ArticleTemplate

Section

Disclosure

MegaMenu

Header

Image

RecentArticles

MegaMenuItem

Button

Action

Banner

Ribbon

Swiper

NavMobile

Article

PortableText

Footer

SplitBanner

Date

Screen

Experiment

StartHereVScreener

plasmic-sanity-io

plasmic-query

equip.health

plasmic-basic-components

react-youtube

plasmic-tabs

plasmic-rich-components

antd5 hostless

Equip has a new look! And we wanted to give you a peek at the “why” behind our new brand. Whether you’re a designer or brand aficionado—or not, hopefully this will feel a bit meaningful to you. <3

When we set out to transform the eating disorder treatment landscape in 2020, we didn’t dare to dream how many lives we’d touch in just three years. Our original brand was built to get us off the launchpad. This new brand is built to reach every single person with an eating disorder. This means we’ll be showing up with more humanity, more vibrance, more depth, and more personal stories.

You might notice a curving line in our new brand—and it’s at the heart of Equip and the world of eating disorder recovery. This line symbolizes the nonlinear path to recovery experienced by nearly everyone affected by an eating disorder.  For those of us who’ve been through it, we know that the recovery journey spans across a vast range of human emotions; travels along peaks and valleys big and small; can feel expansive and constricting even in the same moment; can fill us with fear and hope; and ultimately, moves with us through it all.

This line also symbolizes Equip’s support and presence in our patients’ lives as they move through recovery—wherever they are.

You’ll also notice our brand has a brighter, more dynamic feel. We’re showcasing more diverse faces and bodies to represent the far-reaching stories of eating disorders. The new, modernized Equip look matches the innovation of our treatment model, and brings a sense of vibrancy and color to an issue that can feel heavy at times—but one we face with infinite hope, optimism, and motivation.

, which has been fully reimagined to provide a more content-rich, interactive, intuitive user experience that ensures every single person has easy access to the information they need in that moment—whether it’s a provider looking to learn about screening for eating disorders, an athlete wondering if they may have a problem, or a parent trying to understand the treatment options for their child. We know that eating disorders affect people in countless different ways, and built our new site to speak to all the questions and concerns that arise on the road to recovery.

As we continue forward in our mission to make eating disorder treatment that works accessible to everyone who needs it, we hope our new branding and website serve as powerful platforms from which to make strides toward this ambitious goal. 

Equip's New Branding: Exploring the Meaning Behind Our New Look

Eating disorders are often thought about in terms of behaviors around food: eating too much, not eating enough, purging after eating. But 

 are an equally significant, if less discussed, part of these illnesses. While food-related thoughts look different from person to person, it’s quite common for those struggling with eating disorders to be abnormally preoccupied with food and eating. In this article, we’ll take a close look at food obsession in eating disorders, including why it occurs, what conditions it’s associated with, how it’s addressed, and more.

In the most general terms, food obsession is just what it sounds like—when a person can’t stop thinking about food—but it can manifest in a number of different ways.

On a psychological level, food obsession can mean that thoughts about food or eating take over a person’s 

 that it’s common for people with eating disorders to become preoccupied with food, experiencing constant and excessive thoughts to the extent that it impairs daily functioning. Food obsession can also affect memory and cognition, with 

 are more likely to remember food-related words than those without anorexia.

Constantly thinking about food can also have behavioral ramifications. People with eating disorders tend to want to be around food, even if they’re not eating it. 

 making food for others without having any, reading cookbooks, watching food shows on TV, or being excessively interested in what other people are eating.

“The experience of food obsession can be nuanced and vary from person to person,” says Jonathan Levine, LCSW, therapy lead at Equip. “But constant thoughts of food, such as: what (not) to eat, when (not) to eat, where (not) to eat and around whom, and what’s ‘safe’ to eat are all examples of how obsessive thinking can show up. These obsessive thoughts can also lead to obsessive behaviors, like only eating certain foods, in certain places, around certain people, at certain times of day.”

What causes food obsession in eating disorders?

So why is it so common for people with eating disorders to become preoccupied with food? There are a few possible explanations, but at its core, food obsession is a result of the eating disorder hijacking a person’s mind. “Food becomes the focal point of one’s life when an eating disorder is loud and in control,” explains Levine.

To dive deeper into how this works, let’s unpack two of the main drivers of food obsession in eating disorders: 

The role of restriction in food obsession

It’s a simple fact that restricting food makes you think about food more. From an evolutionary perspective, this makes sense: when you don’t let yourself eat, your body believes you’re starving and kicks into survival mode. It will do whatever it takes to get the energy it needs—and one way it does this is by sounding an alarm bell in the form of constant thoughts about food. These thoughts are a survival mechanism, meant to motivate you to find the fuel necessary to stay alive.

“If you spend all of your time thinking of what to eat without letting yourself eat and receive adequate nutrition and pleasure, your brain will enter a state of vigilance around food and continue that mindset of avoidance and restriction while the body fights back to get the energy it needs,” says Levine. “Indeed, your body will fight to get the nutrients it needs by increasing thoughts of food to maintain homeostasis and safety.”

There’s a significant body of research backing up this idea. Perhaps most well-known is the 

, a study in the 1940s in which hundreds of healthy men were put on a semi-starvation diet in order to measure and monitor how it affected their physical and psychological health. One key takeaway was that their restrictive diet led to extreme preoccupation with food. The men talked about food with one another, dreamt about food, began reading cookbooks and collecting recipes, and reported excessive thoughts about food and eating.

Since then, there have been multiple other studies confirming these findings. 

 that both starvation and self-imposed diets result in preoccupation with food and eating and that 

 increased responsiveness to food signals and a heightened desire for food. 

 looking at both dieters and binge eaters found that among both groups, higher levels of dietary restraint were associated with greater preoccupation with food and eating.

But food obsession can be a symptom even for those who aren’t in a state of restriction. For many people with eating disorders, food is a coping mechanism, a means of escape or control or both. Thoughts about food—whether it’s planning a binge hours in advance, obsessing over what they just ate, or painstakingly tracking macros—can be a way to escape distressing emotions, or to feel a sense of control over a chaotic situation.

What eating disorders are associated with food obsession?

While people with any eating disorder diagnosis could have excessive thoughts about food, Levine says that food obsession tends to be associated with 

, those with anorexia and bulimia had higher levels of food preoccupation than those with BED, but people with all three eating disorders had more thoughts about food than people without eating disorders.

Could food obsession be a sign of something besides an eating disorder?

Constantly thinking about food isn’t always a sign of an eating disorder. People could also experience food obsession for other reasons, such as:

 or restrictive eating habits that fall outside of a diagnosable eating disorder

Negative consequences and risks of food obsession

Excessive food-related thoughts can have a significant negative impact on your daily functioning, ability to think clearly, and overall well-being.

In the Minnesota Starvation experiment, for example, the subjects showed impaired cognitive abilities and depressed mood across the board. In fact, several subjects were forced to withdraw from university because they became unable to concentrate and lacked the motivation to attend class. 

 found that “successful” dieters (i.e., people who restricted their eating in the presence of food) performed badly on a simple task, whereas “unsuccessful” dieters (those who ate their fill) performed very well. When the “successful” dieters let go of their diets, they did a good job on the task, suggesting that thoughts about dieting and food were taking up too much space to allow them to function to the best of their ability.

And according to still more research, if you have restrictive rules around eating, it can lead to worse cognitive performance even after you’ve eaten: 

, dieters performed worse on a memory task than non-dieters both before and after eating. The researchers theorize that this is because before eating food they were experiencing obsession due to food restriction, and after eating, they were distracted by guilt and stress about what they’d eaten.

Beyond the toll it takes on mental performance, constantly thinking about food can have other negative impacts on your life. “If you’re cutting out activities, people, or plans, or changing your lifestyle to ensure you’re able to meet the eating disorder’s desires related to food obsession, then you’re losing parts of yourself and parts of your life to that obsession,” says Levine. “We want to make sure we have balance in our life to get all of our needs met, and maintaining an obsession makes that extremely difficult, if not impossible.”

Free your mind to live the life you deserve.


Are thoughts of food disrupting your life?

How is food obsession addressed in eating disorder treatment?

“It depends on the diagnosis, a person’s age, and if they need to 

 to nourish their brain,” says Levine. “But generally speaking, we challenge avoidance by normalizing what has become abnormal. For example, if someone is obsessed with either never eating cake or eating cake in what feels like an uncontrollable manner, we’ll work to normalize the food by asking them to eat cake regularly. It’s hard to obsess over normal, the routine, the baseline, so if we make something feel normal by experiencing it regularly, that will decrease the obsession in time.”

In a lot of cases, food obsession goes away on its own during the course of eating disorder treatment. That’s because as you become renourished and adopt regular eating habits, the restriction and other disordered eating patterns that were fueling the food obsession go away. Patients also learn healthy coping strategies that they can use rather than turning to thoughts about food to manage emotions.

What to do if you or a loved one is struggling with food obsession

If you find that you can’t stop thinking about food, or are worried that a loved one is experiencing food obsession, it could signal an eating disorder. And even if an eating disorder isn’t the underlying cause, food obsession can have a very real negative impact on your mental and physical health, as well as your life. Either way, it’s important to reach out to a professional for support. Talk with your doctor or a trusted mental health professional, or consider making an appointment with an eating disorder-informed dietitian. You can also 

 with the Equip team to talk through your concerns and what treatment options are available.

Lydecker, Janet A et al. “Preoccupation in bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, and higher weight.” The International journal of eating disorders vol. 55,1 (2022): 76-84. 

Pietrowsky, Reinhard et al. “Food deprivation fails to affect preoccupation with thoughts of food in anorectic patients.” The British journal of clinical psychology vol. 41,Pt 3 (2002): 321-6. 

Polivy, J. “Psychological consequences of food restriction.” Journal of the American Dietetic Association vol. 96,6 (1996): 589-92; quiz 593-4. 

Timmerman, Gayle M, and Elizabeth K Gregg. “Dieting, perceived deprivation, and preoccupation with food.” Western journal of nursing research vol. 25,4 (2003): 405-18. 

Mitchell, Gemma L, and Jeffrey M Brunstrom. “Everyday dietary behaviour and the relationship between attention and meal size.” Appetite vol. 45,3 (2005): 344-55. 

Can’t Stop Thinking About Food? Understanding Food Obsession in Eating Disorders

Helping someone with an eating disorder can be difficult, to say the least. In addition to all the other challenges of accessing 

, there’s also the fact that many people with an eating disorder don’t want treatment in the first place. While you’re focused on their best interests, the eating disorder may have caused cognitive changes that make them believe their behaviors are normal, or even positive. When someone is struggling with an eating disorder, it’s important to get them help as soon as possible, as earlier intervention is associated with better outcomes and fewer complications—at the same time, the harder you push, the harder they may resist. But don’t despair and, above all, do not give up.

If your loved one refuses eating disorder treatment, keep reading. First we’ll explain why they might resist treatment, then we’ll discuss various strategies to help encourage your loved one to seek the care they need. Whether you’re supporting a child, a teen, or an adult with an eating disorder, these tips will help you help them, even if that’s not initially what they want.

Understanding why someone might refuse treatment

Two words help explain why people with eating disorders may resist treatment: anosognosia and egosyntonic. While both are tongue-twisters, they have fairly straightforward definitions that shed some light on what might be going on in the mind of someone who’s struggling.

Anosognosia: lack of awareness of the eating disorder

 is an ill patient’s belief that they are not, in fact, ill. “Anosognosia is a common eating disorder symptom,” says Equip therapist lead Lainy Clark. “It’s also generally called a ‘lack of insight,’ and results in a person’s inability to recognize the need for help.”

Someone with anosognosia isn’t trying to be difficult: regions in their brain actually change, causing their impaired self-perception. This can help explain why approaches like 

 (FBT) are particularly effective. The person with the eating disorder doesn’t need to be aware of their condition in order to benefit from the treatment.

Egosyntonia: alignment with the eating disorder

, which means they are aligned with a person’s self-image, values, and feelings. So someone with an eating disorder might know that they have an eating disorder, but not want to get rid of it. Of course, it’s only the distortions of the 

 that make someone feel aligned with the values of their disease, but given the stranglehold an eating disorder has on a person’s mind, this feeling can be quite powerful.

“Without any intention to do so, many patients automatically go to minimizing symptoms and the need for intervention,” says Jenna Robinow, LMSW a therapist at Equip. “Part of 

, for example, is ambivalence toward its negative impact on a person's health. Malnutrition gets in the way of clearly seeing the urgency of getting treatment. In that sense, it can be unfair to assume that someone in the throes of an eating disorder is going to be on board from the start.”

Resistance to eating disorder treatment can manifest in many ways. You may notice emotional, behavioral, physical, or psychological signs and symptoms, or some combination of several or all of these.

“The most common form of resistance is emotional dysregulation resulting in pushback, outbursts of anger or rage, and crying,” Clark says. She adds that your loved one might also exhibit an unwillingness to participate in treatment sessions, aggression, or increased hostility toward others.

In addition to emotional outbursts and aggression, Equip dietitian Tanya Hargrave-Klein says many patients may plead to get out of treatment by promising to attempt recovery on their own. Others may throw food, curse at their support network, or give loved ones the silent treatment. “This might include not returning text messages, not answering their phone, or not acknowledging support people in person,” she says.

While it’s tough to say exactly how frequently this kind of opposition occurs, Hargrave-Klein says she sees it quite often. “It’s expected for a loved one to experience resistance to engaging in treatment,” she says. “It’s also very typical for a loved one to want treatment one moment and then be opposed to it the next moment.”

Talk through your concerns and options with an eating disorder expert.

Do you need help supporting a loved one?

Effective strategies to support a loved one

So, what do you do if someone you love refuses eating disorder treatment? While there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy that will work for everyone, there are some tried and true tactics that can help you gently encourage someone who is struggling in the right direction.

“It’s helpful to acknowledge what you are observing and validate your loved one’s feelings,” Hargrave-Klein says. “That might sound something like, ‘I can see that you don't want to start treatment. That makes sense because it feels scary, and because you don't know what to expect, and because it isn’t something your friends are having to do.’”

You can empathize with their experience while still encouraging eating disorder treatment. Express that you care about them and their feelings, and validate how hard it must be.

It can be difficult to talk about eating disorders, but treatment requires ongoing conversation. To open up the discussion, it helps to come prepared. Educate yourself about the various 

, as well as the psychological components of eating disorders that can make treatment feel scary. 

“Help your loved one fact check or reframe some of their greatest fears about stepping into treatment,” Robinow advises. “Processing and getting curious about their resistance may diffuse some of their fears, which feel enormous in their head but may be broken down into more manageable hurdles that can be overcome with support.”

As your loved one talks, listen without judgment. This will make it more likely that they’ll continue talking to you or maybe even initiate a conversation with you another day. Remember, this probably isn’t a one-and-done discussion—you may need to have several talks together, so keep the lines of communication open and don’t get discouraged if the first few conversations don’t go far.

Work with your loved one to come to a solution rather than trying to force them toward treatment. Do this by allowing unconditional space for them to express their feelings, expressing your concerns in a nonjudgmental way, and then working together to find a plan you both feel good (or at least okay) about.

“Don't assume you know how your loved one is feeling,” Robinow says. “Using ‘I’ statements, tell them what you are noticing in their behavior and allow them to tell 

 what their internal experience is like. This may support a more collaborative effort.”

Helping a loved one understand the need for treatment may take a significant amount of time, but Clark says it’s important to continue focusing on the aspects of the journey within your control. “We can see continued resistance and lack of insight for months during 

,” she says. “Hoping your loved one will ‘get it’ and be receptive to treatment might not be realistic. Instead, it’s more helpful to focus energy on being loving, empathetic, and supportive while also speaking truth and remaining firm in what you are asking your loved one to do.”

Here are some tips that can help you do that:

Helping a loved one on your own might be possible, but it’s usually too much for a non-professional to tackle. Effective eating disorder treatment almost always requires working with a 

multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals

 who can support both you and your loved one. A physician may be able to refer you to therapists, dietitians, doctors, and other eating disorder specialists for your loved one, and talking to your own therapist can help you work through the various emotions you may be feeling throughout the recovery journey. You can also choose to work with a comprehensive treatment program like 

, where you and your family will be connected with a dedicated care team.

Some treatment options require your loved one’s voluntary participation, but others are effective despite reluctance. “The temptation to use logic and rationale to get our loved ones to understand their need for treatment is understandable, but we must remember the effects of malnutrition and anosognosia will result in our loved one being unable to access these facts in the beginning,” Clark says. “The symptom of anosognosia makes evidence-based care like 

 an accessible and effective option for recovery. The home environment inherently helps facilitate a loving and firm recovery journey, despite the patient’s lack of insight.”

While FBT isn’t an option for adult patients, family and other loved ones are often involved in other treatment modalities, like CBT-E. You can help guide your loved one toward treatment by compiling a list of potential 

 and settings, including residential, partial hospitalization programs, outpatient treatment, and 

At some point, you may need to set a boundary in order to support your loved one. This may mean refusing to do anything that enables or feeds into the eating disorder, or it may mean seeking treatment for your loved one even if they don’t want it. In some situations, you may need to make ultimatums that feel harsh in order to help your loved one get the treatment they need. Stay firm and confident in your choices, emphasizing that you are doing this because you care for them.

Understanding the importance of early intervention

No matter how reluctant your loved one may be about treatment, keep trying. 

 shows that the sooner someone enters treatment, the less likely they are to struggle long-term with an eating disorder. Early intervention also 

You don’t have to go through this alone. Advocacy and eating disorder 

 are here to not only provide education but also help you realize you’re not the only one facing resistance when helping someone with an eating disorder. Also, many people find it beneficial to hear what worked for others.

Here are some resources for ongoing support and education:

 to learn about support group opportunities and get other information and resources about helping someone with an eating disorder..

When your loved one refuses eating disorder treatment, you may feel scared, frustrated, or unsure what to do next. But don’t give up, because your support is one of the most important things to help them recover.

Continue to keep the conversation about treatment open. You can validate their experience and concerns while also educating them about the very real 

 and the various treatment options available. You can also help them find providers, make appointments for them, or be their personal Uber to appointments to help reduce any friction or excuses for not getting help. No matter what, be persistent, because the sooner your loved one enters treatment, the better.

What are common reasons why someone might refuse treatment for an eating disorder?

There are a number of different reasons that someone might resist treatment for an eating disorder. These may include that they don’t think they are ill, or that they believe the eating disorder aligns with their self-image, values, and feelings, so they want to keep it as a part of them. They might also have fears around entering treatment.

How can families support a loved one who refuses to seek treatment?

Families can support a loved one who refuses to seek treatment by maintaining open communication, being nonjudgmental, validating their feelings, and learning about treatment options together so you can find solutions as a team.

What strategies can help in encouraging someone to accept treatment for an eating disorder?

Encouraging someone to accept treatment for an eating disorder can be challenging, in part because everyone responds differently to various strategies. Overall, it helps to educate yourself about eating disorders and the different treatments available, use “I” statements, be curious about their resistance (rather than placing any blame or blowing off their fears), and remain firm yet caring.

Are there effective treatments for eating disorders that don't require patient buy-in?

The most effective treatment that doesn’t require patient buy-in is family-based treatment for eating disorders (FBT). In this modality, a professional teaches the caregivers how to help their child regain weight (if necessary) and reduce their symptoms. This empowers parents to be active in their child’s recovery and take the reins initially to decide what their child eats and stop disordered behaviors.

What resources are available for families dealing with eating disorder treatment resistance?

Resources for families dealing with eating disorder treatment resistance include support groups and organizations like 

Acharya AB, Sánchez-Manso JC. Anosognosia. [Updated 2022 Jun 7]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513361

Gregertsen, Eva C et al. “The Egosyntonic Nature of Anorexia: An Impediment to Recovery in Anorexia Nervosa Treatment.” 

Klein, David A et al. “Eating Disorders in Primary Care: Diagnosis and Management.” 

https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2021/0101/p22.html

Hyam, Lucy et al. ““Early intervention isn't an option, it's a necessity”: learning from implementation facilitators and challenges from the rapid scaling of an early intervention eating disorders programme in England.” 

Koreshe, Eyza et al. “Prevention and early intervention in eating disorders: findings from a rapid review.” 

My Loved One Has an Eating Disorder But Refuses Treatment. What Should I Do?

When I reached out to Equip Lead Peer Mentor Makailah Dowell to learn about her experience with 

 treatment and recovery, she was preparing to have her annual upper endoscopy, a procedure to examine the upper portion of the GI tract. For patients with a history of bingeing and purging, this procedure is a necessity to help detect throat cancer—a disease that those with a history of bulimia are at 

“I wish someone had had this conversation with me,” Dowell says. “This procedure is for someone like myself who had bulimia and, most importantly, had 

 for a very, very long time—undiagnosed and untreated. Untreated bulimia creates a life full of barriers, regret, and 

Thankfully, Dowell was able to eventually receive a diagnosis and get effective bulimia treatment, but it was a journey. Now on the other side of recovery, Dowell looks back on her days of struggling with undiagnosed bulimia and wishes she’d known more about the disease, how it could affect her life, and how to get help. Here’s what everyone should know about bulimia treatment: what to expect, how it works, and why it’s critical.

 can be devastating, ranging from stomach rupture, heart problems, and dental erosion to depression, anxiety, suicidal behavior, and 

. “Untreated bulimia can result in some very serious consequences, both physically and mentally,” says Angela Celio Doyle, PhD, VP of Behavioral Health Care at Equip.

According to Doyle, some of the biggest physical risks of untreated bulimia include:

Electrolyte imbalances, which disrupt your heart rhythm and, in severe cases, could lead to heart failure

Strain on the digestive system due to purging. Frequent vomiting can damage the esophagus, lead to severe acid reflux, and even cause the esophagus to rupture.

Significant dental problems due to stomach acid eroding tooth enamel

In Dowell’s case, it was actually her dental problems that led her to get an official diagnosis. “It took a long time but finally, it was my dentist who saw the damage to my oral health and called out my eating disorder in the dental office,” she says. “They said, ‘this is a problem—what’s going on?’ I could feel the tears in my eyes form as I processed the reality in front of me. My eating disorder was harming me in ways I did not understand.”

In addition to these physical repercussions, bulimia also has consequences for psychological health. “Bulimia is often linked with 

 and depression, and if left untreated, these issues can spiral,” she says. “There’s also the constant preoccupation with food and body image, which can lead to isolation from friends and family. And in some cases, the psychological stress can even lead to self-harm or thoughts of suicide.”

Untreated bulimia can also cause significant harm in areas of life beyond just mental and physical health. “Socially, bulimia can create a lot of strain in relationships,” Doyle says. “The secrecy, guilt, and shame often associated with the disorder can make it hard to connect with others, and this isolation can make everything feel even more overwhelming. It can also impact your work or school life, as the physical and mental exhaustion takes its toll.”

The long-term health consequences of bulimia

The long-term health consequences of bulimia can be severe and irreversible, which is why early intervention and evidence-based treatment are so crucial. “In the long run, untreated bulimia can lead to chronic health issues, like heart disease and digestive problems, and can even increase the risk of early death,” Doyle says. “And for people thinking about starting a family someday, bulimia can affect 

The good news is, evidence-based treatment vastly increases the odds of permanent recovery. 

 found that after receiving treatment for bulimia, the majority of study participants remained in recovery at a 22-year follow-up. 

 has shown that in adolescents, family-based therapy (FBT) doubled the success rates for bulimia treatment compared to other forms of treatment.

“This is why treatment is so essential,” Doyle says. “With the right support, including therapy, medical care, and nutritional counseling, it’s possible to break free from the cycle of bulimia and start the journey towards recovery. Early intervention can prevent many of these risks and help you regain control of your health and well-being.”

Like other eating disorders, effective bulimia treatment involves working with a multidisciplinary team of experts, but the specific types of treatment used varies depending on the individual patient. “When it comes to treating bulimia, there are several effective options that can really make a difference,” Doyle says, offering a quick rundown of the main 

 “CBT is often the go-to treatment for bulimia,” Doyle says. “It focuses on changing the negative thought patterns and behaviors that drive the disorder. With CBT, you’ll work on identifying and challenging distorted beliefs about food, body image, and self-worth. It also helps you develop healthier coping mechanisms and gradually reduces the urge to 

, also known as the Maudsley approach, is particularly effective for younger individuals and young adults,” Doyle says. “It involves the family in the recovery process, empowering parents to take an active role in supporting their child’s return to healthy eating behaviors. FBT helps the whole family understand the disorder and work together to create a supportive environment for recovery.”

 is great for people who struggle with intense emotions and impulsivity, which are often linked to bulimia,” Doyle says. “This therapy teaches skills like mindfulness, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance. The goal is to help you manage your emotions in a healthier way, reducing the need to turn to harmful behaviors like bingeing or purging.”

a dietitian who specializes in eating disorders

 can be incredibly helpful,” Doyle says. “They can guide you toward a balanced diet and help you understand how to nourish your body properly. Nutritional counseling often goes hand-in-hand with therapy, helping you rebuild a healthy relationship with food.”

: “In some cases, medication can be part of the treatment plan,” Doyle says. “Antidepressants, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are sometimes prescribed to help manage the underlying depression or anxiety that often accompanies bulimia. While medication alone isn’t a cure, it can be a useful tool alongside therapy.”

: “Connecting with others who are going through similar experiences can be really empowering,” Doyle says. “

 offer a sense of community and provide a space to share challenges and successes. They can be a great complement to individual therapy.”

“Each of these approaches offers something unique, and often, a combination of approaches is used to create a comprehensive treatment plan,” Doyle says. “The key is finding the right mix that works for you, with the support of a skilled treatment team.”

Lasting bulimia recovery is possible

What role can medication play in bulimia treatment?

As Doyle mentions, medication may be an appropriate part of bulimia treatment in some cases. “Medication can play a supportive role in treating bulimia, especially when it comes to managing some of the underlying issues like depression or anxiety that often go hand-in-hand with the disorder,” she says. “While medication isn’t usually the primary treatment for bulimia, it can be a helpful addition to therapy.”

A few of the most common medications used in bulimia treatment include:

: “The most commonly prescribed type of medication for bulimia is SSRIs, with fluoxetine (Prozac) being the most well-known,” Doyle says. “SSRIs help to increase serotonin levels in the brain, which can improve mood and reduce the frequency of binge-eating and purging episodes. They’re particularly useful if you’re dealing with co-occurring 

 or anxiety, which can make bulimia even harder to manage.”

: “Sometimes, other types of antidepressants might be prescribed if SSRIs aren’t effective or if there are other factors to consider,” Doyle says. “For example, tricyclic antidepressants or MAO inhibitors are sometimes used, but these come with more potential side effects, so they’re less common.”

: “In some cases, if bulimia is accompanied by severe mood swings or other mental health conditions, mood stabilizers or atypical antipsychotics might be considered,” Doyle says. “These medications can help 

 and reduce impulsivity, which can be beneficial in managing bulimia.”

While medication can make a huge difference for some patients, it isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution and typically is just one piece in the larger recovery puzzle. “Overall, medication can help take the edge off the emotional and psychological symptoms that fuel bulimia, making it easier for you to engage in therapy and focus on recovery,” Doyle says. “It’s important to remember that medication is usually just one part of a comprehensive treatment plan that includes therapy, nutritional counseling, and support from healthcare providers.”

The role of nutritional support in bulimia treatment