By: Jennifer Rollin, LCSW-C, Therapist & Founder of The Eating Disorder Center It is very common for individuals with eating disorders to present to therapy with a co-occurring mental health diagnosis. Eating disorders frequently do not come ‘alone.’ Some of the common co-occurring issues that we see individuals with eating disorders also struggling with include anxiety disorders, OCD, PTSD, and mood disorders. The Eating Disorder Center specializes in therapy for children, teens, and adults with eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, OSFED, ARFID, orthorexia, and compulsive exercise. We also have therapists who specialize in eating disorders co-occurring with trauma, OCD, and mood disorders. The Link Between Eating Disorders and Depression When we’re depressed, it’s as though we are looking at the world through a pair of dark sunglasses. Everything can appear bleak. We may think there is something wrong with ourselves and with our lives more generally, and it seems like we will always feel this way. This view can quickly lead us to feel self-critical and hopeless about the future. Yet, when depressed, we often do not even realize that we are wearing these “sunglasses.” Rather, we think that this is just our new reality. What happens in depression can also happen when struggling with an eating disorder. In an eating disorder, we are also wearing tinted “glasses” that distort and color the ways we see ourselves and the world around us. This distortion may cause us to hyperfixate on our food and body appearance. For individuals diagnosed with an eating disorder and depression, the depression can also make eating disorder recovery challenging. Depression can cause changes in appetite. Depression can also rob people of their motivation and ability to see the positive things in their lives, by coloring everything through a negative lens. This decreased motivation and joy can impact eating disorder recovery by reducing the drive for eating disorder recovery as well as for basic self-care activities like eating and showering. While eating disorders are not choices, they can sometimes be in part a way for individuals to subconsciously cope with underlying issues, such as depression, trauma, or low self-worth. Depression, for example, may feel ‘out of control.” An eating disorder may sometimes help provide a sense of control for some people during difficult times, even if it is a false sense of control. Through specialized therapy for an eating disorder and depression, we can learn skills and coping tools to feel more in control of our lives and to help us remove the “glasses” that are affecting our emotions and outlook. Additionally, in therapy, we can work through underlying issues that may be contributing to the eating disorder and depression. Getting treatment for depression and an eating disorder is crucial. Experiencing a depressive episode can feel traumatic. Similarly, the experience of having an eating disorder can also be traumatic. Trauma, in this context, is broadly defined as anything that causes nervous system dysregulation. If you have been there, you know what I’m talking about. Both disorders can cause someone to feel like a shell of their former selves. Sometimes, those who have experienced trauma subconsciously use eating disorder behaviors to try to regulate their nervous systems. Trauma and eating disorders are linked. EMDR therapy can help both with an eating disorder and trauma, as it promotes nervous system regulation. It can lead to rapid and significant improvement in symptoms of an eating disorder and trauma. Eating Disorders and Bipolar Disorder Bipolar is associated with episodes of mania (bipolar 1) or hypomania (which can be seen in bipolar 1 and bipolar 2). However, for many individuals, bipolar disorder also involves episodes of depression. So, the link between depression and eating disorders, as mentioned previously, will likely ring true for those with bipolar disorder and depressive episodes. During episodes of mania, inhibitions are often lowered. For those struggling with an eating disorder and bipolar, mania might lead to more eating disorder behaviors. Additionally, episodes of mania and hypomania can impact appetite. Furthermore, folks with mania may experience feeling too “wired” and distracted to remember to eat — which of course is not helpful for eating disorder recovery. With bipolar, the experience of being on a roller coaster of mood episodes — and the way this can impact an individual’s life overall — can be traumatic, anxiety-provoking, and feel very out of control. If someone’s experience of bipolar disorder has led to hospitalization, this can also be traumatic. As mentioned previously, there is a link between trauma and eating disorders. Thus, for some individuals, eating disorder behaviors may subconsciously feel like a way to try to cope with bipolar. There Is Hope For Recovery From An Eating Disorder and Better Management of Mood Episodes! Full recovery from an eating disorder is possible. Eating disorders are highly treatable, and specialized therapy is key. It’s also important to find a therapist who specializes in any co-occurring issues that you might be struggling with, such as depression. Very few therapists specialize in bipolar disorder, much less in the intersection of mood disorders and eating disorders. However, at The Eating Disorder Center, we have some therapists who truly specialize in both, and we would love to help you to reclaim your life! Schedule a FREE 15-minute consultation to explore how eating disorder therapy or recovery coaching can help you to find freedom. 🌟 Available in MD, VA, DC, PA, NY, FL, and CA for eating disorder therapy 🌍 Offering recovery coaching worldwide The Eating Disorder Center is a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center founded by Jennifer Rollin. We specialize in helping children, 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, Pennsylvania, and California. We provide eating disorder and EMDR trauma therapy in Rockville, Maryland and virtually throughout Maryland and Virginia. 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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The Eating Disorder CenterWe are a premier outpatient eating disorder therapy center in Rockville, Maryland.
We also provide eating disorder recovery coaching to people worldwide via Zoom. Click here to book your free 15 minute phone consultation! Phone: 301-246-6856 Email: [email protected] Archives
February 2025
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