Eating Disorder Treatment in San Antonio, TX
Does Having An Eating Disorder Make It Difficult For You To Escape The Cycle Of Low Self-Esteem And Negative Self-Talk?
Are you in treatment for an eating disorder, but still find yourself having trouble figuring out how to navigate social situations? Or, have you come a long way in your treatment, but you’re still struggling with feeling comfortable with your body?
Maybe your friends or family often compliment you on your weight or your body, and you’re not sure how to handle it, because even compliments can feel hurtful. It could be the daily battle of managing your thoughts and feelings leaves you depressed or anxious. Or perhaps you need some support navigating a world where it feels like everyone is talking about dieting or exercising.
Eating Disorders Affect More Than Just Your Body
Eating disorders can affect your weight and physical appearance, but you may experience a range of mental health symptoms as well. These can include:
Shame and guilt about your eating habits
Social isolation from friends and loved ones
Anxiety or Depression
Low self-esteem
Eating disorders can be isolating and confusing, but you don’t have to struggle alone because therapy—in conjunction with your treatment—can help you create a balanced and healthier life.
Eating Disorders Can Affect Anyone
There are many myths about eating disorders and the people that struggle with them. There is often a misconception that they only affect teen girls. However, eating disorders can affect people of all ages and all genders, even men and people who are non-binary. There is no one cause of eating disorders, they can be caused by genetics, trauma, or psychological or emotional problems. But, they all relate to a person’s behaviors, thoughts, and attitudes on eating, body weight, and body shape.
Cultural and Familial Traditions Can Lead To Body Dysmorphia and Eating Disorders
Eating disorders can affect people from all backgrounds, but there are cultural and familial factors that can play a role in the development of an eating disorder. If someone grows up in a culture where thinness or body shape is highly regarded, if they don’t fit that mold they are more at risk for body dysmorphia or an eating disorder.
Today’s teens and young adults are surrounded by social media, many of these accounts glamorize being thin and push fitness and diet culture. Idealizing thinness and not recognizing all the different shapes and sizes of bodies can lead to low self-esteem and feeling isolated from friends and family if someone feels like they’re the only one who is struggling with these issues.
If you’re having trouble with these feelings, therapy at Monarch Behavioral health in conjunction with your eating disorder treatment can help you understand that you’re not alone and it’s possible to feel good about your body physically and emotionally.
Eating Disorder Therapy Can Help You Improve Your Coping Skills and Self-Esteem.
Our therapists at Monarch Behavioral Health are trained to help you with recovering from eating disorders and helping you deal with the feelings that come from body dysmorphia. In therapy, you can get the support you need to manage harmful thoughts and behaviors. Our therapists can be the support you need while navigating pressures and struggles about an eating disorder.
Our team is here to help you learn coping skills to handle social situations around food, build confidence in your body and health, and help you learn techniques to function better during your day-to-day challenges.
What to Expect in Sessions
Eating disorder therapy is right for you if you have already been working with a nutritionist or your primary care provider to make sure you are at a healthy weight. If you are actively restricting or purging then you need a higher level of treatment for your eating disorder than Monarch Behavioral Health can provide and we will refer you to someone if you don’t already have a provider.
Counseling for eating disorders is to help you maintain your progress after treatment and work through internal and social aspects that you need. It can also be for you if you’ve had treatment in the past and something in your life has caused trauma or has caused the feelings that lead to your eating disorder to return and you want to prevent relapsing.
An Approach To Therapy That Centers Your Needs
In therapy, we will first focus on understanding where your symptoms come from. This may stem from trauma, anxiety, or societal pressures to look a certain way or fit a certain image. But, our therapists know that your unique lived experiences contribute to how an eating disorder manifests. So, we will take into account your individual history and current stressors to help you find the root of the problem.
Once you understand how your individual history intersects with your symptoms, we can start working identifying tools to help you manage them. We will help you find healthy alternative coping skills to help you move away from body-focused behaviors. In the end, our therapists want to help you heal your relationship with your body. By doing so, you can find freedom from eating disorders and body dysmorphia.
But You May Still Have Questions About Eating Disorder Treatment…
I feel like changing my habits and social life means I won’t be the same person I am now.
Developing healthy eating habits and finding acceptance for the way you look at a healthy weight doesn’t mean you are changing who you are. We can work with you to develop a plan to change things slowly in a way that you are comfortable with and will help you develop confidence.
I’m afraid I’ll be judged for my thoughts about myself and my weight.
Therapy is a place for you to feel safe. You’re not alone on how you feel, and we are here to help you understand those feelings, not judge them. We want you to feel comfortable expressing yourself to use and you will help develop a treatment plan that you are comfortable with.
If I’m already in treatment for my eating disorder, how can counseling help?
In addition to the treatment plan you have with a nutritionist or doctor, counseling can help you understand and normalize eating patterns, understand the link between the food you eat and your mood, explore ways to cope with stressful situations, and improve the relationship between food and yourself.
You Can Navigate Your Journey Toward Healing With Eating Disorder Therapy
We know that dealing with these issues is heavy and all consuming. Let our therapists support you as you work towards health and confidence. To start your journey, contact Monarch Behavioral Health.
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