Eating Disorder Treatment

Eating disorders and disordered eating patterns are serious mental health conditions that affect physical and psychological wellbeing. At Ascend Psychiatry & Therapy in Tukwila, Washington, we provide psychiatric evaluation and medication management as part of a comprehensive approach to eating disorder recovery.

Understanding Disordered Eating

Disordered eating encompasses a variety of abnormal eating behaviors including restrictive eating, fasting, compulsive overeating, binge eating, purging, and excessive exercising. These behaviors exist on a spectrum and can be harmful both physically and psychologically even when they do not meet the full diagnostic criteria for a specific eating disorder. Eating disorders often co-occur with other mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, OCD, and trauma.

Types of Eating Disorders

Common eating disorders include Anorexia Nervosa, characterized by severe food restriction and fear of gaining weight; Bulimia Nervosa, involving cycles of binge eating followed by purging; Binge Eating Disorder, which involves recurring episodes of eating large quantities of food without purging; and Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). Each requires a specialized treatment approach.

Our Role in Treatment

Eating disorder treatment typically requires a multidisciplinary team. At Ascend Psychiatry, Ethiopia Zerfu, ARNP, PMHNP-BC, provides the psychiatric component of care, including thorough evaluation to identify co-occurring mental health conditions, medication management to address underlying depression, anxiety, or OCD that may be driving disordered eating, regular monitoring of treatment progress, and coordination with your therapist, dietitian, and medical providers.

Getting Help

Recovery from an eating disorder is possible with the right support. If you or a loved one is struggling, we encourage you to reach out. We provide a safe, compassionate, and judgment-free environment for patients across Washington State through in-person and telepsychiatry appointments.