How to Get Help for Body Dysmorphia, Negative Body Image, and Disordered Eating
Reaching out for help when you’re struggling with food, dieting, or your relationship with your body can be scary and overwhelming. It can be difficult to know where to start or who to contact to receive support.
Signs that You May Be Ready to Get Help
When you’ve been stuck in a pattern, whether it’s hating your body or a cycle of dieting and indulging in foods, it can be very difficult to break this cycle. Recognising that you’re ready to get help is a very big and important first step.
The fact that you’re reading this or have googled things like ‘how to get help for body dysmorphia’ or ‘therapy for negative body image’ might be a sign that you’re ready to take the step towards getting help.
You might have noticed the following things:
You hyperfixate on your body, your weight, and your appearance, and it has started to affect your mood and mental health
You often worry about the kinds of food you’re eating
You feel that you need to control the type of foods you’re eating, restrict your portion sizes, or you’ll feel out of control around food
You have tried multiple diets, they haven’t worked long-term and you blame yourself for this (spoiler alert: it’s not your fault! Diets set you up for failure.)
You feel stressed or anxious about social situations that involve food or eating
You feel stressed or anxious about social situations where you have to dress a certain way or will be perceived by people (e.g. having a photo taken, giving a presentation in front of a group of people, a job interview)
You avoid situations that involve exposing your body (e.g. swimming, visiting places that are very hot, doctor’s visits, intimate situations with a partner)
You don’t like eating around other people because you worry that they may judge you
You feel like you’re not worthy of happiness, love, or respect because you believe that you’re too fat, too thin, not muscular enough, or have a different kind of body type that you don’t believe is ‘good enough’
If you have experienced any of the above or if you’ve been in situations where your relationship with food, dieting, exercise, or your body has affected your mental health, then therapy might be helpful for you.
Confiding in Someone You Trust
Before you reach out to a professional, you might find it helpful to speak with a loved one whom you can trust. Maybe it’s a family member who knows you well, a friend who has experienced similar issues, or a coworker who’s always been supportive of you. Sharing your experience with a loved one can be a wonderful first step on the road to recovery. It can make you feel understood and you might notice that opening up to someone you trust makes you feel empowered. You’re taking control of your journey towards a better relationship with food and your body.
Getting Professional Help
If you’re looking to receive support with negative body image, disordered eating, and recovering from diet culture, then therapy can be a supportive space for you. A qualified mental health counsellor can help you by:
Identifying and processing any events or relationships in your life that have contributed to your relationship with food and your body
Determining any negative beliefs you hold about yourself and your body (“I’m a failure because I look like this”, “I’m not attractive”) and how they can be challenged with more neutral and compassionate beliefs (“it’s okay that my body looks like this” and “I deserve to be loved and respected no matter my body shape, size, or appearance”)
Challenging beliefs of diet culture, fatphobia, and understanding the vicious cycle of dieting and negative body image
Exploring events or relationships that affected your negative body image, understanding how these contributed to the way you’re feeling, and healing those old wounds with self-compassion and empathy
Determining the values that guide your life and your perception of yourself. For example, if you want to be guided by empathy, are you honouring that empathy by engaging in negative self-talk?
Exploring your identity outside of your relationship with your body
Implementing coping skills and emotional regulation strategies that can help you to manage anxiety, depression, social withdrawal, and avoidance in your day-to-day life
How to Find the Right Therapist
Your relationship with your therapist is a very important factor in therapy. Research has found that therapy outcomes are better when you have a good relationship with your therapist and when you feel safe and secure with them.
So how do you find the right therapist for you?
Determine if you want in-person or online therapy. There are benefits to both, and often it comes down to your own preference and availability. If you don’t want to spend money on petrol, public transport, or parking, or if you just want to do the sessions from the comfort of your own home, then online therapy might be a good option for you. Research has found that online therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy.
Find a therapist whose values match yours. Are you looking for a therapist who’s size-inclusive and anti-diet? Are you looking for someone who has lived experience as a fat person? Do you prefer a therapist who has experienced an eating disorder themselves? Or do you want someone who has other experiences that are similar to yours? If there are certain values and experiences that are important to you, it might be helpful to find a therapist who holds the same values.
Consider if you have a preference for a particular therapy approach. It’s okay if you don’t — as a client, you’re not expected to know the difference between acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), narrative therapy (NT), and internal family systems (IFS). But if you do have a particular preference or if you would really like to avoid a certain therapy approach, make sure that the therapist you’re considering matches your expectations. For example, if you’re really interested in IFS but the therapist you’re considering specialises in ACT, then they’re probably not the best match for you.
Look at their website. When reading the therapist’s bio, do you believe that you would feel comfortable sharing your experience with this person? Does their photo give you a sense of comfort? Do they have any information on their website about the problem you’re seeking help with? Do they specialise in the issue for which you want help?
Consider your availability and their availability. When would you like to have your sessions? And is the therapist available during that time? If you only want weekend or after-work appointments, then someone who only offers appointments between 9am and 5pm on weekdays is probably not the best fit for you.
How to Start Therapy
When you’ve found the therapist that you believe is a good fit for you, you can start the process of reaching out to them. There are often several options:
Organising a discovery call. Many therapists offer a free 10 or 15-minute phone call. For most therapists, the purpose of this phone call is to determine if you’re a good fit. It’s your opportunity to give them a quick overview of why you’re wanting to get help and what you’re expecting from therapy. You can also ask them any questions that you have. The therapist might also ask you a few questions. After this call, you can decide together how to proceed.
Booking a first session. Not everyone feels that they need a discovery call. If you believe that the therapist is a good fit for you, you might decide to immediately book your first session. After booking the session, your therapist will reach out to you to discuss any paperwork that needs to be completed before your session (consent forms, intake forms, etc).
Reaching out via email first. Maybe you’re not ready to commit to a phone call or first session. Perhaps you have a few questions you want to ask the therapist first and you prefer to do so via email. In this case, most therapists have a contact form you can fill out or an email address listed on their website. Don’t hesitate to contact them with any questions you have — most of us are happy to address any questions or concerns before booking a call or first session!
Want to Know More?
I work with people who are looking to improve their body image and recover from diet culture. My work focuses on body acceptance, breaking up with diet culture, and improving your self-worth. If it sounds like I would be a good fit for you, please don’t hesitate to schedule a session or free 15-minute call with me or reach out via email: yasmine@outofthewoodscounselling.net.
