Eating Disorder Resources
Please call, text, or email anytime. We are more than happy to walk through each step of the journey with you. You are not alone.
Signs and Symptoms
Worried that you or a loved one may need help with an eating disorder? The following signs and symptoms may help guide you or your loved one toward a path of healing.
Binge Eating Disorder
Binge eating large quantities of food
Feeling loss of control around food at times
Constant grazing of food throughout day
Secretively eating, hiding wrappers, lying about food intake or food spending
Obsessively thinking about food and the desire to lose weight
Inability to remain on a healthy meal plan without binge episodes
Marked distress after a binge episode, feeling guilty, embarrassed, ashamed
Marked decrease in self-esteem or self-confidence
Increased feelings of hopelessness or despair
Uncontrolled weight gain over time
Co-occurring medical symptoms related to excess weight, such as hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, sleep apnea, etc.
Co-occurring medical symptoms related to limited exercise, such as chronic pain, limited mobility, depressed mood, etc.
Bulimia
Episodes of binge eating large quantities of food followed by purging
Purging may be by vomiting, use and abuse of laxatives, diuretics or excessive exercise
The binge-purge cycle is most often a secretive event
Increasing isolation for purpose of binging and purging
Obsessive thoughts of food, calories, weight, binging and purging
Often periods of restricting food accompany the plan to binge and purge
Decrease in the enjoyment of activities and engagement with others
Increase in mood swings
Decreased self esteem and self confidence
Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness
Feelings of being alone with an out-of-control secret problem
Intense fears of becoming overweight
Body distortion or seeing oneself as overweight
Denial that there is a problem
Habit of chewing food and spitting it out without swallowing food
Hiding jars or bags of vomit or spit out food
Medical symptoms related to bulimia may include hair loss, loss of menses if underweight (for women), stomach and digestive problems, dental problems, electrolyte imbalances, physical dependency on laxatives, possible irreversible damage to intestines, internal bleeding from purging, heart complications, other serious complications resulting in illness and death
Anorexia
Denial that there is any problem
Dramatic weight loss in short period of time
Exaggerated and intense fears of becoming overweight
Preoccupation with calories, food and weight
Restricting food for prolonged periods
Inability to stop dieting even when below normal weight
Distorted body image or seeing oneself as overweight
Constant weighing of ones self throughout the day
Increased isolation from family or friends
Isolating behavior concerning food and exercise – may stop eating in front of others and may exercise in secret
Increased prolonged periods of exercise for purpose of burning calories
Increased dishonesty with self and others over eating and exercise habits
Frequent arguments with others regarding eating habits
Increased mood swings
Decrease in self esteem and confidence levels
Medical symptoms related to anorexia may include loss of hair from head, increased body hair as thermal insulator for body’s decreasing ability to stay warm, loss of the ability to enjoy friends or activities, strong feelings of being in control of oneself, chronically chilly or cold, loss of menses (for women), drop in blood pressure, dizziness and weakness from malnutrition, heart complications, vitamin and mineral deficiencies
If left untreated, anorexia can cause premature death from starvation
National Eating Disorder Resources
Eating Disorders Anonymous (EDA)
Eating Disorders Coalition (EDC)
Eating Disorder Hope
ED Referral
International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP)
National Alliance for Eating Disorders
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD)
National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)
Regional Eating Disorder Resources
Carolina Resource Center for Eating Disorders (CRC), serves the Carolinas
Eating Disorders Information Network (EDIN), serves the state of Georgia
Mary Cameron Robinson Foundation (MCR), serves the Chattanooga area
Renewed, serves the state of Tennessee
Eating Disorder Scholarships
Manna Fund
Project HEAL: Help to Eat, Accept, & Live