Counseling for Anorexia and Bulimia – Therapists in Westminster, CO

Bulimia and anorexia are eating disorders that afflict around 30 million people in the US. The good thing is these life-threatening and even potentially fatal eating disorders are preventable and curable. The bad thing? Only as little as 10 percent of people who suffer from them can get proper help, the others have to suffer in silence, don’t realize there is a problem at all, or go about their own treatment the wrong way. Are you someone who is suffering from these disorders in Westminster? Our providers can help you recover.

Why Some People Experience Anorexia and Bulimia

Once thought of as just results of obsession over body image and low self-esteem, anorexia and bulimia have proven to be more complex, resulting from a number of different causes and reasons including the following:

• Genes can be one reason. Anyone with one or more family members with these disorders is 12 times more likely to also suffer from them. Genes can also affect how food is perceived.
• Mental health issues can influence anorexia or bulimia. The obsession to eat more, or to avoid food at all costs, is a classic symptom of depression. However, it can also be that sufferers have depressive symptoms, not at all linked to their eating disorder.
• Trauma from experiences can also cause eating disorders. These experiences can involve physical, emotional, or sexual abuse or even those that have negatively caused guilt or shame.
• Introduction to diet pills or weight loss pills can also lead to eating disorders.
• Peer pressure and other environmental influences are also considered a cause of anorexia and bulimia.

Symptoms of Eating Disorders

• Depression and anxiety
• Obsession over how one’s body looks
• Overeating and then purging (the act of vomiting the food back out)
• Intentionally skipping meals or snacks
• Adhering to a restrictive diet that is meant to cut down on weight
• Obsessing over maintaining a certain weight
• Feeling of guilt or shame after eating

Talk with a Thriveworks Provider About Your Eating Disorder

The ill effects of eating disorders tend to linger, sometimes they even last for a lifetime. The body has to have nutrients to function properly, if these nutrients are denied the body will malfunction and this will cause a host of problems as well as illnesses and diseases like scurvy, hypertension, and even cardiovascular disease.

The act of purging itself poses a risk; regurgitated food can become stuck in the throat and cut off the oxygen supply. Those who suffer from eating disorders also tend to carry emotional scars, scars that cause an endless cycle of guilt, shame, and depression. Cycles like these have been known to end in suicide. Are you in Westminster, CO and are suffering from an eating disorder? This is a problem you don’t have to face alone. Don’t be afraid to take the first step in dealing with this problem. We have counselors who know what you are going through and are capable of helping you deal with it through proper guidance and support.