Disordered eating describes a range of irregular eating behaviours that may or may not include the diagnosis of a specific eating disorder. If you’re struggling with food and your body, chances are you feel stuck in a vicious cycle. When you try to break free, it just seems to tighten its grip on you. It’s exhausting and sometimes it can be hard to think about anything else.
Many people who suffer with disordered eating patterns often believe they're "not sick enough" or do not fully realise the impact it has on their mental and physical health. Consequences can include a greater risk of obesity and eating disorders, bone loss, gastrointestinal disturbances, electrolyte and fluid imbalances, low heart rate and blood pressure, increased anxiety, depression and social isolation.
Our psychologists can support you to break the eating disorder cycle so that you can start to feel more comfortable in your own skin. Through therapy, they’ll help you to understand what fuels your eating and body image concerns and support you to learn science-backed tools and skills to better manage your relationship with food and your body.
At Mind Brew Psychology, we use a non-dieting approach to understand the relationships people have with food and with their bodies, prioritising wellbeing and self-care. Our practitioners are aligned with the Health At Every Size Inclusivity movement, focussing on healthy thoughts and behaviours, rather than a particular focus on weight or size.
According to the National Eating Disorders Collaboration:
Dependent on a psychologists training and background, our psychologists will work with you and tailor their approach drawing upon a variety of evidence based treatments. For eating disorder treatment, medical monitoring with a GP and nutrition education with a dietician alongside psychological intervention is evidence based care. This is because disordered eating problems can be serious or even life-threatening if they go without the right support. It is important to liaise with your therapist other treating professionals to explore what treatment would best support your needs.
Below are different types of psychological treatment for disordered eating: