How to Know if You Have an Eating Disorder

Explore feelings of control. Some people use anorexia as a way to stay in control and feel powerful. ^[5] For those with bulimia, it is common to feel out of control and powerless.^[6] And those with binge eating disorder may also feel like they lack control over what they eat.^[7]

• If you feel like your life is out of control, you may turn to anorexia to harness the feeling of control in your life, and feel accomplished when you “succeed’ in starving yourself.
• Ask yourself about your relationship with control and whether you are happy with it. Do you find yourself wanting more or less control in your life? Do you feel like you have enough control over your life, or do you take out that control on your food?

Identify feelings of shame about your behaviors. You may feel ashamed of your eating habits, especially if you binge eat.^[8] You may try to binge or purge in secret, or take food off your plate discreetly so that nobody will notice. While these behaviors try to cover up what you do, deeper within them may lurk shame for the lengths you will go in order to keep your eating disorder.

• If you find yourself feeling ashamed of your eating behaviors, then you may have symptoms of an eating disorder.

Consider your feelings about your body. People who do not like their bodies are more likely to develop an eating disorder.^[9] Not liking your body may include feeling fat, ugly, undesirable, or having shame or embarrassment about a specific part of your physical appearance, such as scars. These feelings may also be influenced by images of celebrities or the people that you see every day.^[10]

• You might feel like the only way to accept your body is by losing weight. You may think, “When I lose all the weight, I’ll finally be happy.”
• Reflect on your own beliefs about weight and body satisfaction and ask yourself if losing weight or “being skinny” is the only way to feel good about your body.

Reflect on your excuses. Do you find yourself hiding your habits? When asked about your eating choices, do you lie about why you’re not eating? What do you say when people comment about your weight fluctuation? If you find yourself making up excuses for your behaviors, you may have an eating disorder.^[11]

• Bending the truth may be one way for you to keep living with an eating disorder without anybody finding out. Do you find yourself making excuses for how you eat? What about finding ways to get out of meeting people for dinner or coffee?

Take a good look at yourself. This doesn’t necessarily mean go look in the mirror, but think about how you perceive your body. There are many ways to understand body image. For instance, you may perceive your body as overweight when it is actually underweight as measured by a medical doctor. Next, reflect on how you feel about your body: if you feel positive or negative about your body image, and how you see your general shape and ability. Your thoughts and behaviors also affect your body image, such as having thoughts of “I’m too fat” and then isolating yourself due to how you perceive your body.^[12]

• Think about the ways you perceive your body and ask yourself whether you see yourself accurately. Ask yourself how you perceive your flaws and if it’s okay to have flaws.

Know the risks of anorexia. Anorexia takes a major toll on the body. If you start noticing changes in your body’s functioning, you may be experiencing the effects of anorexia. Not only does restrictive put you at a dangerously low body weight, it also can have other negative side effects, such as:^[13]

• constipation or bloating
• damaged teeth and gums
• dry, yellow skin
• brittle nails
• headaches
• fainting and dizziness
• bone density loss
• a layer of fine hair that grows all over the body and face
• memory problems and sluggish thinking
• depression and moodiness

Notice the physical effects of bulimia. People with bulimia tend to show some physical symptoms as a result of the disorder, especially those who purge (vomit). If you vomit after meals, you may experience the following:^[14]

• pain in your abdomen or bloating
• weight gain
• swollen hands or feet
• always having a sore throat or sounding hoarse
• having broken blood vessels in your eyes
• feeling weak and dizzy
• having sores in your mouth
• puffy cheeks (from vomiting)
• tooth decay due to acid from vomit
• not having a period
• having lots of stomach issues such as constipation, ulcers, and acid reflux

Observe changes related to binge eating. While the most obvious effect of overeating is obesity, other health risks can occur as a result of binge eating. In order to fully understand any health risks associated with binge eating, go to your medical physician and get some blood work. Changes to health and body related to binge eating can include:^[15]

• type 2 Diabetes
• high cholesterol
• high blood pressure
• joint and muscle pain
• gastrointestinal problems
• sleep apnea
• heart disease
• some types of cancer

Contact a medical professional. Your eating disorder may have caused harm to your body, so it’s best to see a medical doctor and run some tests to assess your overall health.^[16] Follow up regularly with your medical physician when going through treatment for an eating disorder.

• Don’t be fooled into thinking eating disorders are not severe. Mortality rates related to untreated eating disorders are higher than any other mental disorder. An analysis of 35 studies showed that out of 12,800 people with anorexia, 639 died. An analysis of 12 studies showed that out of 2,585 people with bulimia, 57 died. And an analysis of six studies showed that out of 1,879 people with an eating disorder not otherwise specified, 59 died.^[17]

See a therapist. It’s really hard to let go of an eating disorder without help. Work with a trained therapist who specializes in treating eating disorders. A therapist may help you confront your relationship with food and your body, reframe negative thoughts, and work on self-worth issues with you. Family therapy can also be very helpful in treating eating disorders, as some issues relating to control and eating habits are passed down or experienced through the family.

• See a therapist as someone who is there to challenge and support you in your healing journey.
• For more information on how to find a therapist, check out How to Choose a Therapist.

Consider inpatient treatment. For more severe or life threatening eating disorders, you may consider inpatient treatment. Inpatient care has the benefit of monitoring mental, emotional, physical, and medical health in one location. Treatment is intense and acute, meaning problems around eating disorders are confronted daily. Inpatient care is best suited for people with more intense needs who cannot manage the eating disorder on their own.^[18]

• If you’ve become a master at hiding your eating disorder and making everything look “normal” in your life, yet still struggle to be emotionally or physically healthy, inpatient treatment may be a good option for you.

Support yourself. Out of everyone who helps you on your recovery, it’s most important for you to never give up on yourself. Believe in yourself and believe in your journey that you can make a full recovery. It may not seem possible to you now, but don’t give up. Many people have made full recovery from eating disorders, and you can, too.

• For more information, check out How to Treat an Eating Disorder.