Rated 'Excellent' by our patients
Call Us
Eating disorders can take a number of forms, each with unique symptoms, causes, and treatment approaches. This can make them quite difficult to identify and understand, and feeling uncertain about these conditions can naturally make you feel worried or anxious about seeking treatment.
Learning more about different eating disorder types is an important first step for the healing process, so let’s take a closer look at what they are, what causes them, and how they show up.
Eating disorders are complex conditions that directly relate to eating behaviours. They vary between individuals and can affect people of all ages and backgrounds.
Living with an eating disorder typically involves a complicated relationship with food and eating that affects physical, mental, and emotional health. This might include an overwhelming need to control food intake, unhealthy preoccupation with weight, or persistent feelings of confusion, shame, or anxiety around eating.
Such behaviours, though harmful, can feel logical or even necessary, which can make recovery feel challenging. Difficulty talking about the experience is also common, and many people living with an eating disorder find themselves minimising or denying what is happening
Eating disorders are not choices nor phases, and they do not all look the same. They require specialist treatment and care in order to be overcome, and that’s exactly what we offer at ABBI Clinic.
Eating disorders can look different between people experiencing them, each with symptoms and causes that impact people differently.
Anorexia nervosa typically involves a significant restriction of food intake, often driven by an intense fear of gaining weight or a distorted perception of the body.
About Anorexia Nervosa
Living with bulimia nervosa is often described as a painful cycle: eating large amounts of food, frequently in secret, followed by attempts to compensate through induced vomiting, fasting, or excessive exercise.
About Bulimia Nervosa
Binge eating disorder involves recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food, often very quickly and to the point of physical discomfort. Unlike bulimia nervosa, there is no form of purging afterwards, but the emotional distress that follows can be significant and long-lasting.
About Binge Eating Disorder
Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder characterised by a highly restricted range of foods that you feel able to eat. Unlike many other eating disorders, it doesn’t usually have a connection to concerns about weight or body shape. Restriction is driven by sensory sensitivities, a fear of choking or vomiting, or a lack of interest in food itself.
About ARFID
OSFED stands for Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder. It is a clinical diagnosis for individuals who don't quite meet the criteria for anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, but still experience an eating disorder that causes significant distress.
About OSFED
Orthorexia nervosa develops when a focus on eating healthily becomes consuming. What begins as an interest in nutrition can gradually take over, leading to rigid rules around food, significant anxiety when those rules are broken, and a growing impact on everyday life and relationships.
About Orthorexia Nervosa
A clear diagnosis isn’t always possible, and disordered eating refers to a range of eating behaviours that can be described as irregular or harmful. Experiences may include restrictive eating, binge eating, self-induced vomiting, and other signs that require specialist support.
About Disordered Eating
Anorexia Athletica is an eating disorder which fixates on eating as little as possible in order to optimise athletic performance. It is unique in that it is driven by a desire to compete in sport, though it often leads to malnutrition and unhealthy weight loss.
About Anorexia Athletica
Rumination Disorder is a commonly misunderstood condition that involves the regular regurgitation of recently eaten or partially digested food. This behaviour isn’t typically voluntary or uncomfortable, but can result in weight loss and social anxiety.
About Rumination Disorder
Diabulimia describes the restriction or omission of insulin in people with Type 1 diabetes as a means of managing weight.
About Diabulimia
Eating disorders can develop due to a mix of complex reasons. There is no single cause; they can typically result from a combination of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors.
There are a number of factors that can contribute to the development of an eating disorder. Traumatic experiences can create long-term anxiety and stress, which can be temporarily relieved by controlling food intake, or negative thoughts and feelings about body image can trigger unhealthy obsessions with eating less.
Genetics and personality can play an unpredictable role in eating disorders.
Some people are more likely to develop an eating disorder, though not all individuals with risk factors will develop one. Psychological support and treatment are essential for addressing the underlying causes of eating disorders and promoting recovery.
At ABBI, we tailor our treatment plans to address your unique experiences and develop healthy coping skills for safely navigating symptoms and long-term recovery.
Every eating disorder shows up uniquely, though there are a few symptoms that are common between different conditions.
‘Disordered eating’ refers to unhealthy eating behaviours, whereas ‘eating disorder’ refers more specifically to a persistent and severe disturbance in eating habits, often accompanied by emotional and physical issues.
Eating disorders usually involve a number of complex factors, none of which involve a conscious decision to develop a condition. Many result from a combination of genetic, psychological, and environmental influences, meaning you can develop an eating disorder without trying to.
It is challenging to overcome an eating disorder without professional treatment, as it often requires comprehensive intervention from a multidisciplinary team to address all aspects of the condition. At ABBI Clinic, we create treatment plans that help lessen this difficulty and support the healing process.
Broadly speaking, people with eating disorders may exhibit shared traits such as perfectionism, low self-esteem, and a desire for control. However, everyone is different, so these traits may not be present at all.
