Our services are now being offered via telehealth, as well as in person.

Our services are now being offered via telehealth, as well as in person.

Understanding Anorexia Disorder in Orange County

Diet culture is rampant in Orange County & can lead to anorexia. Learn more about treatment for anorexia Orange County at Alternative Options.

What is Anorexia?

Anorexia or anorexia nervosa is a mental health condition where people avoid consuming calories. This can look like avoiding eating entirely or only eating small amounts of certain foods. Individuals with anorexia often have an unhealthy obsession with weight and body image. They may weigh themselves repeatedly or excessively exercise. For someone who suffers from anorexia, it doesn’t matter how much weight they’ve lost – they still won’t see themselves as thin enough. Alternative Options offers treatment for anorexia Orange County residents can rely on.₁

Questions About Treatment?

Let us guide you through your options and treatment opportunities. Contact Alternative Options today.

Symptoms of Anorexia

Anorexia can be challenging to spot in its early stages. As anorexia progresses, symptoms increase in severity and intensity. Anorexia is a form of self-harm and often stems from other underlying mental health conditions. What may start as innocent dieting and exercise can quickly turn into anorexia. Warning signs and symptoms of anorexia include the following:₂

Dramatic weight loss and difficulty keeping weight on
Dressing in layers to hide weight loss and stay warm.
Fixation on weight and calorie/nutrition tracking
Avoiding specific foods or restricting certain categories of food (for example, no carbohydrates)
Making comments about feeling or being ‘fat’ despite weight loss
Food rituals include eating foods in a specific order, or excessively chewing.
Is in denial of their low body weight.
Withdrawing from friends and family, becoming more secretive

Additional Side Effects

Individuals with anorexia experience physical changes as well. Individuals with anorexia may also experience the following:

Stomach cramping and other gastrointestinal problems.
Difficulty concentrating
Feeling cold
Fainting and muscle weakness
Menstrual irregularities or missed periods.
Dry skin and nails
Problems with wound healing and a weakened immune system

Anorexia Risk Factors

Anorexia doesn’t discriminate. It can impact anyone, at anytime. However, some individuals are more at risk for developing anorexia than others. Women specifically have a higher risk for anorexia. Ninety percent of individuals with anorexia are female.₃ Gender is not the only risk factor. Individuals who are at higher risk for anorexia Orange County include those who:₄

Childhood obesity
Mood disorders
Being impulsive or a perfectionist
Sexual abuse and other trauma
Weight-related concerns
Environmental Factors

Societal and Virtual Influences and Anorexia

The environment plays a massive role in the development of anorexia. This includes your culture, where you live, and whom you surround yourself with. In a place like Orange County, it can be easy to fall victim to diet culture.

What can start as an attempt at fitness can quickly become destructive and lead to anorexia. Diet culture can be seen in restrictive dieting and extreme fitness routines. Diet culture is rampant in Orange County, making anorexia Orange County a real problem.

Virtual Influences

Your environment extends beyond where you live; virtual influences play a huge role in body image and the development of anorexia. While anorexia Orange County may be a problem, virtual influences through social media can also cause anorexia. While this is especially true for younger social media users, social media can have a negative impact on people of all ages. People who report high social media use also tend to report the most concerns regarding eating and body image.₅

Social Media and Virtual Reality

There are a few reasons for this. Social media and virtual reality are full of doctored images airbrushed to perfection. Constant exposure to images of ultra-thin, ultra-beautiful models can damage a person’s self-esteem – leading to anorexia. TikTok and Instagram contain videos promoting weight loss and unhealthy eating habits. With that, it’s easy to develop disordered eating habits. However, it’s important to remember that most of what is on social media is fake and that the models featured have either been edited or have had procedures to look the way they do.

If you or a loved one are experiencing disordered eating, researching “anorexia Orange County treatment options,” is a great start to finding effective treatment.

Wellness and Self-Healing Techniques for Anorexia

While seeking treatment for anorexia Orange County is your best bet for healing in the Los Angeles area; you can do a few things to improve your overall wellness. Outside of seeking treatment for anorexia Orange County, some self-healing techniques include:

Intentionally Pamper Yourself: Begin to make peace with your body by taking time to pamper yourself. This can be as simple as taking a long bath or a stroll along the beach.
Practice Gratitude: Gratitude journaling can do wonders for your mental health. You can improve your mood by taking time to recognize all the things you are grateful for. By finding gratitude for your body, you can begin to heal anorexia.
Wear Clothes You Like: Choosing clothes you feel good in can be an excellent first step to bodily acceptance. By choosing outfits that help you celebrate your body – you can improve your self-image and make peace with your body.
Use Visual Reminders to Affirm Self-Love: This can be as simple as a mirror post-it note saying, ‘you are enough’ or ‘I love my body.’ Exposing yourself to positive messages like these can begin to change your internal self-talk.

Anorexia Orange County Treatment Options

Looking up ‘anorexia Orange County’ in search of treatment options? There are several treatment options available for anorexia Orange County. Common types of treatment for anorexia Orange County include:

Inpatient rehabilitation
Partial hospitalization programs and intensive outpatient programs
Individual and group therapy
Support groups

Anorexia Orange County Treatment at Alternative Options Counseling Center

At Alternative Options Counseling Center, we offer premium treatment for anorexia Orange County as well as other eating disorders. We offer multiple levels of care for anorexia Orange County to meet your unique needs. We offer intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, and outpatient counseling programs. Our programs include:

Individual and group therapy
Behavioral and Art therapy
Nutritional Counseling and family nutrition education groups
Self esteem and body image groups
Food normalization and supported meals and snacks.
Developing mindful awareness and building self-trust

Contact Us Today and Begin Leading the Happy, Healthy Life You Deserve

At Alternative Options, we take a trauma-informed approach to treatment. We understand that eating disorders such as anorexia can stem from trauma and are sensitive to this when delivering care. We are determined to help you or your loved one find the personalized path toward recovery that works best for your unique needs and circumstances.

If you are searching for treatment for anorexia Orange County locals can depend on, we encourage you to consider Alternative Options. Give us a call for a free consultation, and begin healing today.

Resources:

1 https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/eating-disorders

2 https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/anorexia?gclid=CjwKCAjw5dqgBhBNEiwA7PryaLIpGPMCn7uIR1X_c7ZmWkZA09rR6Na8Tbhet1IWbDJkc7WJK-ieVBoCUAoQAvD_BwE

3 https://www.aafp.org/dam/brand/aafp/pubs/afp/issues/2015/0101/p46.pdf

4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459148/

5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5003636/