When concern about eating well begins to dominate your thoughts, narrow your social life and leave you anxious rather than nourished, it may have shifted from a positive intention into something more distressing. This is the territory of orthorexia — an increasingly recognised pattern in which a focus on food quality becomes rigid, all-consuming and…
Orthorexia nervosa describes an increasingly rigid preoccupation with “healthy” or “clean” eating that, over time, begins to cause significant psychological distress and functional impairment. It is not a formal diagnosis in the DSM-5 or ICD-11, but it is a well-recognised clinical presentation — one that eating disorder specialists encounter regularly and that responds to structured,…
Deciding to seek help for an eating disorder – whether for yourself or someone you care about – is a significant step. It often comes with another difficult question: where should I go for help? The NHS provides essential eating disorder services across the UK, and for many people it is the first point of…
Our Clinical Director, Dr Bryony Bamford, recently joined the Relational Lives Podcast for an episode titled “Loving Someone in Denial: Eating Disorders and the Strain on Relationships.” In this thoughtful conversation, Bryony discusses how eating disorders can affect relationships, particularly when a loved one may be struggling to recognise or accept the seriousness of their difficulties. The episode explores…
Most conversations about body image difficulties focus on thinness, weight loss and restriction. But for many men, the distress runs in a different direction: toward size, muscularity and a relentless sense of not being big enough, lean enough or strong enough. This experience is real, it is common, and it is significantly underrecognised. Men who…
Anorexia nervosa affects people of all genders, ages and backgrounds. Yet the persistent misconception that eating disorders are exclusively, or primarily, female conditions continues to shape public understanding, media representation and, critically, who feels entitled to seek help. For men experiencing anorexia, this misconception creates a specific and significant barrier. When the condition is framed…
The binge-purge cycle is one of the most misunderstood aspects of eating disorders, and one of the most distressing to live with. People caught in this pattern often describe feeling trapped: driven to eat in a way that feels out of control, followed by an urgent need to compensate, followed by shame, followed by the…
When someone you care about is struggling with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), it can be difficult to know what to do. You can see that they are in distress, perhaps spending hours checking their appearance, avoiding social situations, or asking repeatedly whether something about their face or body looks “wrong”, but nothing you say seems…
Body Dysmorphic Disorder, BDD, is one of the most misunderstood conditions in mental health. People living with BDD often spend years convinced that what they see in the mirror is real: that their appearance flaw(s) are obvious and severe. Many people with BDD avoid seeking help because they fear being dismissed as vain or told…
If you have ADHD and find yourself caught in cycles of binge eating, the chances are you have already heard, or told yourself, that you just need more discipline. More meal prep. More willpower. And the chances are that advice has not helped, because it was never designed for how your brain actually works. The…
Most people take for granted the ability to sit down at a restaurant, scan a menu, and choose something to eat. For adults living with selective eating, that scenario can provoke significant anxiety, not because of concerns about weight or calories, but because the menu may contain nothing that feels safe to eat. Selective eating…
ARFID, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, is a recognised eating disorder that has nothing to do with body image, weight control, or vanity. For those who live with it, food is not a source of pleasure or comfort. It can feel genuinely threatening – a source of anxiety, sensory overwhelm, or physical dread. Despite growing clinical…
We use cookies. or Learn more
