Eating Disorder: How to Care for Yourself

Eating disorders are problems with the way people eat. They can harm a person's health, emotions, and relationships. Treatment for eating disorders can help you have a healthy weight, develop healthy habits, and change the way you think about food and your body.

Get help early. When an eating disorder is caught early, a person has a better chance of recovery. Make an appointment to see your doctor or an eating disorders specialist.

Go to all medical and care visits. Treatment takes time and effort. Work with the care team to get the help you need. Ask questions whenever you have them.

Focus on a healthy lifestyle. Try to be active every day and have a healthy diet. Get enough sleep. Find ways to manage stress and improve your mood. You might enjoy listening to music, drawing, dancing, writing in a journal, or talking to a friend. Yoga, meditation, or taking a couple of deep breaths also can help you relax.

• You lose a lot of weight.

• You have any other concerns.

You:

• feel lightheaded or dizzy, or if you faint

• are dehydrated; signs include dizziness, drowsiness, a dry or sticky mouth, sunken eyes, or making less pee or darker than usual pee

• have trouble breathing, chest pain, or an irregular heartbeat

• have a seizure

• are thinking about or planning to end your life

You can also call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.

What are the different types of eating disorders? There are many types of eating disorders, including: 

• Anorexia: People with anorexia have an intense fear of weight gain. They eat very little on purpose. This leads to a very low body weight.

• Bulimia: People with bulimia have an intense fear of weight gain. They binge eat (eat lots of food, even after they are full), sometimes in private so other people don't see how much they eat. They also use unhealthy behaviors to prevent weight gain, such as throwing up, misusing laxatives and other medicines, fasting (not eating for a long period of time), or excessive exercise

• Binge eating disorder: People with binge eating disorder overeat and feel out of control and unable to stop eating. They eat large amounts of food even when they're not hungry. They may feel upset or guilty after binge eating and often gain weight and become very overweight. Unlike bulimia, people with binge eating disorder do not make themselves throw up, use laxatives, or exercise a lot to make up for eating too much.

• Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID): People with ARFID are not interested in foods or avoid foods. People with ARFID aren't afraid of gaining weight and they don't have a poor body image. They do not eat because they are turned off by the smell, taste, texture, or color of food. Some may have choked on food and are afraid it will happen again. Many people with ARFID are underweight or do not gain weight as expected. But others are normal weight or overweight, especially if they eat only junk foods.

How are eating disorders treated? A care team of specialists treat people who have an eating disorder. The team can include doctors, behavioral health providers, and a dietitian. These experts work together to monitor the person's medical health, provide counseling, and make dietary recommendations.

Some people can be treated at home with close follow-up with the care team. Others may go to a special program during the day to get help. Some people need to stay in the hospital to make sure they get the treatment they need.