Eating Disorders
Partial Hospitalization Center & Mental Health located in Burr Ridge, IL
Eating Disorders Services Offered In Burr Ridge, IL
Eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa cause emotional pain and can have severe physical side effects. Talk to the team at EQ Perspectives in Burr Ridge, Illinois, if you or your child needs help with an eating disorder. They specialize in treating young people with these challenging conditions and offer telehealth, in-person appointments, intensive outpatient programs, and partial hospitalization programs. Call EQ Perspectives today or schedule a consultation online to benefit from exceptional eating disorder diagnosis and treatment.
Eating Disorders Q&A
What are eating disorders?
Eating disorders develop when your thoughts and feelings about food become distorted. They can severely disrupt your life but often go undiscovered and untreated. Common eating disorder symptoms include:
- Obsessing over your weight and food
- Poor body image
- Counting calories
- Purging
- Self-harming
- Binge eating
- Lack of interest in food
- Fear of eating in public
Many eating disorders affect teens and young adults. But younger children and older people also get them. Women and girls develop eating disorders more often than men and boys.
These conditions aren’t something people bring on themselves; they are life-changing health disorders requiring specialized treatment.
What are the most common eating disorders?
Eating disorders that EQ Perspectives treats most often include:
Anorexia nervosa: People with anorexia believe they’re overweight even when they’re severely underweight. Malnutrition (lack of certain nutrients) and even starvation can happen in severe cases. You or your child can develop distressing and dangerous symptoms, including:
- Constantly feeling cold
- Ongoing fatigue
- Constipation
- Muscle wasting
- Thinning bones
- Anemia (low blood iron levels)
- Hypotension (low blood pressure)
- Dry, discolored skin
- Infertility
- Fine hair growth (lanugo)
Untreated anorexia can cause organ failure and death. People with anorexia are sometimes in such despair that they attempt suicide.
Bulimia nervosa: People with bulimia binge, eating large quantities of food in a short time. The urge to binge is uncontrollable. Afterward, patients feel ashamed and full of self-loathing. To reverse the “damage,” they purge by vomiting, using diuretics and laxatives, and/or exercising excessively. Bulimia causes tooth decay, acid reflux, dehydration, and organ damage.
Binge-eating disorder: This disorder is similar to bulimia nervosa, but patients don’t purge themselves after their binges.
Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID): People with ARFID have limited diets because they refuse to eat various foods. The condition usually develops in younger children or teens, causing significant weight loss and/or limited growth. Severe ARFID can require a feeding tube.
How are eating disorders treated?
Eating disorder treatment focuses on counseling — talk therapy with a skilled EQ Perspectives team member. Techniques they use to treat eating disorders include:
- Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
Medication helps with the anxiety and depression that people with eating disorders frequently experience. EQ Perspectives uses GeneSight® DNA testing to select the drugs most likely to have positive effects.
The team also runs partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) and intensive outpatient programs (IOPs) for young people 13-18.
Call EQ Perspectives today or book an in-person or telehealth appointment online to access specialized eating disorder treatment.