What Are Eating Disorders?

Take our Disordered Eating Test

Find a therapist to heal from an eating disorder

Recovery from an eating disorder can begin even when ambivalence and fear are still present.

Eating disorders tend to become more disruptive when left untreated over time.

Progress in eating disorder recovery often starts before a patient is fully certain about the process.

Many people imagine eating disorder recovery as something they will begin once they feel fully ready, after the semester ends, work calms down, or life becomes less complicated. They often believe there will eventually be a better time to address the eating disorder, one that feels less disruptive, less emotionally overwhelming, or less inconvenient.

But eating disorders rarely work that way because the illness itself often convinces people that delaying recovery is responsible, practical, or temporary. At the same time, part of the disorder may still feel comforting, protective, or difficult to let go of, leading people to believe they can hold onto parts........

© Psychology Today