Does your loved one or a spouse have cycles of extreme over eating or binge eating? As well, does your spouse throw up or compulsively exercise to compensate for over eating? Well, our team of holistic eating disorder specialists in Waterford, Connecticut teach positive coping skills. Next time, your spouse feels fear around food or anger, you can team up together. And, these tools build self-acceptance and self-love. Working with a holistic eating disorder specialist in Waterford, Connecticut support a positive body image and self-confidence. When confidence is low, and self-criticism and fear are high, these put a string on any marriage. At Wisdom Within Counseling, our team helps teenagers, couples, and adults who have anorexia, purging, and binge eating disorder.
What is binge eating disorder?
With binge eating disorder, there is a loss of control around eating, and feelings of shame. Furthermore, a person with binge eating disorder will often eat more than three meals in one thing. Often times, there are ritual behaviors like hiding wrappers in the garbage out of shame and guilt.
What are signs of purging when it comes to working with an eating disorder specialist in Waterford, Connecticut?
As a spouse, you may notice your spouse showing purging behaviors. Maybe, you found them taking laxatives after eating to purge. Or, they have extreme OCD around exercising. Maybe, your spouse has to go exercise immediately after eating or vomits right after eating.
What is anorexia?
With anorexia, you may notice that your spouse has lost a large amount of weight. Maybe, you are seeing your spouse’s rib bones and hip bones more so. As well, with anorexia, you may notice that your spouse is eating very little, avoiding certain foods, and intentionally skipping meals to lose weight. To note, these are very concerning behaviors and are much more severe than just picky eating. In adults, anorexia often goes hand-in-hand with alcoholism, addiction, as well as OCD. As well, someone with anorexia may also obsess about their physical body, have a preoccupation with weight, fears of certain foods and disruptive obsession with physique.
In counseling specialized for eating disorder recovery, we help teens, adults and couples struggling with anorexia and bulimia as well as binge eating disorder.
As a spouse, your partner may have a distorted body image think they are overweight when in fact they are very underweight. So, therapy specialized eating disorder recovery can help your spouse gain a healthy relationship with their body, mind, and spirit. And, we offer options when working with your eating disorder specialist in Waterford, Connecticut such as creative counseling, couples yoga, and walking therapies.
Who do we work with as eating disorder specialists in Waterford, Connecticut?
Frequently, we work with teens and adults who regurgitate their food after chewing. We also help adults who have developed uncommon and strange combinations of foods due to rigid eating habits. Frequently, we help teenagers and adults who overthink and ruminate about food choices and count calories. And, the team at Wisdom Within Counseling help adults who overthink about food extent that it disrupts their daily life. furthermore, if your spouse is struggling with binge eating or anorexia, getting them help sooner than later is very important for their survival.
Sometimes, binge eating, anorexia, avoidant and restrictive food disorders are all present in the same person.
And, having poor body image and an eating disorder impacts self-esteem greatly for both adults and couples. Therefore, if your spouse is struggling with an eating disorder, it makes putting energy into the relationship and romance very challenging. Many times, people who have eating disorders focus and obsess on healthy eating to an extent that it disrupts your ability to be in a romantic relationship. Many times, people with eating disorders have trouble thinking straight and concentrating because their brain is not getting the nutrients needed.
Essentially, the goal of eating disorder therapy in Waterford, Connecticut is to stop looking at food as good or bad and truly develop intuitive connection.
So, from intuitive eating skills and health at every size practices, working with an eating disorder specialist in Waterford, Connecticut helps couples break through cultural standards. Many times, we learn that being overweight is negative. And, we are told as a culture to be “healthier,” to an extreme. Therefore, in counseling, we teach the partner of a person who has an eating disorder what not to do and what to do. A lot of times, partners unintentionally say body shaming comments, talk about weight management, talk about healthy eating, and weight loss which perpetuate disordered eating habits. Sometimes, a spouse tries to push their spouse to lose weight to get to the gym to look different. To add, talking about these are body shaming.
As well, couples therapy can help you understand cultural body shame in your up bringing and family history.
Now, your childhood and how you grew up plays a role in working with an eating disorder specialist in Waterford, Connecticut. Many times, gender roles and gender stereotypes play a role in self criticism and the things we say to ourselves. Maybe, when you were growing up as a child, someone said something that was negative to you related to gender roles. Or, a parent was critical about the size or look of your body. A lot of times, we internalize what people say to us as children. And, if bullies call us ugly or fat, internal shame grows. Eating disorder therapy in Waterford, Connecticut can help you focus on health at every size and intuitive eating approaches.
When working with an eating disorder specialist in Waterford, Connecticut, you can learn tips for helping your spouse who is dealing with an eating disorder.
Plus, you can build a loving body image in a way that helps you and your spouse build a sense of closeness too. Often, one spouse in a marriage will be going through pain mentally or physically. And, if your spouse is going through something emotionally, this can impact your marriage. As well, holistic couples therapy is a growing industry. More and more marital and family therapists are getting degrees every day. So, there is a big need in our culture for marriage therapy and slowing down intense feelings.
Why address eating disorder therapy alongside couples therapy in Waterford, Connecticut?
As well, when couples go to therapy together, their problems improve much faster than going to individual therapy. When addition, when you have a spouse who has an eating disorder, you might feel like your marriage is not successful. Also, when your spouse has an eating disorder, they may have a much lower sex drive and might feel unsatisfied with themselves. Essentially, when your spouse has an eating disorder like bulimia or anorexia, it makes cohabitation more challenging. However, as couples therapist in Southeastern Connecticut, we know that working through different marital challenges like an eating disorder make a marriage more satisfying.
How can working with an eating disorder specialist in Waterford, Connecticut support better marital communication?
Mealtimes are common times for arguments, conflicts, and emotional shutdowns when a spouse has an eating disorder. Often, as couples therapists, see different couples relate to each other in different ways. For example, some couples have an avoidant attachment style and others have an anxious attachment style. In addition, we help couples who have high conflict fights or volatile fights. Often times, volatile and high conflict fighting in your marriage are related to unresolved trauma experiences. Manytimes, eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia are rooted in childhood trauma too.
Ideally, marriage counseling helps couples talk about food in a healthy way and stop criticizing each other.
Often, couples therapy can help you and your spouse or into validate each other emotionally. When your spouse has an eating disorder, they may have a high level of anxiety. And, their anxiety level impacts sex, daily conversations, meal times, and simply being together. Often, when your spouse has an eating disorder, working with an eating disorder specialist in Waterford, Connecticut can be truly beneficial. If your spouse has an eating disorder, they will be experiencing guilt or shame around eating. Or, your spouse may throw up after eating. If these occur, starting couples therapy with a focus on eating disorder recovery is essential.
How can working with a marriage counselor and eating disorder specialist in Waterford, Connecticut help rebuild coping tools?
In marriage counseling in Waterford, Connecticut, you can learn how to listen and understand each other. Many times, couples come to counseling because they have different points of view. Often, couples get stuck in problem-solving discussions where they try to fix each other. However, in Waterford, Connecticut couples counseling, you get to learn about togetherness. And, you can learn how to build a truly emotionally vulnerable relationship. Essentially, by validating your spouses struggles with eating as well as acknowledging disordered eating habits, you can be a support in there eating disorder recovery.
What happens when one spouse has an eating disorder like anorexia, binge eating, or bulimia?
To add, when your spouse has an eating disorder, they have lost a passion for food and have developed fear and anxiety around food. Overtime, this fear and anxiety may transfer to the marriage and lead to a more businesslike arrangement. So, when couples get stuck in a businesslike arrangement, it is a risk for separation and divorce. Often times, when a spouse has an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia, they will either be stuck in a high conflict cycle or anxious avoidant pattern.
What does a high conflict fight look like in couples therapy?
For example, high conflict couples do not see each other as equals. Usually, one person sees themselves as higher up or more educated. In addition, high conflict couples fight very intensely and often do not know how to calmly express their emotions. So, marriage counseling can support calmly sharing emotions. At Wisdom Within Counseling, many of the marriage therapists are also eating disorder specialists in Waterford, Connecticut.
Wheat is avoidant communication?
Frequently, when one spouse has an eating disorder, there is an avoidance of problems. And, an avoidant conflict cycle means that a couple minimizes problems and shoves them under the rug. Essentially, when couples agree to disagree they are not making progress or building emotional intimacy. Couples therapy in Waterford, Connecticut can teach you to have true communication. So, avoidant couples often have a very low level of communication. In addition, an avoidant communication style is when couples see a conversation as too overwhelming to talk about.
In couples counseling, if your spouse has an eating disorder, you can learn how to stop avoiding talking about it.
Many times, avoidant couples have a higher degree of independence. Right now, if your spouse has anorexia or bulimia, you might feel concerned and question how to bring this conversation up to them. Maybe, your avoidance communication style has evolved because they have gotten mad about some thing you have brought up in the past. Marriage counseling can help you talk about the things you have been avoiding to build a sense of companionship and love together.
Now, what are the most negative communication styles?
Well, if you and your spouse interacting negative ways you may be experiencing these currently. For one, a criticism is something that causes couples to separate regardless of if one spouse has an eating disorder. Essentially, criticism can lead to distance and loneliness in a marriage. Instead of criticizing your spouse, focus on using a gentle start up. Rather than being harsh, try using a gentle tone of voice. And, try placing your hand on your shoulder when you’re talking to your partner.
What is defensiveness?
As well, defensiveness is one of the negative communication styles. Essentially, when couples show defensiveness, they are shutting down their partner. Overtime, defensiveness can lead to resentment. It’s really deflecting. In couples therapy in Waterford, Connecticut, we help couples learn to take responsibility. Instead of getting defensive, try to apologize. Maybe, a part of you believes that it is not your fault. However, in a conflict, both parties need to take responsibility and ownership. To add, defensiveness is a predictor of separation and divorce in marriage counseling.
What is contempt?
As well, contempt is a negative communication style. Did you know that you can build a culture of appreciation to reduce contempt? Instead of focusing on what you don’t like about your partner, focus on appreciating them. Essentially, seeing your partner as your teammate makes a big difference. So, try focusing on appreciation, which can help you reduce feelings of contempt and resentment. A lot of times, married couples get stuck looking at what their partner did wrong or didn’t do right. Moreover, marriage counseling in Waterford, Connecticut can help you build a culture of appreciation while also getting your needs met.
Tell me about stonewalling
Lastly, stonewalling is a negative communication style among couples. Essentially, in marriage counseling in Waterford Connecticut, stonewalling is when you become triggered. Over time, in any relationship, partners will become triggered with each other. For example, stonewalling is when you stop talking and refuse to speak. Or, stonewalling is when you close your eyes in a conversation for a long period of time, and become a stone. Essentially, when you feel stonewalling taking over, this is a sign you are in a traumatic stress response. So, your body goes into fight, flight, or freeze you need to do some self soothing.
On top of these for a negative communication styles, when your spouse has an eating disorder, you might feel worried, concerned, and anxious about their health.
As well, when your spouse is struggling with bulimia, binge eating disorder, or even compulsive over exercising, these negative communication styles may be more present in your relationship. To add, when your spouse is struggling with a poor body image and needs help loving themselves, they may be more negative in their self talk. Therefore, your spouse may be more negative about your relationship. Therefore, going to couples therapy in Waterford, Connecticut can help you learn how to use the gentle start up skill. And, you both can learn to build a culture of appreciation in your marriage.
What are eating disorder signs to watch out for?
When it comes to eating disorder treatment within marriage counseling in Waterford, Connecticut, your loved one might be dieting to the point of starvation. As well, you might notice your spouse skipping meals in an effort to get skinnier or change the way they look. As well, if your spouse has anorexia, they might be avoiding certain foods or eating very little. Furthermore, with binge eating and purging cycles, your spouse may have a extreme over eating or exercise to compensate for over eating.
When to reach out to work with an eating disorder specialist in Waterford, Connecticut?
There might be OCD behaviors around exercising that go along with throwing up, laxatives, and purging behaviors. Maybe, your spouse with bulimia and been eating disorder feels the loss of control and shares these emotions with you after eating. At Wisdom Within Counseling, our team loves helping couples manage eating disorder recovery with a sense of togetherness. Plus, Wisdom Within Counseling offers couples a variety of creative options.
What is unique about creative, holistic couples therapy in Waterford, Connecticut?
So, you and your spouse can talk in a more traditional manor. Maybe, you want to talk about the pain of the eating disorder or anorexia on your marriage. As well, you can talk about parenting, children, or in law’s. Also, you can partake in more creative and mind-body therapies like drama therapy and yoga therapy. Essentially, these involve your body, this truly supporting holistic eating disorder recovery. Or, your therapist can guide you both in art, painting, glitter, clay, and more expressive art therapies. Art therapies, yoga therapies, and walking therapies by the beach support self-love and romantic love. As well, these outlets are holistic ways to release stress, feel calmer, and unload tension. Lastly, your therapist can guide a mindfulness meditation, yoga poses, and provide self-soothing tools.
In couples therapy and Waterford, Connecticut, we teach couples positive coping skills to have a healthy relationship with food.
And, therapy for eating disorders in combination with holistic marriage counseling teaches essential skills for self love. It’s important to know, that eating disorders impact all ages genders and races and ethnicities. So, even if your spouse is a man, they can still develop an eating disorder. As well, if you or your spouse have an eating disorder and experience guilt and shame around eating or your body, reach out to work with an eating disorder specialist at Southeastern Connecticut. Overall, Wisdom Within Counseling would love to help you thrive. Often times, couples deal with these issues related to their eating disorder individually. But, studies show that when it comes to relationships success, working on these issues in couples therapy and relationship counseling is more effective.
