Mental Health Eating Disorders
Eating disorder treatment in Miami.
Eating disorders don’t have a look. They affect people of every size, age, and gender, and they are treatable, especially when care starts early.
How it can feel
- Rules around food that keep multiplying, and panic when one breaks
- Eating in secret, then shame that lasts longer than the meal
- Compensating: skipping, purging, or exercising to undo what you ate
- A mirror that never says the same thing your friends do
- Looking “fine” on the outside while food runs your whole day
What are eating disorders?
Eating disorders are serious medical and psychiatric conditions in which a person’s relationship with food, eating, and body image disrupts their health and daily life. The most recognized forms are anorexia nervosa, marked by severe restriction of food and an intense fear of gaining weight; bulimia nervosa, marked by episodes of eating large amounts of food followed by vomiting, laxative use, or excessive exercise to compensate; and binge-eating disorder, marked by recurring episodes of overeating without compensating behaviors, usually followed by shame and guilt.
Eating disorders affect people of all body sizes, all genders, and all ages. Because many people assume they only occur in very thin young women, they are often missed, sometimes for years, in men, in older adults, and in people whose weight appears normal or high.
Common signs of an eating disorder
The signs vary by condition, but certain patterns tend to appear across all of them.
- Preoccupation with food, calories, weight, or body shape that crowds out other concerns
- Skipping meals, strict food rules, or cutting out entire food groups
- Eating large amounts of food in a short time, often in secret
- Going to the bathroom right after meals, or signs of vomiting
- Exercising in a driven, rigid way, even when sick or injured
- Noticeable weight changes in either direction
- Withdrawing from meals with family or friends
- Dizziness, fainting, dental problems, or irregular menstrual periods
How eating disorders develop
There is no single cause. Genetics play a substantial role, and eating disorders often run in families. Dieting is a common trigger, and conditions such as anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and trauma frequently occur alongside them. Cultural pressure around weight and appearance, major life transitions, and sports or professions that emphasize body size can all contribute.
Left untreated, eating disorders can lead to anemia, muscle weakness, loss of bone density, tooth decay, and in severe cases damage to the heart and other organs. They carry among the highest medical risks of any psychiatric condition, which is why treatment addresses both physical health and the underlying thoughts and emotions.
When to seek help
If eating, weight, or body image has begun to control your days, or you notice these signs in someone you love, an evaluation is worthwhile even if you are unsure the problem is serious enough. Eating disorders respond to treatment, which may include therapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy, nutritional counseling, medication, and medical monitoring, and recovery is more likely the earlier care begins.
How we approach it
- 01
A real evaluation
Eating disorders are medical and psychiatric at the same time. We evaluate both: your history and thinking around food, plus lab work in-house to check what restriction or purging has done physically.
- 02
Care built around the diagnosis
Anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorder are different conditions with different treatments. Medication where the evidence supports it, and honest guidance where it doesn’t.
- 03
A coordinated team
Recovery usually takes more than one clinician. We coordinate with therapists and nutrition professionals, and stay in sync as the psychiatric anchor of the plan.
- 04
Watching the whole picture
Follow-ups track mood, anxiety, and physical health together, because eating disorders rarely travel alone.
Common questions
Which eating disorders do you treat?
Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder, along with the anxiety and depression that often accompany them. Care starts with a full evaluation, including in-house lab work, and coordinates with therapists and nutrition professionals when a fuller team is needed.
Do I need to be underweight to have an eating disorder?
No. Most people with eating disorders are not underweight, which is a major reason so many go undiagnosed. If food, weight, or body image is taking up a disruptive amount of your thinking, that is reason enough for an evaluation, whatever the scale says.
Can eating disorders be treated by telehealth?
Often, yes. Follow-up visits and medication management work well by video across Florida. Some situations need in-person medical monitoring, and the initial evaluation is where we determine together what level of care is safe for you.
Request an appointment.
Care is available in person in Miami, next to Jackson South Medical Center, and by telehealth across Florida. Appointments are offered in English and Spanish.
Request an appointmentOr call (786) 968-4172