eating disorders

"people do not have to be at a place where they have 'hit their bottom' in order to seek out therapy and support - at any phase of the eating disorder, therapy and other supports for recovery can be life-changing and joy-inducing!"

Whether it is binge eating disorder, anorexia, bulimia, orthorexia, or "not otherwise specified," RtW in general views eating disorders as a type of process addiction. In this case, the addictive processes relate to food, weight, and body image. Note that while in general RtW approaches eating disorders this way, all clinicians work individually with each client to work towards recovery in the way that works best for the client.

Often, people with eating disorders attempt to control their appearance, weight, and food choices in order to solve or reduce the felt impact of emotional, relational, or trauma-induced stressors. Binge eating, for example, can come with a substance-like high via the "food coma," which may help sedate a person; anorexia can come with a substance-like euphoria or physical and emotional sense of power and ascetic "lightness" when in restrictive behaviors; some bulimic behaviors, like vomiting, release chemicals into the body and brain that can bring a felt sense of relief from intense emotional or physical sensations; intense exercise can also release chemicals into the body and brain that mimic a substance high in the form of endorphins and exhaustion.

Regardless of these chemical reactions in the body, many eating disorders symptoms like body checking, compulsive weighing, calorie counting, fad dieting, laxative abuse, and others also bring a sense of either shame or pride that is used to control one's behaviors over and over and over and give one a sense of identity, purpose, and safety in the world. This can feel like a salve in the face of underlying trauma or challenging experiences or relationships that bring feelings of uncertainty, dread, and deep grief.

Sometimes quickly, other times slowly, these and other eating disorder behaviors and symptoms become addictive, or compulsive, as individuals compulsively manage feelings, thoughts, and physical sensations over and over and over with these coping "tools." The problem is, these coping tools at some point stop working as they used to and/or come to cause tremendous harm physically, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually, and often lead to increased feelings of shame and isolation and a sense that this is no longer within the person's control.

At RtW, we provide outpatient psychotherapy to treat the behavioral, emotional, psychological, and spiritual difficulties that come with eating disorders; we are willing to collaborate with other members of your team - such as a dietitian and medical doctor - in order to assist your well-rounded recovery from this life-threatening illness. 

Eating disorders are proven to be the deadliest mental illness. But there is hope! And we are here to help. Together, we believe that recovery is possible. 

At RtW, we believe that all clinicians and clients have the right to define recovery for themselves and collaboratively. For some clients, subscribing to the belief that full and total recovery is possible works better and fits well for them. For other clients, believing that they will always be in some form of a recovery process - even if they no longer use any addictive or disordered behaviors - assists them in staying the course and living a healthful life. Each clinician might have a different take on this and at RtW we also work with each individual client to understand what model works best for the person in front of us.

compulsive gambling

sex & love addiction

compulsive spending

chronic underearning

compulsive  debting

workaholism

technology addiction

gaming addiction

compulsive self-harm

These process addictions, similar to eating disorders, all include a behavior or behaviors that a person goes to repeatedly and compulsively to distract from or soothe emotional, physical, relational, or trauma-induced stressors.

Some of these behaviors are more external - such as gambling or sex or spending addiction - whereas others, like chronic underearning, love addiction, and workaholism - may be experienced as more internal processes that are sometimes very challenging for an individual or others to detect as problematic.

"all addictions do not simply distract one from painful experiences - they also disrupt a person's capacity to experience joy in the moment."

Gambling, spending and sex addiction may give one a physical "hit" or substance-like "high" when the compulsive gambler wins, when a sexual conquest is won, or when a wanted item is compulsively purchased. At first, as with eating disorders, the distraction from stressors as well as these brain and body changes may feel incredibly appealing, relieving, and enjoyable.

With workaholism, there initially - and even for quite some time - may be a felt sense of personal accomplishment or purposefulness, as well as accolades and affirmation from those around the workaholic, fulfilling a yearning for external validation and sense of usefulness to others. Turning addictively to work tasks may provide one with direction, meaning, concreteness, and certainty in the face of stressors. 

Chronic underearning and compulsive debting may result in the individual always being "on the edge" financially, which may lead to adrenaline rushes, obsessive anxiety and fixation on money, leading one's attention away from any other stressors, painful experiences, or even joy. Compulsive debting, like compulsive spending, may also bring a rush of pleasure. Typically, though, this is followed - maybe immediately or some time later - by an experience of shame. 

All addictions do not simply distract one from painful experiences - they also disrupt a person's capacity to experience joy in the moment. True joy is unfiltered; all addiction is a filter. Or a barrier. At RtW, this makes sense to us, because we believe that the function of addiction, at root, is to keep someone safe from what are experienced as dangerous, even life-threatening events and people. How could joy be dangerous? If one has repeatedly had an experience that joy or a sense of calm, connection or stability is followed by the rude awakening of physical or sexual abuse, loss, invalidation, neglect, or a threat of harm, an experience of joy or stability may become terrifying - there could always be a sense of when will the shoe drop? Well, so, don't get too attached this pleasant feeling, the disease of addiction may suggest! One way to not get too attached to a pleasant feeling like joy is to put a protective barrier between a person and the joy - in the form of an addiction or dysfunctional behavior.

These addictions, which may come with certain desired things, like highs, adrenaline, amassing material belongings and a sense of accomplishment, as well as distraction from or soothing of stressors, become sources of shame and isolation. Perhaps these behaviors once seemed "normal" or fun or were - and still may be - socially and professionally acceptable and even encouraged with friends, family and colleagues. Sometimes quickly and sometimes slowly, these addictive processes can overtake a person's life, relationships, sense of self, and ability to experience joy, intimacy, and psychological freedom, as a person struggles to identify coping tools that are less painful, isolating, obsessive, or destructive.

People do not have to be at a place where they have "hit their bottom" in order to seek out therapy and support - at any phase of the eating disorder or addiction, therapy and other supports for recovery can be life-changing and joy-inducing!