Our English speaking
specialists in Paris, France, and online are highly qualified in treating a
range of eating disorders and we are here to help you.
What is an eating disorder?
An eating disorder is an
unhealthy attitude to food that can take over your life and make you seriously
sick. Some involve eating too little, but others cause symptoms that are harder
for others to spot, including overeating, making yourself sick, taking
laxatives, or becoming obsessed with your weight and/or body shape.
Anyone of any age, race,
socioeconomic status, gender, or any other way that we classify humans, can
develop an eating disorder.
Statistics show us that
young women are the most likely sufferers, which could be a sign of the intense
way that the female body is policed in media and online, especially to
adolescents whose body is changing and who are not as able to ignore or reject
harmful messaging.
However, we should remember
that statistics are a social construction and that these ones will be based on
people who are able to seek help. This may lead to males with eating disorders
not being included in the statistics because of the stigma about men seeking
help for mental health problems, as well as men being overly concerned with
body image; both things that are not considered “masculine”.
Some of the different types
of eating disorders are:
• Anorexia: This is characterised by trying to keep your
weight dangerously low by not eating enough food. Sufferers may also exercise
too much in order to burn off what little they eat. They will often have a
distorted body image, seeing themselves as overweight, even when they are
significantly underweight.
• Bulimia: This is where someone eats a lot of food
(typically high in fat or sugar) in a short amount of time (binging), unable to
control what they are doing, and then purges themselves by making themselves
vomit, taking laxatives, restricting what they eat, or exercising too much.
This often does not lead to weight loss, but rather weight gain. This weight
gain is unlikely to be enough on its own to set off alarm bells though.
Overeating (Binge Eating Disorder):
This is the same as bulimia, but without the purging. Again, a sufferer may
gain weight over time, but it may not be excessive.
• Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS): This is
the most common eating disorder to be diagnosed and is a sort-of overarching
condition where a patient may exhibit some symptoms of the specified disorder,
but not enough to be diagnosed with anorexia, bulimia, or overeating.
Importantly, this does not mean that it is any less serious.
Anyone suffering from an
eating disorder should know that there is help available.
We know that is it not easy
to ask for help and that you may have been dealing with this for so long that
you can’t imagine life any other way, but you deserve to get better. You
deserve to live a life not controlled by food and body image. You matter.
English speaking help in
Paris
On the subject of seeking
help, we understand that living in another country can make it harder to find
an eating disorder specialist that speaks your language; something that is
vital to ensuring open and honest communication between you and your therapist.
That’s why at Philippe
Jacquet & Associates, we’re proud to offer English-language eating disorder
treatment in Paris or anywhere in France. We use a pioneering treatment via
Skype or WhatsApp from our London offices for patients with eating disorders.
We have found our online
treatment to be as effective for our sessions, with some patients finding them
more effective. There are a variety of reasons for this, but some patients have
told us that they are less worried about being seen entering an eating disorder
clinic and they don’t have to worry if they’re travelling for work or have
family commitments that they can’t get away from.
Our approach
We are able to offer a range
of treatments, from psychotherapy to counselling to body work, often in
combination with each other, to treat people with eating disorders. We help
people uncover the cause for their unhealthy relationship with food, which may
have been learnt in childhood or adolescence before the decision-making part of
the brain has finished forming, and examine it in a safe space.
We will treat the eating
disorder and the underlying mental health disorders in order to help patients
learn more effective and safer methods to deal with stress, depression, anger,
or frustration.
Is there anything I can do
to help myself?
We always recommend talking
to a specialist about an eating disorder because it may be difficult for you to
manage it alone or even with support from friends or family. For one thing,
there are likely to be physical health issues – from damaged tooth enamel to
organ failure – that will need to be dealt with, alongside the mental health
issues.
However, that doesn’t mean
that you can’t do things to help yourself while waiting for treatment,
in-between sessions, and whenever you can. After all, self-care can help
alleviate mental health issues that are exacerbating your eating disorder. As
always, tailor this list to your needs and your abilities, and remember to take
things slowly. Mental health care isn’t a race and if you put too much pressure
on yourself, you could become more angry or upset.
Here are some things that
may help:
• Put a note on your mirror and/or scales to remind yourself
that you are beautiful and deserving of love and respect
• Schedule time to do things you enjoy, like binge-watching
a sitcom, playing with your pets, or ringing your mum
• Wear clothes that you like, which are both comfortable and
not trying to hide your body
• Get a good night’s sleep, using a phone app if necessary
• Ask for help from those around you; potentially starting
by spending more time with friends or family before confiding in them
• Exercise in moderation, perhaps taking along a friend that
you can confide in so that they can point out if you might be pushing yourself
too far
• Make a list of reasons why you’re amazing (it might make
you feel silly at first, but it does help to recognise your worth)
• Volunteering can be a great distraction and boost your
self-worth while helping someone else
• Write down your worries ready to share with your therapist
or a trusted friend
• Alternatively, destroy the paper and see if you feel
better having ripped your worries to shreds
Book an appointment online
from France
If you’re interested in
seeking help for an eating disorder, please get in touch by phone (+44 7809
668193 / +44 7809 668193) or email. We will get back to you as soon as possible
because we want you to get treatment and recover.
