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How to Tell If You’re Struggling with Disordered Eating

ByBrit

When people imagine disordered eating, they often picture extreme thinness or dramatic physical changes. But the truth is, disordered eating doesn’t have a “look.” It’s about your relationship with food, your body, and your thoughts—not your weight or appearance.

At Guerin Therapy Group in Raleigh, NC, we support people in all bodies, at all stages of healing. We firmly believe that all people are deserving of compassionate mental health care.

In this post, we’ll explore the signs of disordered eating, why it’s often overlooked, and how you can begin to seek support.

What Is Disordered Eating?

Disordered eating exists on a spectrum. It includes a range of thoughts and behaviors related to food, eating, body image, and control that may not meet the criteria for a clinical eating disorder—but still cause distress or harm.

You don’t have to be diagnosed with anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder to be struggling. In fact, disordered eating tends to be an expression of an underlying struggle such as anxiety or depression. The bottom line is: if you feel disharmonious with your body, you are worthy of support.

Common disordered eating behaviors include:

  • Skipping meals or restricting food to “make up” for eating
  • Obsessively tracking calories, macros, or exercise
  • Feeling guilt, shame, or anxiety around eating
  • Compensating with exercise or fasting after eating
  • Labeling foods as “good,” “bad,” “healthy,” or “unhealthy”
  • Avoiding social situations because of food fears
  • Constantly thinking about food (i.e. your next meal), your body, or weight

These behaviors may seem “normal” because they’re so common and often praised in our culture. The reality is that disordered eating can be a “life thief”, a phrase from Christy Harrison.

We also want you to know that your behaviors make sense. We align with Embodied Recovery for Eating Disorders, which is a paradigm that explains how eating disorder behaviors are rooted in body wisdom. Through healing and resourcing, we can shift eating disorder behaviors towards actions that are more harmonious with the body.

“But I Don’t Look Like I Have an Eating Disorder…”

Many people delay seeking help because they don’t believe they’re “sick enough.” This belief is reinforced by diet culture, fatphobia, and the harmful idea that only people in thin bodies struggle with food.

Here’s the truth:

  • You can have disordered eating in any body size.
  • You can be deeply struggling without meeting diagnostic criteria. (diagnostic criteria is also problematic).
  • You are worthy of support—even if others have minimized your experience.

In fact, people in larger bodies are often praised for behaviors that would raise red flags in thinner people, such as restricting food or overexercising. This among other reasons lead to marginalized identities going under diagnosed for eating disorders. For example, you can read more about Black, Indigenous, and People of Color’s lack of treatment in the eating disorder field here. This is why we believe in the important of your identity and your story in the therapeutic process. We believe you and you make sense.

Emotional & Psychological Signs to Watch For

Disordered eating isn’t just about what you do—it’s also about how you feel. Some emotional red flags include:

  • Food feels like a source of stress instead of nourishment
  • Your self-worth is tied to your weight, appearance, or eating habits
  • You feel out of control around food or fear “losing control”
  • You experience guilt after eating “too much” or the “wrong” food
  • You spend a lot of time thinking about changing your body

You Deserve Support—No Matter What

At Guerin Therapy Group, we offer inclusive, weight-neutral therapy that honors your full experience. Our therapists are trained in eating disorder recovery, trauma-informed care, and Health at Every Size® principles. We understand the cultural messages that contribute to disordered eating, and we’re here to help you untangle them.

Therapy can help you:

  • Reconnect with your body through compassion, not control
  • Build a more peaceful relationship with food
  • Address the root causes behind your eating patterns
  • Heal from shame, trauma, or past harm from weight stigma
  • Feel seen, supported, and affirmed in your recovery

How to Take the First Step

If any part of this post resonates with you, you don’t have to wait for things to get “worse” before reaching out. In fact, early support can make recovery more accessible and sustainable.

At Guerin Therapy Group, we offer individual and family therapy for people healing from disordered eating, body image struggles, and diet culture harm. Our care is identity-affirming, trauma-informed, and rooted in the belief that all bodies are good bodies.

Schedule a free consultation today to hear more about how we can support you.

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