What is Anorexia Nervosa?
Life’s challenges can be overwhelming; everyone deserves a space to feel heard and supported. At Roamers Therapy, we provide trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, LGBTQIA+ affirming, and evidence-based environments to help you heal, grow, and navigate your mental well-being journey. As your psychotherapist, we are here to guide you every step of the way.
Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a feeding and eating disorder. This disorder causes people to become preoccupied with their weight, food, and body image. People who suffer from AN tend to have a distorted view of their bodies and may view themselves as overweight despite often being underweight. Because of these distortions, people who suffer from AN go to lengths to prevent weight gain and promote weight loss. These behaviors may include food restriction/starvation, compulsive exercise, and purging. In many cases, AN has been correlated with the individual’s sense of powerlessness and the false sense of control that AN provides. AN is a severe mental health disorder that requires treatment as soon as possible. It is estimated that around 24 million people in the U.S. suffer from an eating disorder. Despite the common assumption that only women suffer from AN and other eating disorders, these disorders can affect individuals of any gender and other identities.
How does Anorexia Nervosa affect people?
The clinical symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa (AN) are weight loss, below-average weight, and distorted body image. However, not all individuals who suffer from AN have a below-normal weight. Other common symptoms include irritability, mood swings, fatigue, dehydration, depression, and social isolation. Further, AN can lead to serious health side effects depending on the severity of the disorder. For example, in some cases, AN can lead to kidney failure due to dehydration, anemia, bone density loss, low blood pressure, heart conditions, and even death. AN is known to be the deadliest mental health disorder because the symptoms of the disorder affect the body directly; people who suffer from AN (or another eating disorder) may also be at risk of dying by suicide. It is estimated that about 10,200 people die yearly from an eating disorder.
Find the Best Therapist in Chicago for Anorexia Nervosa
Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa (AN) can be tricky because people with AN (or another eating disorder) often hide their eating habits and tend not to disclose their thoughts to loved ones. AN can be treated effectively with a good support team. This might include a medical provider to advise you with physical symptoms, nutrition counseling to help you make healthier nutrition choices, therapy to help you process your emotions and challenge your body image distortions, and loved ones who are there for you to support you. In severe cases, intensive outpatient or even inpatient services may be necessary. If you or someone you know suffers from AN or another eating disorder, contact the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) for support. They can be reached at (800) 931-2237 (call or text) or by chat at: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/help-support/contact-helpline
At Roamers Therapy, our psychotherapists are here to support you through anxiety, depression, trauma and relationship issues, race-ethnicity issues, LGBTQIA+ issues, ADHD, Autism, or any challenges you encounter. Our psychotherapists are trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Acceptance, and Commitment Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, and Gottman Therapy.
Whether you’re seeking guidance on a specific issue or need help navigating difficult emotions, we’re ready to assist you every step of the way.
Contact us today to learn more about our services and schedule a session with our mental health professionals to begin your healing journey. To get started with therapy, visit our booking page.
First, decide if you’ll be paying out-of-pocket or using insurance. If you’re a self-pay client, you can book directly through the “Book Now” page or fill out the “Self-Pay/Out-of-network Inquiry Form.” If you’re using insurance, fill out the “Insurance Verification Form” to receive details about your costs and availability. Please let us know your preferred therapist. If your preferred therapist isn’t available, you can join the waitlist by emailing us. Once your appointment is confirmed, you’ll receive intake documents to complete before your first session.
This page is also part of the Roamers Therapy Glossary; a collection of mental-health related definitions that are written by our therapists.
While our offices are currently located at the South Loop neighborhood of Downtown Chicago, Illinois, we also welcome and serve clients for online therapy from anywhere in Illinois and Washington, D.C. Clients from the Chicagoland area may choose in-office or online therapy and usually commute from surrounding areas such as River North, West Loop, Gold Coast, Old Town, Lincoln Park, Lake View, Rogers Park, Logan Square, Pilsen, Bridgeport, Little Village, Bronzeville, South Shore, Hyde Park, Back of the Yards, Wicker Park, Bucktown and many more. You can visit our contact page to access detailed information on our office location.