Anorexia and Bulimia Counseling – Therapists and Coaches in Latrobe

There is nothing simple about anorexia and bulimia, disorders that affect around 30 million people in the United States alone. Both are life threatening and even potentially deadly eating disorders.

How can you tell if you have eating disorders?

Depression and anxiety are signs, although these are not limited to eating disorders and can be indications of other things. Obsession over how others view your body paired with an obsession with monitoring weight can also be an indication.

You may have opposite views on food, either eating too much then vomiting of food back out, or totally avoiding intake of food. You may also experience a feeling of shame or guilt after eating.

The reasons behind these eating disorders are complex. What was previously thought of as just a result of low-esteem and obsession over body image actually has deeper causes and reasons.

So what causes the risks? There are actually many triggers including genetics, mental health issues, personal experience, and the environment.

How does genetics figure in? Gene can raise your risk factor for anorexia and bulimia by 12 times, especially if at least one member of your family also suffers from it.

Mental health issues can also influence these disorders. Abhorrence or obsession for food is one of the symptoms of these disorders, although it can also be that you can have depressive symptoms not related to eating disorders at all.

Personal traumatic experiences can also lead to eating disorders, particularly those that caused guilt, shame or destroyed your confidence. Experiences with physical, emotional, or sexual abuse can also be a cause.

Environmental influences like being surrounded by the wrong people, people who pressure you to look a certain way or to adhere to standards not necessarily your own can cause eating disorder risks. The availability of diet supplements and weight-loss pills can also be an influence.

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, only an estimated 10 percent of anorexia and bulimia sufferers get the proper help, leaving countless others struggling with what are actually preventable and curable conditions. If you are in Latrobe and you happen to suffer from these disorders, who do you have to turn to for help?

Challenges and How to Get Bulimia Therapy

Eating disorders don’t just ruin you for a time; they can affect you for the rest of your life. Not eating right can result in more than you not getting the sufficient energy; you will also miss out on essential nutrients your body needs to function properly. You can also become susceptible to diseases and may even just die by choking on your own vomit during purging.

You can also become trapped in a vicious cycle of guilt, shame and depression. That cycle can also end, but usually it does so in suicide.

Struggling against anorexia and bulimia might seem like an uphill battle, but there are people in Latrobe who can help you.

Take the first step and contact us today. Our counselors are trained to listen to, deal with, and help people suffering from anorexia and bulimia. We can make sure to give you the proper emotional and professional support.