusting and safe environment for women who are on the path towards eating wellness. We work with women over age 18, and develop a trusting, respectful relationship that starts with teaching them how to handle social stresses, temptations and proper food preparation. We provide clients with support, while teaching them to make the right decisions around food, health and wellness.

Our programs include day treatment and intensive outpatient treatment therapies, and our staff of therapists are State licensed MFTs. We also have two certified eating disorder specialists. What this means is that we understand exactly how the clients feel on an empathetic level. For those clients that are taking advantage of our services on an outpatient basis, we have transportation services available.

Most importantly, we understand that getting help with eating disorders can be daunting due to the expense of treatment. We are significantly more affordable while still maintaining a high level of quality, successful programs. Harmony Groves is the definitive answer to a complex problem of eating disorders.