There is a widespread belief that eating disorders are a choice that may be made at any time, but the truth is, eating disorders are serious mental and physical illnesses that often have severe and detrimental impact on a person’s life. What’s more, many people who battle with eating disorders also struggle with another problem, such as anxiety, substance addiction, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, or PTSD. Common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.

Depression is a common and serious illness that has a negative impact on how you feel, think, and act. It is, thankfully, treatable. Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities. It can cause a variety of emotional and physical problems, as well as a reduction in your ability to function at work and at home. Some common symptoms are feeling sad or having a depressed mood, loss of energy, feeling worthless or guilty, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, and thoughts of death or suicide.

Anxiety is an unavoidable part of life. When confronted with a problem at work, before taking a test, or before making an important decision, you may experience anxiety. However, Anxiety disorders involve more than just temporary worry or fear. Anxiety does not go away for a person suffering from an anxiety disorder, and it can worsen over time. Symptoms can disrupt daily and impact relationships. There are a variety of different anxiety disorders including , including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and various phobia-related disorders.

Self-worth refers to a deeply held belief about your own value as a person (I am unlovable, or I am loveable). Self-worth is sometimes mistaken with self-esteem, which is defined by the thoughts and feelings you have about yourself and are often formed based on external standards (I am successful, or I am not successful) and often result in a lot of distress and other problems such as depression, anxiety (general / social), and eating disorders.

Interpersonal relationships are essential to finding meaning and fulfillment in our lives, but they can also be a source of stress when communication, interpretation, and expectation issues arise. How well a person connects with others is closely related to his or her happiness and ability to function well in various social settings. A variety of issues, such as problems with emotional and impulse regulation, maladaptive patterns of thinking and behaving, and personality disorders, can jeopardize someone's ability to form and maintain healthy relationships.

Body image refers to how you see yourself when you look in the mirror or imagine yourself. It involves what you think, feel, and believe about your own appearance and body. Additionally, body image is developed through internalizing messages that come from many different external influences (family, school, sociocultural). Many individuals internalize messages that lead to having negative body image and can result in feelings of anxiety, depression, low sense of self-worth, and eating disorders.