Eating Disorder Treatment in Tennessee
- Written By: Mitchell Kline
- Reviewed By: Stephanie Weatherly, DNP, PMH RN-BC, FACHE
- June 30, 2023
Explore our teen & adolescent eating disorder treatment program at Embrace U is Brentwood, TN.
Eating Disorders
When you hear the term eating disorder, your mind may jump to anorexia and restrictive diets, but living with an eating disorder can show up in a variety of ways. Eating disorders develop around an obsession with food, body image, body weight, and disruptions in eating behaviors. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that 2.7% of the U.S. adolescent population lives with an eating disorder. They’ve found that eating disorders impact females twice as much as they impact males and that they tend to slightly increase in prevalence as teens get older. These trends could be for a number of reasons, but these statistics show just how much teenagers are struggling with their body image.
Some common eating disorders are:
Anorexia Nervosa
This is defined as a significant and persistent reduction in food intake that leads to low body weight. It is an intense pursuit of thinness to the point of starvation. Many people with anorexia nervosa see themselves as overweight even though they are severely malnourished.
Bulimia Nervosa
This is defined by binge eating episodes followed by any type of behavior that compensates for the binging. This can be vomiting, excessive use of laxatives or diuretics, fasting, or excessive exercise. The binge and compensation nature of this disorder means that those living live bulimia nervosa may fall into a normal weight range, making it harder to see their struggle on the surface. Because their weight is in the normal range, it is not immediately physically apparent that they have disordered eating. Mentally and emotionally, though, they will still demonstrate their obsession with body weight and image.
Binge Eating Disorder
This is defined as recurrent binge eating episodes (eating a large amount of food in a short amount of time) during which the individual loses control and is distressed over their eating. Binge eating disorder is not followed by purgings, excessive exercise, or any kind of fasting or restriction. This can cause an increase in weight that can exacerbate the disorder.
The Impact of Eating Disorders on Teens
In a world full of constant access and exposure to social media sites and unrealistic edited images, it’s understandable that young teenagers could feel pressured to change the way they eat and look. These eating disorders are often accompanied and driven by body dysmorphia, or the feeling of looking at your body in the mirror and seeing something different than what is reflected. For example, an extremely thin person may see themselves as overweight, or an individual may view their proportions as exaggerated. These disorders can take a heavy toll on an adolescent’s mindset, self-image, and self-esteem.
If you are seeking help for your teenager with an eating disorder, consider calling Embrace U. Embrace U is an IOP (intensive outpatient program) that helps teens aged 10-18 years develop new coping skills, improve their self-confidence, learn effective communication skills, form relationships, and lead healthy, happy, productive lives. Although an IOP is an intensive, short-term program, embrace U is designed to allow teens to attend school and participate in regular activities while receiving treatment outside of school hours.
If your child is struggling with mental health concerns, contact us today or call 615-236-8619 to learn how our Brentwood teen mood disorder treatment can help improve your teen’s mental health.
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Signs of Eating Disorders in Teens
With the variety of ways that eating disorders can present themselves, it’s important to know some of the more common signs of eating disorders in teenagers. Some of the most common warning signs are:
Signs & Symptoms
- Feeling depressed or anxious
- Substance abuse
- Isolating
- Feeling a lack of control or power over one’s life
- Self-harming behavior
- Low blood pressure
- Feeling tired, weak, dizzy, or faint.
- Irregular periods in females
- Delayed puberty
- Irregular bowel movements/constipation
- Blood in vomit or stool
- Tooth erosion and cavities
- Essential vitamin deficiencies
To get your teen assessed for eating disorders, call Embrace U at (615) 236-8619 or visit embraceu.com today. Embrace U is a treatment facility in Brentwood, Tennessee, that offers a myriad of evidence-based behavioral therapies delivered by licensed therapists. They also have a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist on staff to help in diagnosing and assist in treatment planning for your teen. Embrace U also offers family support, family therapy, and group experiences to help your teen develop coping skills, effective communication skills, and stronger self-esteem.
If your child is struggling with mental health concerns, contact us today or call 615-236-8619 to learn how our Brentwood teen mood disorder treatment can help improve your teen’s mental health.
TREATING EATING DISORDERS IN TEENS
Treating Teen Eating Disorders in Tennessee at EmbraceU
Treating eating disorders and the underlying beliefs that create and sustain them can feel like an impossible task. Seeking treatment for your teen living with an eating disorder is possible and effective at Embrace U in Brentwood, Tennessee. Embrace U group therapy gives your teen the opportunity to relate to peers who are struggling in similar ways. Group therapy provides a safe space with a licensed clinician for teenagers to explore and discuss the issues they are facing. Discussing mental health struggles with peers can help your teenager feel heard and understood by people their own age, reducing feelings of isolation and loneliness. Group therapy can help your teen to build healthy relationships with peers and others, make better choices, and learn coping skills to help manage their emotions and behaviors.
Embrace U offers a variety of group therapies so that your teenager has a variety of trauma treatment tools available to them for their healing journey. Some of the groups that your adolescent will have access to at the Embrace U site are:
Psychoeducation Groups
These groups offer your teenager the chance to gain knowledge about medications, self-care and its importance to mental health, social skills and the importance of having a supportive and caring social circle, as well as proper nutritional care, stress management skills, sleep hygiene, and time management.
Process-Oriented Psychotherapy Groups
These groups are where your teen will have the chance to open up to a group of their peers and a licensed professional about their personal experiences and mental health. These groups create a safe and supportive environment where teens can discuss current issues in their lives and receive validation, support, problem-solving skills, and work to increase self-awareness.
Skills Training
Skills training groups focus on techniques associated with theories such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The goal of learning these techniques is to help adolescents in the program learn to manage the symptoms and side effects of their mental health diagnoses so that they can live their lives to the fullest while working through their struggles.
Why Embrace U? Why Now?
Embrace U was founded to combat the growing mental health crisis among adolescents in Middle Tennessee.
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, nearly 50% of parents have reported their adolescents being diagnosed with mental health issues.
The Tennessee Department of Education found that Tennessean children and adolescents are experiencing mental health issues at a growing rate.
Over 50% of Tennessee adolescents diagnosed with depression received no care last year.
EmbraceU Offers Your Teen the Change They Need to Overcome
Embrace U is a treatment facility in Brentwood, Tennessee, that offers a myriad of evidence-based behavioral therapies delivered by licensed therapists. They also have a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist on staff to help in diagnosing and assist in treatment for your teen. Embrace U also offers family support, family therapy, and group experiences to help your teen develop coping skills, effective communication skills, and stronger self-esteem. Call (615) 236-8619 or visit embraceu.com today to receive more information about teen therapy for eating disorders.
