CONTACT@BAMBOONUTRITIONRD.COM | (573) 343-4017
Columbia, MO | Rochester, MN
Eating Disorder Recovery
Therapy Services
recovery is possible
Eating disorders can feel like a constant, daily battle and when you’re in the darkest depths of an eating disorder, it may feel like this is your life from now on. Sometimes it takes working with a specialized eating disorder provider to talk through your thoughts, fears, and even feelings of hopelessness to start feeling like recovery is possible.
Statistics on eating disorder treatment would show that recovery is absolutely possible! Our own providers at Bamboo Nutrition have clients who achieve recovery and experience what it is like to live without the daily battles of their eating disorder.
Taking the first step towards recovery is one of the hardest and scariest ones. We want you to know that treatment doesn’t look like 100% change immediately. Rather it is gradual skill building, raising awareness of your behaviors and thoughts, and talking through goals that you and your therapist feel are realistic and achievable. We are on your team and take things at a pace that is challenging, but comfortable and do-able.
what if I am not sure if I really have an eating disorder?
There is such thing as “disordered eating” which you can think of as on a spectrum of “normalized eating” (not struggling with your relationship with food and your body) through a gray area of disordered eating (food is complicated, body image is complicated, it is definitely not a healthy or ideal place to be), then the other end is an eating disorder (treatment is necessary and recovery is the goal).
If you’re unsure if you have an eating disorder, you can start by taking this quiz on NEDA’s website. It is likely that if you are worried you may have an ED, you likely have disordered eating to some degree. Working with a specialized eating disorder therapist will still be helpful! You do not need to have a diagnosed eating disorder to benefit from therapy. However, it is recommended that whether it is disordered eating or an eating disorder, you work with a specialized ED therapist. This type of therapist is the most skilled in helping you improve your relationship with food and body image.
signs and symptoms of an eating disorder
Skipping meals or making excuses for not eating
Adopting an overly restrictive diet
Excessive focus on healthy eating
Making own meals rather than eating what the family eats
Withdrawing from normal social activities
Persistent worry or complaining about body image
Frequent checking in the mirror for perceived flaws
Repeatedly eating large amounts of food (binge eating)
Use of dietary supplements, laxatives, or herbal products for weight control
Excessive exercise or movement of any kind
Calluses on the knuckles from inducing vomiting
Problems with loss of tooth enamel that may be a sign of repeated vomiting
Leaving during meals to use the toilet or avoid food
Eating much more food in a meal or snack than is considered normal
Expressing depression, disgust, shame, or guilt about eating habits
Eating in secret
we can support you
Your eating disorder is an external solution to an internal problem. It has served a purpose and function for you. It can feel very scary to consider giving up an eating disorder and choosing recovery. It can feel out of your control. We want you to know that we understand these feelings and they are very normal feelings to be having. We will not make “changes” or cause you to feel as if your control is being taken away. We want to partner with you and help you through all the different stages that come with choosing recovery for yourself.
No treatment approach works for all individuals with eating disorders; There are many different approaches and everyone’s journey looks different. We will use a combination of approaches specific to you. All the while, listening to your feedback and tailoring things to feel like a good fit for your needs and desired pace of recovery.
co-occurring symptoms and disorders
Often, eating disorders are not merely problems with food and weight, but because the symptoms of an eating disorder (bingeing, purging, restricting, or over-exercising) can be so disruptive, it is easy to focus only on those behaviors. In doing this, we miss the whole picture.
These symptoms are a manifestation of a very complex world of feelings and experiences that encompass the disorder including anxiety, depression, self-worth, perfectionism, shame, trauma, anger, fear of rejection or abandonment, need for approval or nurturance, inability to express feelings, ruminating thoughts or difficulty trusting others- just to name some. We will tackle all of this too!
Eating disorders may also co-exist with other disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Mood Disorders, Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Substance Abuse, Borderline Personality Disorder, and Body Dysmorphic Disorder. This is not an exhaustive list, however your treatment will target these difficulties as well and appropriate therapy modalities will be used. You are a whole person, not just an eating disorder.
Ready to take the next step?
Eating disorders are life threatening illnesses and often require a collaborative approach with other specialized professionals. At Bamboo Nutrition we have specialized dietitians who work closely with our therapists and are able to provide nutritional support which compliments therapy in eating disorder recovery very well.
Therapy for the treatment of an eating disorder is typically conducted one time per week, sometimes more often and sometimes less often, and in 55min sessions.
Please reach out to us if you are ready to schedule an appointment. We will let you know when our first available appointment is and provide you with other resources to build a comprehensive team, if needed, as well.