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By Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LCSW-C  The world is beautiful and everything is amazing. Colors look more vibrant and music sounds incredible. She could listen to it all day. She’s finding that she has a ton of energy, despite sleeping a lot less lately. She feels like she is on top of the world. Ideas flow out of her mouth quickly; people are looking at her funny at times because she is speaking so rapidly. And money doesn’t matter anymore. She feels more impulsive than ever and keeps “adding to cart” online. Shopping has never felt so appealing. She starts to believe that she has special powers, which she can use to bring the universe and world to a state of peace. She feels she is so important that Taylor Swift is directly speaking to her in her music. Her friends and family are concerned about her - but she’s not quite sure what the problem is. It feels amazing, until it doesn’t. Her mood is starting to dip and she’s beginning to feel embarrassed about all of the impulsive things she has said and done. The guilt and anxiety is also creeping in about how much money she has spent - on things that she did not need. And then comes the crash. She is exhausted. Sleeping 12 hours a night, but waking up tired. It’s an effort to even take a shower or make a cup of coffee. Her mind starts telling her that maybe it would be better off for everyone if she wasn’t here. That she is a terrible burden. That there is no use living this way (depression tells a LOT of lies). This cycle is becoming exhausting and she feels so trapped and tired. She also feels very alone, like no one else in her life understands what she is going through. She wishes there were people in her life who “got it.” **This is an example of bipolar 1. Everyones specific symptoms can look a bit different, however there typically commonalities. Living with Untreated Bipolar Disorder Is Exhausting. While bipolar disorder is a chronic condition, there absolutely is hope for better management of the symptoms and for being able to pursue your life values. Many therapists and psychiatrists are not trained in treating and supporting those with bipolar disorder and it can feel frustrating when one is seeing a provider who doesn’t know how to help them. Therapeutic treatments that can be helpful for individuals with bipolar disorder include interpersonal social rhythm therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy for bipolar, and acceptance and commitment therapy. Additionally, trained therapists have skills and tools for helping you to better manage triggers and episodes-when they occur. No two people with bipolar disorder are the exactly same, however, there are strategies and tools that can help. Having a therapist who is skilled in working with individuals with bipolar disorder, as well as a psychiatrist who is also trained in this area, can be life-changing. Living with bipolar disorder that is untreated and also feeling the burden of stigma, while feeling alone and misunderstood, can be highly exhausting. There Is Hope. Working with professionals who are highly knowledgeable about bipolar disorder can feel refreshing and hopeful. Check out our other blog about bipolar disorder: Our practice sees individuals with bipolar disorder for virtual therapy in Maryland, Virginia, and Florida. If you are struggling with bipolar disorder click the link below to schedule a free 15 min phone consultation with a therapist. Click here. The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping teens and adults struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, OSFED, and body image issues. We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, MD, easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington D.C. We also provide eating disorder therapy in Arlington, Virginia and virtually throughout Virginia. Additionally, we offer eating disorder therapy virtually in New York (NYC), Florida, and California, serving those in cities including Palo Alto, San Francisco, Newport Beach, Los Angeles, Woodland Hills, San Jose, and Beverly Hills. We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com
By Caroline Roberts, EDC Intern  Being a part of a team can be such a special experience. A group of individuals working together to achieve the same goals: winning and improving. Amidst all of the time and effort that is put in together, you start to become more like a family than a team. This means that you know and care for your teammates on a different level. Oftentimes, disordered eating habits are prevalent in athletes. In fact, one study found that 25% of female athletes reported disordered eating behaviors (Greenleaf et al., 2009). If this is the case for one of your teammates there are things you can do to help! 1. Pay attention You know your teammates well. You know their normal attitudes, and how they normally play at practice or in a game. If you notice that they seem withdrawn from team conversation and partake in self-isolating behavior, you may want to check in with them. Additionally, if you notice they are showing signs of fatigue, dizziness, are excessively sore or injured these are also key indicators that they may be experiencing difficulties eating. These are only some of the many signs and symptoms that can indicate a potential eating disorder. The most important thing you can do is pay attention to any changes in your teammates' usual behavior. They may be struggling silently, and having a teammate notice that, can go a long way. 2. Treat them as a whole person, not just as an athlete In the case that a teammate comes to you for support, the most helpful thing that you can do is listen. Not everyone understands the ins and outs that come with an eating disorder, so it’s okay if you’re not an expert! However, listening to your teammate is something that can go a long way in helping them recover. It may seem like a form of tough love to say things like, “If you don’t eat, you won’t play” or “If you don't eat for yourself, do it for the team,” however these are NOT constructive statements. If your teammate trusts you enough to open up to you, they don’t want to feel pressured into recovering just so that they can play a sport. They want to know that they have your support for whatever steps are necessary in their recovery process. 3. Offer support I know this tip seems rather obvious, but there are many different forms of support that are sometimes overlooked! Every person is different so the type of support one person might seek is different from the type of support that someone else needs. For some, eating meals with a teammate would be beneficial. When you’re on a team, you typically eat a lot of meals together. Making sure you sit and eat with your teammate lets them know that they aren’t alone in this process. For other people, they may want support in the form of spending quality time with you. Doing things outside of playing your sport and outside of eating meals, can be a healthy distraction from thinking about the different triggers of their disorder. The best way to find out what kind of support your teammate needs from you, is to talk to them about it and remain patient and consistent in your efforts! 4. Ask for help Eating disorders can be very private for some people. So while you should respect their privacy, it’s okay to acknowledge that you could also use some help while you support them. Turning to a coach, therapist, or trusted adult is a great outlet for helping you navigate the situation! The Eating Disorder Center has coaches and therapists who have extensive experience working with athletes struggling with eating and body image struggles. References: Greenleaf, C., Petrie, T. A., Carter, J., & Reel, J. J. (2009). Female collegiate athletes: prevalence of eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors. Journal of American college health: J of ACH, 57(5), 489–495. https://doi.org/10.3200/JACH.57.5.489-496 For more blogs related to athletes, check out: Schedule a free 15 min consult for eating disorder therapy in MD, VA, DC, NY, FL, or recovery coaching worldwide. Click here. The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping teens and adults struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, OSFED, and body image issues. We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, MD, easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington D.C. We also provide eating disorder therapy in Arlington, Virginia and virtually throughout Virginia. Additionally, we offer eating disorder therapy virtually in New York (NYC), Florida, and California. We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com
By Jennifer Rollin, LCSW-C Your recovery from an eating disorder is going strong. You’ve been making progress in terms of facing challenging foods, learning how to surf eating disorder urges, unpacking negative body image, and working diligently with your therapist and dietitian. You are finally starting to see the amazing life that you have without active eating disorder behaviors. Then, a major stressor hits you. Perhaps your relationship just ended, you got a new job, you lost a loved one, or have an upcoming graduation. You don’t notice it at first but you have gradually started cutting back on food (or slipping into old food rules/other eating disorder behaviors), skipping therapy appointments, and notice that your thoughts are becoming more preoccupied with food and your body. Your eating disorder voice becomes louder, yet you are in denial that it is starting to take control again. Perhaps this regression ends in a slip of old behaviors or maybe even a full-blown relapse. The following are three tips for what to do following a lapse or relapse in eating disorder recovery. 1. Reach out for support from a trained professional. You may feel embarrassed or ashamed to admit that you are struggling again. However, reaching out for support when you are struggling is a sign of true strength, not weakness. If you are slipping in your recovery, it’s critical that you reach out to a therapist who specializes in eating disorders. Additionally, it’s important to be honest with them about the disordered behaviors that you are currently struggling with. Your "eating disorder voice," may tell you that you aren't "sick enough" to seek help. This is utterly false. Everyone who is struggling, deserves access to help and support. No one should have to recover from their eating disorder alone. You deserve to have support to help you to get back on track in your recovery. 2. Remind yourself of your reasons to recover. When things feel hopeless or “too challenging”, it can be tough to find motivation to continue to work on your recovery. Many of my clients with eating disorders struggle with “black and white thinking.” For instance, you could be telling yourself something like, “I already failed at my recovery, I may as well just give up.” If these kinds of unhelpful thoughts start to pop up, it’s crucial that you remind yourself of your reasons to recover (as well as to practice some mindfulness techniques related to the unhelpful thoughts). For instance, one exercise that I sometimes ask clients to do is to imagine what their life could look like 5 years from now if they stay trapped in their eating disorder vs. five years from now if they are recovered. You deserve a full life, one that you cannot have if you continue to stay stuck in your eating disorder. 3. Practice self-compassion. It's important to note that you are certainly not alone in experiencing a relapse or lapse in eating disorder recovery. If you do experience this, it is important to try to practice some self-compassion. “Beating yourself up” for struggling will only serve to make you feel even worse. You have not failed; you simply need more support. Recovery is typically not a linear process, and you may have both successes and setbacks along the way. Additionally, it’s important to note that you are not “starting again from square one.” Just because you had a relapse, does not invalidate all of the progress that you have already made. Instead of viewing your relapse or lapse as a “failure,” try to reframe it as an opportunity to learn from. You may just find that you emerge an even stronger person after having overcome the latest setback in your recovery. You Deserve A Full Life When you look back on your life at age 90, do you think that you will be fondly reminiscing about the amount of time you spent counting calories, avoiding social events, running obsessively on the treadmill, or hiding empty cartons of food in shame? Living trapped in an eating disorder is ultimately not a fulfilling life. You didn’t choose to have an eating disorder and it makes sense that you may be unconsciously turning to old ways of coping that felt like they served you at one time in your life. You deserve to send yourself so much compassion. Eating disorders are NOT choices, they are mental illnesses. However for some folks they may be in part unconscious coping skills for trying to manage past trauma, racism, anti-fat bias, anxiety, relational and attachment wounds, mood disorder symptoms-and stressful life events. No matter what lies your eating disorder may be telling you, your life is worth so much more than obsessing about food and your body. A relapse DOES NOT mean that you’ve failed. It is simply a warning sign of both increased eating disorder work that needs to happen and often underlying issues that have come up. As always, i’m over here rooting for you! Schedule a free 15 min consult for eating disorder therapy in MD, VA, DC, NY, FL, or recovery coaching worldwide. Click here. The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping teens and adults struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, OSFED, and body image issues. We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, MD, easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington D.C. We also provide eating disorder therapy in Arlington, Virginia and virtually throughout Virginia. Additionally, we offer eating disorder therapy virtually in New York (NYC), Florida, and California. We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com
By Megan Samuels, MSW, LMSW, Outreach Coordinator  ARFID stands for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. This is a common eating disorder that can often be under-diagnosed, or just labeled as “picky eating.” ARFID has not always been recognized as a disorder, but was added to the DSM-5, which is the fifth edition of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. According to the DSM-5, a diagnosis of ARFID is met with all of the following: A. An eating or feeding disturbance (e.g., apparent lack of interest in eating or food; avoidance based on the sensory characteristics of food; concern about aversive consequences of eating) as manifested by persistent failure to meet appropriate nutritional and/or energy needs associated with one (or more) of the following:
C. The eating disturbance does not occur exclusively during the course of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, and there is no evidence of a disturbance in the way in which one’s body weight or shape is experienced. D. The eating disturbance is not attributable to a concurrent medical condition or not better explained by another mental disorder. Additionally, when the eating disturbance occurs in the context of another condition or disorder, the severity of the eating disturbance exceeds that routinely associated with the condition or disorder and warrants additional clinical attention. ARFID stands out from the other eating disorders as it includes a lack of interest or avoidance because of sensory or aversive consequences, as opposed to a desire to change the way that one looks. Some warning signs for ARFID may include (but are not limited to):
What does recovery from ARFID look like? Typically, recovery from ARFID includes getting a therapist, dietitian, and doctor on board. The therapist can treat the eating disorder, do food exposures, and any other symptoms, including anxiety or depression. A dietitian can make sure that you are getting enough nutrition and food, along with facilitating food and meal exposures. A doctor can regularly assess to make sure that lab work is normal and that the body is getting enough nutrition. Full recovery from ARFID is possible! If you or a loved one may be struggling with ARFID, we can help! The Eating Disorder Center has therapists and recovery coaches who are trained in treating ARFID, among other eating disorders. Contact us today for a free 15-minute consultation. References: American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596 *Disclaimer: The information is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for your independent medical decision-making nor a recommendation or endorsement for any particular treatment plan, organization, provider, professional service, or product. Schedule a free 15 min consult for eating disorder therapy in MD, VA, DC, NY, FL, or recovery coaching worldwide. Click here. The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping teens and adults struggling with anorexia, binge eating disorder, bulimia, OSFED, and body image issues. We provide eating disorder therapy in Rockville, MD, easily accessible to individuals in Potomac, North Potomac, Bethesda, Olney, Silver Spring, Germantown, and Washington D.C. We also provide eating disorder therapy in Arlington, Virginia and virtually throughout Virginia. Additionally, we offer eating disorder therapy virtually in New York (NYC), Florida, and California. We provide eating disorder recovery coaching via Zoom to people worldwide. Connect with us through our website at www.theeatingdisordercenter.com
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