Eating Disorders

An eating disorder isn't a lifestyle choice but a serious mental health condition. The clinical team at Rappore, a telehealth-based mental health practice headquartered in Manhattan, New York, provides individualized care for eating disorders, including teletherapy and telepsychiatry. Their licensed clinicians help patients in multiple states, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, and Texas.

What are eating disorders?

Eating disorders are a group of disorders characterized by obsessive, ruminative thoughts about food, weight, and/or body shape and size. These thoughts are accompanied by extreme and unhealthy changes in eating behaviors. Eating disorders can have a major—even life-threatening—impact on peoples’ lives and are most often diagnosed in adolescent girls and young women. Eating disorders affect physical, psychological, and social well-being. It is not uncommon for people suffering from eating disorders to also suffer from depression and anxiety. Eating disorders are caused by biological, psychological, and social factors. The media's idealization of thinness in our culture has contributed to the rise in eating disorders over the last 25 years.

• Anorexia nervosa is characterized by abnormally low body weight accompanied by intense fears of gaining weight and a distorted perception of one’s body. Individuals with anorexia use extreme behaviors, such as severe caloric restriction, laxative abuse, or excessive exercise to keep their weight low.
• Bulimia nervosa is characterized by binge eating episodes, which are defined as eating excessively large amounts of food in a short period of time while feeling out of control and guilty about the behavior. Purging occurs after binge episodes, which is the process of attempting to "get rid" of the excess calories consumed in order to avoid gaining weight. Self-induced vomiting, strict dieting, excessive exercise, or laxative abuse are all forms of purging.
• Binge eating disorder is similar to bulimia nervosa in that the person binges on food on a regular basis but does nothing to counteract the effects of the binges.
• Avoid/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is distinguished by highly selective and restrictive eating habits, such as the avoidance of specific food textures, colors, and odors, or eating at an abnormally slow pace. It differs from anorexia in that there is no obsessive fear about gaining weight. 

What happens during an evaluation for eating disorders? 

At the time of your consultation, you will be encouraged to explore your specific relationship with food and how disordered eating may be negatively impacting your life. A thorough assessment of depression and anxiety symptoms is also performed. Based on a careful review of all relevant information, your clinician will be able to provide recommendations for appropriate therapeutic interventions and levels of care.

What are some treatments for eating disorders? 

Rappore’s experienced clinicians take a personalized approach to treating your eating disorder and any other comorbid diagnoses such as depression and anxiety. Some evidence based treatments for eating disorders include:

• Individual psychotherapy - specifically cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT)
• Psychopharmacology