Eating Disorder Therapy
Eating disorder therapy is a way of addressing difficulties you have relating to an eating disorder and getting professional support.
Eating disorders are on the rise in the UK and currently affect between 1.25 and 3.4 million men and women. Of the people who have an eating disorder around a quarter are men and three quarters are women. Eating disorders usually develop in adolescence but can develop at any stage of your life, irrespective of age, gender or ethnicity. Eating disorders are complex mental health conditions.
What Is An Eating Disorder?
An eating disorder is a mental health disorder of behavioural conditions characterized by persistent disturbance in eating behaviours. Eating disorders vary in terms of severity but can be life threatening. Behaviour around food can be used to cope with difficult thoughts, feelings or emotions. Eating disorders can affect someone emotionally, physically or socially. Unhealthy eating behaviours may include eating too much or too little or worrying about your body shape or weight.
Common Eating Disorders?
Of the people who have an eating disorder 10% have anorexia nervosa and 40% have bulimia nervosa. Common eating disorders include:
- Anorexia nervosa - controlling weight by either exercising too much or eating too little or both.
- Bulimia - Losing control and eating too much often followed by being sick to limit weight gain.
- Binge eating disorder - Eating too much food to the point where you feel ill.
- Other specified feeding or eating disorder (OFSED) - Symptoms do not fit into another food disorder category.
- Avoident restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) - Avoiding certain foods and limiting intake of that food or both. Not related to body image.
Eating Disorder symptoms
Eating disorder symptoms vary from person to person. Symptoms might be psychological, behavioural or physical.
Psychological symptoms might include difficulties with body image, ruminating about weight and problems with managing emotions. Psychological difficulties related to eating disorders include: depression, anxiety, mood fluctuations and emotional numbness. Physical symptoms can include: feeling dizzy or lightheaded, weight changes, stomach cramps and dehydration. Behavioural symptoms might include: fad dieting, eating alone, isolating from others and clothes choices to cover weight changes.
Psychotherapist
Matthew Alderton - MA, BSc, Dip, Dip Psych
I trained at CCPE in London to become a counsellor and psychotherapist. I am also an EMDR practitioner.
I regularly help clients with eating disorders in relation to body image difficulties, family difficutlies, anxiety and trauma. I work in a holistic way with clients and use an integrated approach to help clients with eating disorders. We spend a considerable period of time looking at the root casue of the eating disorder difficulty before moving onto establishing changes in eating routines. .
I offer a down to earth friendly approach and like to see my clients making progress in therapy and in life. I look forward to hearing from you.
Psychotherapy
I use a safe psychotherapeutic container to build a therapeutic bond with my clients so we can work in a collaborative way together. We work with psychotherapeutic techniques and modailities so you understand the root cause of your difficulty, what role your psyche and body, play in the difficulty and what you can do about it.
Practical Help
Practical help for eating disorders involves facilitating self empowerment, guidance and support so you are able to take action to create positive change. I walk alongside you to support you through agreed practical steps you can take for yourself.
EMDR
Eating disorders are the end symptom of an underlying psychological difficulty. Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing Therapy can help you to reprocess the root cause of the eating disorder as well as help you with current triggers and future experience. It can also help you to develop the resources to create change.
Behavioural Therapy
We might use a combination of behavioural therapies to assist you with your difficulty. Behavioural therapy can help with stimulating action, changing the way you think about yourself and the difficulty you have.
Approaches
Psychotherapy
I use a safe psychotherapeutic container to build a therapeutic bond with my cleitns so we can work in a collaborative way together. We work with psychotherapeutic techniques and modailities so you understand the root cause of your difficulty, what role your psyche and body play in the difficulty and what you can do about it.
Practical Help
Practical help for eating disorders involves facilitating self empowerment, guidance and support so you are able to take action to create positive change. I walk alongside you to support you through agreed practical steps you can take for yourself.
EMDR
Eating disorders are the end symptom of an underlying psychological difficulty. Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing Therapy can help you to reprocess the root cause of the eating disorder as well help you with current triggers and future experience. It can also help you to develop the resources to create change.
Behavioural Therapy
We might use a combination of behavioural therapies to assist you with your difficulty. Behavioural therapy can help with stimulating action, changing the way you think about yourself and the difficulty you have.
Eating Disorder Therapy Benefits
Feel happier
As you get a handle on your difficulty you will start to feel happier and more in control.
Homeostasis
Restoring balance into your life can help you feel more relaxed and calmer.
Relationship
Change your relationship with food into a positive one.
Coping
Develop healthier coping mechanisms helps with your overall sense of wellbing.
