An eating disorder is any condition in which an individual has an unhealthy relationship with food and the act of consumption. Eating disorders can entail undernourishment, as in the case of anorexia and bulimia, or overnourishment, as in the case of binge eating and overeating. In any event, an eating disorder is always the product of an underlying psychological disturbance, and thus can only be overcome with the help of acute psychological care. No one ever chooses to be a problem eater. And no one can ever just simply choose to get better. On the contrary, if you’re going to master your disease, it’s going to be because you get help from people you can trust.

It’s important to note here that an eating disorder can often stem from the same underlying condition that causes addiction. In that sense, addiction treatment and eating disorder treatment are to a significant degree different sides of the same process. A successful addiction treatment program is one that addresses and heals the whole addict. Eating disorder recovery, where relevant, has to be part of the equation. Anything less simply isn’t good enough.