Anorexia Nervosa Dietitians and Nutritionists
Do you or a loved one struggle with obsessive thoughts about food or body? Have you or a loved one begun limiting your food intake? Are you looking for support in building a better relationship with food or body?
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is one eating disorder that the dietitians at Courage to Nourish have experience working with. Like all mental health struggles, it can feel overwhelming to find support. Just know that you are not alone in your struggle with AN and our expert team of dietitians are here to help.
What is Anorexia Nervosa?
Individuals who struggle with anorexia nervosa drastically restrict their food intake, find themselves to be rigid with food, and find food takes up a huge amount of brain space. They also struggle with body image and often have physical symptoms of malnutrition including but not limited to lack of focus, feeling cold/tired, dizziness, insomnia and GI issues.
There is a stereotype that AN only affects thin, white women, however AN affects people of all ages, genders, races, ethnicities, sizes and socioeconomic status. This stereotype prevents people from being properly screened and even prevents some from reaching out to get support. Remember that if you feel you’re struggling with your relationship with food in any way, you deserve help.
AN is also associated with medical concerns, like low blood pressure and abnormal heart function, just to name a couple.. It is also a common misconception that medical consequences from restriction only occur in individuals at “low” weights. However, we see these consequences in individuals across the weight spectrum. It is crucial for individuals to get proper medical care, especially from a HAES doctor.
How We Help Treat Anorexia Nervosa
Treatment of AN requires individualized, consistent, and compassionate support. At Courage to Nourish, our dietitians are highly trained to treat all eating disorder diagnoses, including anorexia nervosa. Not only do we work with you or your loved one in individual sessions, but we also collaborate with various members of the treatment team. We also provide text and email support and keep our caseloads small. This can assure you are getting the highest quality of care.
At Courage to Nourish, our dietitians work one on one with our clients and their treatment team to improve AN behaviors, urges and thoughts. We understand that this is a journey and we meet our clients where they’re at, each step of the way, to make changes to develop a better relationship with food. We value trusting and compassionate relationships between our dietitians and their clients. We value safety and a non-judgmental space so our clients are able to process their relationship with food and body in a way that is met with understanding and empathy. Our role also includes discussed nutrition myths. Diet culture makes nutrition very black and white. Our job is to support you in finding the gray area so food and nutrition seems less scary.
Typical Clients We Work With
Families
College Aged and Young Adult
Teens & Adolescents
Pregnant Individuals
Athletes
Adults
FAQs About Anorexia Nervosa
How do I know if I have Anorexia Nervosa?
If you find that you are struggling with your relationship with food, body or exercise in ANY capacity, please note that you absolutely deserve space and time to heal, regardless of the symptoms you’re experiencing. If you suspect you or a loved one has AN, please take our quiz.
How long does it take to treat Anorexia Nervosa?
Will I need to follow a meal plan?
How can I help a loved one with Anorexia Nervosa?
Supporting a loved one with an eating disorder, including AN, can be so difficult. As loved ones, we often want to “fix it.” But, recovery takes time and there’s not much we can do other than offering a listening ear and a non-judgemental space. Read our blog on Supporting a Loved One with an Eating Disorder. Also, visit our resources page and sign up for our newsletter to get more tips on how to support your loved one.
How can I find support for Anorexia Nervosa?
Courage to Nourish is happy to help. Contact us for more information about working with us. We provide both virtual and in person services. If for some reason we are unable to support you, we would be glad to refer you to other resources. You can also read our blog and resources page for more ideas and support on eating disorder recovery.
Have more questions?
Service Locations
IN-PERSON APPOINTMENTS
VIRTUAL APPOINTMENTS
About Courage to Nourish
Courage to Nourish is a group of eating disorder specialized dietitians. We have in person locations in Alexandria, Virginia, Columbia, Maryland, and College Park, Maryland. We offer virtual services across the state of Maryland. Virginia, Washington DC, Pennsylvania, and Colorado. We offer individual nutrition therapy. As well as support groups. We would love to guide you in building a better relationship with food.
Interested in finding out more?
Tell us more about how we can help you.
