Early Intervention,
Lasting Eating Disorder Recovery
Early intervention can mean less time spent in treatment, a reduced likelihood of relapse, and fewer physical and mental health risks.
Reach out to us today!
FACT: eating disorders impact people of all backgrounds, genders, ages, and body types.
Conversations about Early Intervention can be challenging; mental health stigma and confusion and misinformation around eating disorders’ signs, symptoms, and stereotypes make it difficult to validate each individual’s unique, lived experience.
One of the most important things to know: Eating disorders do not discriminate, and it’s usually not possible to know who is struggling in their relationship with food just by looking at them.
- Eating disorders occur across the weight spectrum, impacting both adults and children.
- Less than 6% of people with eating disorders are medically diagnosed as “underweight.”
- BIPOC with eating disorders are half as likely to be diagnosed or to receive treatment.
- 20-30% of adults with eating disorders also have autism.
source: ANAD
FACT: Diet Culture is pervasive and toxic; children as young as 3 experience weight-related shame and body image issues.
Not all eating disorders involve poor body image or body image dissatisfaction, but many of them do.
81% of 10-year-old children are afraid of “being fat.”
(source: ANAD)
Body image dissatisfaction can be an early indicator of disordered eating or of one’s predisposition to developing an eating disorder later in life....
Knowing the signs, symptoms, and triggers of body image issues can help friends, family, health providers, and educators intervene and provide support before one’s negative self-perception turns into unhealthy behaviors such as diet restriction and compulsive exercise.
FACT: Eating disorders are among the deadliest mental illnesses, second only to opioid overdose.
The health risks and other costs of waiting to seek eating disorder treatment are far too high.
- The economic cost of eating disorders is $64.7 billion every year.
- 10,200 deaths each year are the direct result of an eating disorder—that’s one death every 52 minutes.
- About 26% of people with eating disorders attempt suicide.
source: STRIPED
FACT: Most people with eating disorders have other co-occuring mental health conditions.
Some of the most common co-occurring conditions include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD and trauma
- Bipolar disorder and other mood disorders
- Substance abuse
Approximately 56.2% of those with Anorexia Nervosa, 94.5% of those with Bulimia Nervosa, and 78.9% of those with Binge Eating Disorder (BED) meet the criteria for at least one other mental health diagnosis.
FACT: Even healthy habits can spiral out of control.
Our society’s fear of weight gain drives some individuals to develop an unhealthy obsession with healthful eating, also known as Orthorexia. While not itself an eating disorder, if left unchecked, Orthorexia can contribute to the development of eating disorders...
in the future.
Diet culture creates countless obstacles to eating disorders intervention and access to care, two examples being the pervasiveness of weight stigma and the normalization of restrictive eating for weight management. By learning the subtle signs that someone is struggling, you can play a vital role in changing a life – maybe even your own.
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Diet culture creates countless obstacles to eating disorders intervention and access to care, two examples being the pervasiveness of weight stigma and the normalization of restrictive eating for weight management. By learning the subtle signs that someone is struggling, you can play a vital role in changing a life – maybe even your own.
Orthorexia Signs
Signs of Orthorexia may include but are not limited to:
- Compulsive checking of ingredient lists and nutritional labels
- An increase in concern about the health of ingredients
- Cutting out an increasing number of food groups
- An inability to eat anything but a narrow group of foods that are deemed ‘healthy’ or ‘pure’
- Unusual interest in the health of what others are eating
Behavioral Symptoms of Eating Disorders
- Excessive/compulsive exercise
- Mealtime anxiety
- Frequent mirror-checking
- Eating in private/hiding food
- Laxative, diuretic, and/or diet pill abuse
- Obsession with food cleanliness
- Feeling “overweight” regardless of actual weight
- Impulsive or irregular eating habits
- Insulin misuse (in individuals with diabetes)
Early Intervention Programs
Alsana is proud to offer holistic, in-person and virtual Early Intervention programs (PHP/IOP) for adults of all genders in need of support in their recovery from eating disorders and co-occurring conditions.
Each of the locations listed below...
offers Day Treatment(PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) programs to help clients build strong foundations for lasting recovery, achieve health resilience, and find balance.
Alsana’s programs are designed to provide healing medically, nutritionally, therapeutically, relationally, and with a fresh approach to movement and exercise.
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Alsana’s programs are designed to provide healing medically, nutritionally, therapeutically, relationally, and with a fresh approach to movement and exercise.
Santa Barbara, CA
Monterey, CA
Westlake Village, CA
Birmingham, AL
St. Louis, MO
Virtual PHP/IOP
Do I have an eating disorder?
Individuals with eating disorders tend to experience symptoms for an average of six years before seeking help, and only one in ten people with an eating disorder seek and receive treatment at all. ...
Many people are afraid to reach out due to stigma, denial, past negative experiences, or confusion about their symptoms.
These statistics are disheartening, but recovery is possible – even probable – for individuals who seek help and support early or as soon as possible upon noticing signs, symptoms, and/or behaviors of disordered eating. Complete your free assessment today or Live Chat with a caring counselor to find out if eating disorder treatment may be right for you or your loved one.
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