Eating Disorder Treatment Near Atlanta, Georgia
Dr. Bryon McQuirt
Medically Reviewed by Dr. Bryon McQuirt
Last Updated on:
November 25, 2024
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Eating disorders are serious and sometimes deadly mental disorders that affect many Americans each year. However, these are treatable conditions—and you or your loved one can recover from an eating disorder. Our eating disorder treatment near Atlanta, Georgia, is here to help you achieve long-lasting wellness.
Contact Peachtree Wellness Solutions today to begin your journey to mental wellness.
About Our Eating Disorder Treatment Programs in Atlanta, Georgia
At Peachtree Wellness Solutions, we treat eating disorders as a secondary diagnosis co-occurring with another mental health disorder.
We assess each client before they start our programs to ensure they’re a good fit for our level of care. Above all, we want everyone to get the best treatment to meet their needs. If we are unable to meet your treatment needs, we’ll help you find eating disorder treatment near Atlanta, Georgia.
That being said, many clients with a secondary diagnosis of an eating disorder respond well to our mental health treatment programs.
Sometimes, eating disorders result from an underlying mental health condition, such as:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Depression
- Anxiety Disorders
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
- Complicated Grief
Therefore, by treating your primary mental health condition, we can address the root cause of your eating disorder.
You are not alone. You deserve to get help.
Peachtree Wellness is an industry leader in mental health treatment. Our team of top medical experts specialize in dual diagnosis treatment and are committed to ensuring that each patient is treated as an individual. Call us today, we’re available 24/7.
Types of Eating Disorders We Treat
As stated above, we only treat eating disorders as a secondary diagnosis at Peachtree Wellness Solutions.
However, since eating disorders commonly co-occur with mental health disorders, we can help you overcome both disorders. And, if we can’t, we’ll help you find the support that you need. Not all eating disorders are the same, and each type requires different therapeutic interventions.
Anorexia Nervosa: Subtypes + Symptoms
Anorexia nervosa is a dangerous condition where a person stops eating or eats very limited amounts of food. They might also only eat small quantities of specific foods. People with anorexia nervosa see themselves as overweight—even when they are extremely underweight.
There are two sub-types of anorexia nervosa:
- Restrictive sub-type: This is when the person imposes severe limits on the quantity and type of foods they eat.
- Binge-purge sub-type: This sub-type includes restrictive behaviors, however, the person also engages in episodes of binge-eating and purging. In other words, they occasionally consume large amounts of food in a short period of time. Then, they purge the food from their body by forcing themselves to vomit or by using laxatives or diuretics.
The following are signs and symptoms of anorexia nervosa:
- Extreme weight loss
- Intense fear and anxiety about gaining weight
- Severely restricting or limiting food intake
- Distorted body image
- Self-esteem built around body image
- Denying the seriousness of severe weight loss
- Fatigue and feeling weak
- Dizziness or fainting
- Stomach pain
- Difficulty passing stool
- Frequently feeling cold
- Swelling of arms or legs
- Trouble focusing or concentrating
- Loss of bone mass (may result in stress fractures)
- Low mood
- Tooth decay from vomiting (binge-purge subtype)
5% of People With Anorexia Nervosa Die Within 4 Years of Their Diagnosis
According to World Psychiatry, “Anorexia nervosa affects up to 3% of young women and has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder with approximately 5% of patients dying within four years of the diagnosis.”
Therefore, if you notice signs and symptoms of anorexia nervosa in yourself or a loved one, it is imperative to seek help immediately.
Bulimia: Definition + Symptoms
Bulimia is similar to the binge-purge subtype of anorexia. However, unlike anorexia, people with bulimia don’t severely restrict their food intake. Instead, they engage in recurring episodes of consuming unusually large amounts of food, followed by purging behaviors.
Purging behaviors for those with bulimia include things like forced vomiting, laxatives, diuretics, fasting, or excessive exercise. People with bulimia feel like they cannot control themselves during binge-eating episodes. Unlike people with anorexia—who are dangerously underweight—people with bulimia can be underweight, normal weight, or overweight.
Symptoms of bulimia include the following:
- Fear of gaining weight
- Engaging in unhealthy weight loss behaviors
- Feeling a loss of control during binge-eating episodes
- Vomiting or using laxatives/diuretics to purge after binge-eating
- Excessive exercising after binge-eating
- Fasting or restricting caloric intake between binges
- Using diet pills or supplements for weight loss
- Chronic sore or inflamed throat and tooth decay (from excessive vomiting)
- Acid reflux and other gastrointestinal disorders
- Intestinal distress (from overusing laxatives)
- Dehydration
- Electrolyte imbalance
- Self-esteem relies on body shape and weight
- Mood swings
While people with bulimia might not be dangerously underweight, the binge-purge behaviors can lead to several medical complications. These issues can vary based on how the person purges after binge-eating. In addition, they are at-risk of being malnourished and dehydrated.
Binge Eating: The Most Common Eating Disorder in the US
According to the Office on Women’s Health, “Binge eating disorder is the most common type of eating disorder in the United States.” Binge eating disorder differs from bulimia because the person doesn’t engage in any purging behaviors. Thus, most people with this type of eating disorder are either overweight or obese.
Symptoms of binge eating disorder include the following:
- Eating unusually large amounts of food within a specific time-frame
- Eating faster than usual
- Eating even when you aren’t hungry or full
- Eating until you feel uncomfortably full
- Binge eating episodes often occur alone or in secret to avoid embarrassment
- Feelings of shame, disgust, or guilt occur after binge eating
- Frequent attempts at dieting, often with little or no success
Oftentimes, binge eating is a maladaptive coping mechanism for underlying mental or emotional health issues. These can include things like stress, anxiety, anger, or sadness. However, over time, the person can develop medical issues as well as worsening mental health symptoms.
Causes of an Eating Disorder
Eating disorders can occur due to several different causes, including the following:
- Poor or distorted body image
- Focusing too much on weight or appearance
- Starting a diet at a young age
- Playing sports with weight requirements (examples include wrestling, gymnastics, and ballet)
- Participating in beauty pageants
- Using food as an unhealthy coping mechanism for stress or mental health symptoms
- Underlying mental health disorders, like anxiety, depression, or PTSD
- Genetics (i.e., having a family member with an eating disorder increases your risk)
Eating Disorder Treatment Programs Near Atlanta
Depending on the severity of your primary mental health diagnosis as well as your treatment history, your level of care may differ from others.
For example, if you are leaving a psychiatric hospitalization, you should consider stepping down to residential treatment. Alternatively, you might only need outpatient treatment services if you have mild symptoms.
It’s also important to continue your treatment and step down from one level of care to the next. This will help you gradually gain the coping skills and foundation needed to fully recover from your mental health disorder.
At Peachtree Wellness Solutions, we offer the following levels of care during eating disorder treatment near Atlanta, Georgia:
- Residential Treatment: During residential treatment (also called inpatient treatment), you live within a treatment facility throughout the duration of your program. This will help you stay focused on your wellness, as you won’t have the distractions and stressors of everyday life.
- Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP): After residential treatment, you can step down to a partial hospitalization program (PHP). A PHP program is the highest level of outpatient care available. During PHP, you attend your program for 6-8 hours per day, usually for 5-6 days each week.
- Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): As you transition back to everyday life outside of treatment, you can still benefit from a high level of care. Our intensive outpatient program (IOP) includes 3-4 hours of treatment sessions, which allows you to resume work, school, or other responsibilities outside of treatment.
- Outpatient Program: A traditional outpatient program is the lowest level of care available. During our outpatient program, you can attend individual therapy, group sessions, or a combination of the two. However, unlike IOP or PHP, you’ll only attend once or twice per week for about an hour per session.
How Eating Disorders Are Treated
Eating disorders are treated with a mix of psychotherapy, medical monitoring, and nutritional counseling.
One of the most critical aspects of treating an eating disorder is addressing any medical issues caused by the disorder. Prolonged binge eating can cause obesity and gastrointestinal issues, for instance. On the other hand, bulimia and anorexia can cause problems with certain organs and other bodily functions.
In addition, the person must learn healthy ways of eating and controlling their food intake. This can include consulting with a dietician or nutritionist. It can also include healthy exercise habits to help restore muscle loss or to maintain a healthy weight.
Peer support is also a critical aspect of treating eating disorders. The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) offers resources to find an eating disorder support group near you.
Lastly, treating underlying mental health conditions can also help to treat eating disorders as a secondary diagnosis.
At Peachtree Wellness Solutions, we offer the following types of therapy at our eating disorder treatment near Atlanta, Georgia:
- Psychiatry
- Holistic Therapy
- Individual Therapy
- Family Therapy
- Psychoeducational Group Therapy
- Genetic Testing
- Red Light Therapy
- Music Therapy
- Biosound Therapy
- Pet Therapy
- Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) [for co-occurring alcohol or opioid use disorders]
Why Peachtree Wellness Solutions?
Peachtree Wellness Solutions is among the best mental health treatment centers in the Atlanta area. Our caring and compassionate team is here to guide you on your path to mental wellness. In addition, our treatment programs offer varying levels of care to meet you where you are in your journey.
While we treat eating disorders as a secondary diagnosis, we’ll help you get the support you need to overcome your disorder. Oftentimes, eating disorders are caused by underlying mental health issues. Our evidence-based treatment provides you with a variety of treatment options so you can build a treatment plan based on your needs.
Lastly, our treatment facilities are safe, secure, comfortable, and conducive to building a foundation of wellness. This enables you to find other likeminded people sharing similar experiences. That way, you aren’t alone in your journey to achieving long-lasting mental wellness.
Find Help for Eating Disorders Today
When left untreated, eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating can cause significant medical and psychological issues in those affected by the disorders. In extreme cases, eating disorders can be deadly. Our eating disorder treatment in Atlanta, Georgia, will help you overcome the mental health conditions at the root of your eating disorder.
Contact Peachtree Wellness Solutions today to get started.
If You are in need of immediate assistance...
Contact us immediately if you are in need of assistance. In the case of a medical emergency please contact 911.
We Work With Most Major Insurance
Most major health insurance plans with out-of-network benefits can help cover most of the costs of our program. Click below to find out your mental health coverage and treatment options.
