We know that anorexia athletica, like any eating disorder, can take a huge toll on many areas of your life. You might feel that you've lost control of your eating habits and that your self-esteem has faded away. Your day-to-day existence may be completely disrupted, while relationships, work and even hobbies are likely to suffer too.
You mustn’t blame yourself for what you're going through. Many people have a complicated relationship with food and body image, which has reached a point where it's harming their physical and mental health. Anorexia athletica may be less well-known than other eating disorders, but its damaging effects are very real. The condition often arises as a result of struggling with difficult events or emotions. Without support, however, things will only get worse. The good news is that Priory can help you handle whatever life brings and start to repair your health and happiness.
Our experts have the knowledge and experience to help you start to manage the symptoms of anorexia athletica. We've already supported many others in similar situations to your own, helping them to feel significantly better and cope with everyday life again. You are just as capable of improving your own circumstances. You deserve to enjoy a healthier relationship with both food and yourself.
We know that any mental health challenge can feel daunting to talk about, but it's important for you to reach out. Opening up about your eating disorder, and seeking advice on appropriate treatment, is the first crucial step to getting better, enabling you to look forward to a more positive road ahead. You're already recognising that you need professional support, which is hugely important. As soon as you contact us, we can help you to start your recovery journey and change the course of your life for the better.
There are many different symptoms associated with eating disorders, which can be difficult to identify when you're the one who's struggling. At Priory, we know exactly how to recognise the specific features of anorexia athletica, so we can suggest the most effective course of treatment.
Anorexia athletica, also called 'sports anorexia', 'compulsive exercising' or 'hypergymnasia', is an eating disorder that causes an obsession with exercising. If you're struggling with this, your condition has likely caused you to develop a fixation on body image, leading to you restricting your food intake to maintain a low weight.
These are the most common symptoms of anorexia athletica:
Anorexia athletica creates a strong focus on athletic performance as a way of controlling weight, rather than trying to do this mainly through restricting food and calorie consumption (as with anorexia nervosa). This means the signs of anorexia athletica can commonly be missed, as its dangers are masked by a pretence of healthy living and competing with the athleticism of others. People who have anorexia athletica often struggle with additional eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia, which can complicate matters further.
It's also important to understand that exercising is common as part of the purging behaviours seen in someone with bulimia. However, this type of exercising is less consistent than exercising in anorexia athletica, and is more related to over-eating episodes.
No matter what you're going through, we can help you to move past your symptoms, recover your self-confidence and turn things around for the long-term. With Priory’s support, you can focus on working towards a more fulfilling future.
Our compassionate, experienced team hold no judgement and are passionate about helping you to achieve your personal goals. We have already helped many others to overcome their problems and enjoy a better quality of life.
Our approach to your recovery involves specialist techniques for eating disorder support, which have been proven to help improve your physical and emotional wellbeing. With your input, we'll put together a treatment plan which works for you and your unique situation. Our programmes aim to:
The type of treatment you'll receive at Priory depends on your current needs and symptoms. We offer an inpatient (residential) programme for people who need round-the-clock support, at Life Works.
Alternatively, day care allows you to access the same intensive level of therapy throughout the day, while continuing to live at home. We can also provide flexible outpatient treatment, with appointments you can fit around your other commitments.
Psychodynamic therapy can also be useful when it comes to treating anorexia athletica. It can help people to:
Overall, psychodynamic therapy can help people with anorexia athletica to develop a healthier relationship with exercise, food and their bodies, while also fostering personal growth and emotional wellbeing.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is commonly used for treating eating disorders, and many other mental health conditions, due to its effectiveness. It addresses the negative thought patterns behind eating disorders, which can help with anorexia athletica in the following ways:
By confronting these negative thought patterns, CBT can help you to change the behaviours associated with them. This will help you to make healthier choices around food and exercise, and instil self-belief that you can recover from your current symptoms.
Getting help for anorexia athletica is the first significant step towards regaining control over your life and health. Priory offers specialist care and a compassionate approach to treatment, tailored to your needs. Call us to today to find out about our approach to eating disorder treatment, and how we can help you to get back on track. Remember that you really don’t have to struggle alone; help is available.
At Priory, we’re committed to delivering expert, personalised eating disorder treatment that results in the most positive outcomes for everyone we support. We measure our patients’ satisfaction and progress in a number of ways, and ask every person who uses our services to let us know how they found their treatment experience and if there’s anything we can improve upon.
We also believe the best outcomes are achieved by using the highest quality facilities, and through the dedication of our experienced staff. We are committed to investing back into our services to achieve this, and use your feedback to continually develop and improve.
Priory’s customer service team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to ensure that people in crisis can be signposted to the best possible support, as quickly as possible. The specialist teams at our residential facilities can help to stabilise people in need of immediate assistance for their eating disorder or other mental health concerns.
