Have you lost a significant amount of weight over a short period of time without a known medical cause?
Are you intensely afraid to gain weight, and the fear gets worse the more weight you lose?
Do you have trouble “seeing” what size you actually are? Do other people tell you that you need to gain weight, but that just makes you feel fatter?
If you’re a woman, have you lost your period?
Are you always on a diet and counting calories?
Are you a high achiever and/or a perfectionist?
Does someone you love meet these guidelines, and you’re desperate to get them help before they end up in the hospital or worse?
Looking for Help
If you are reading this page, it’s likely that you (and not the person who is starving) are desperately searching for help for someone you love - your child, spouse, parent or friend. Why? Because out of all of the eating disorders, anorexia nervosa involves a dangerous amount of denial. It is officially the most deadly of the mental health disorders; in large part because those who are starving themselves are almost incapable of admitting they have a problem and asking for help.
Anorexia nervosa is an emotional eating disorder that can have deadly physical consequences. If you or someone you love is starving, terrified to gain weight, and compulsively dieting and/or exercising to stay thin, the sooner you get qualified help for them, the better.
It takes a team of eating disorder specialists to help people with anorexia nervosa to recover, but the good news is that they CAN get better with the right help. The treatment includes individual counseling to discuss and resolve painful issues that caused the urge to starve in the first place, learning and practicing intuitive eating rather than dieting with a licensed dietitian, medical support from a physician, and possibly the limited use of medications that have been shown to ease dangerous symptoms of anorexia.
If the person you love is refusing to get help, I can counsel you on what to do to convince them. If you are seeking help, but are afraid to gain weight, just call me at 904-737-3232 and I will support you in taking that brave step.