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Today, many people are struggling with their own self-image. Diet culture and impossible standards have had an impact on people across the globe. This has caused people’s relationship with food to be disordered and difficult. As well as facing these challenges, there are many people who are facing a more secret battle with eating disorders that seriously affect their mental health.
Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions, and they’re more common than people realise. They can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background and can feel quite difficult to face alone.
At Castle Health, we offer eating disorder treatment through our outpatient psychiatry service. If your eating disorder is connected to an addiction, it can also be addressed within our residential addiction treatment programmes in the UK and Ireland.
What are eating disorders?
Eating disorders affect a person’s relationship with food and their own body. Like any medical condition, they require professional assessment and care.
According to the NHS, they can affect people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds, though young people are most commonly affected. Since eating disorders affect both mind and body, effective treatment needs to address both at the same time.
Types of eating disorders
Anorexia nervosa is characterised by severely restricted food intake, an intense fear of weight gain, and a distorted perception of body size or shape. It carries significant physical health risks, including cardiovascular complications and bone density loss.
Bulimia nervosa involves cycles of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviours such as purging, excessive exercise, or fasting. People with bulimia often maintain a typical body weight, which means the condition frequently goes unrecognised.
Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder. It involves recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food, often rapidly and past the point of physical comfort, accompanied by feelings of shame or loss of control. Research published in The Lancet Psychiatry found that in 2019, approximately 17.3 million people worldwide were living with binge eating disorder but weren’t counted in global health data. That figure speaks to how much this condition is undercounted and undertreated.
People with Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) avoid or limit food based on how it looks, smells, or feels, or out of fear of choking or being sick. Unlike anorexia, it’s not driven by concerns about body weight or shape.
Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED) is a clinical category for presentations that cause significant distress and impairment but don’t meet the full diagnostic criteria for another condition. OSFED is a formal clinical diagnosis. The severity of impact is the same, and the standard of care should be too.
Signs and symptoms of eating disorders
Eating disorders present differently depending on the person and the condition.
Behavioural signs include skipping meals, eating in secret, rigid food rituals, frequent trips to the bathroom after eating, and excessive or compulsive exercise. A person can become more preoccupied with food, calories, weight, or body shape.
Physical signs include:
- Unexplained weight changes
- Persistent fatigue
- Dental erosion
Emotional signs are often harder to name:
- Intense anxiety around mealtimes
- Withdrawing from any situation that involves food
- Persistent shame or guilt connected to eating
Not everyone will show all of these signs. If you recognise some of them in yourself or someone you care about, that’s reason enough to seek a professional assessment.
Causes and risk factors
Eating disorders develop through a combination of factors, and no single person is responsible for them. Family history, trauma, perfectionism, and sustained exposure to weight stigma can all play a role, and they rarely work in isolation.
Understanding what’s behind an eating disorder is part of what makes treatment effective.
What are the best eating disorder treatment programmes available near me?
The right level of support depends on your individual circumstances, and a clinical assessment is the best starting point. It isn’t a commitment to any particular pathway; it simply gives you and your clinical team the information needed to find the right fit.
Eating disorders frequently occur alongside addiction. At Castle Craig and Smarmore Castle, we recognise and address both. For patients in inpatient addiction treatment, eating disorder support is integrated into their care. It’s also available as a standalone outpatient service.
Another important element in treating patients who suffer from eating disorders is diet and nutrition. We have in-house chefs that prepare healthy and nutritious meals and snacks for patients every day. We also cater for special dietary requirements or religious restrictions.
Patients learn to adhere to healthy eating habits and have three meals and three snacks daily. Sometimes meals may be plated and therapy staff members may eat with patients in a caring and friendly environment.
Private psychiatric care for eating disorders
For a standalone psychiatric service, Dr Peter McCann, MBBS, MSC, MRCPsych, offers assessments, medication management, and referrals to accredited providers. Get in touch to find out more.
If you are a loved one of someone struggling with an eating disorder, encouraging an assessment, without pressure or ultimatums, is one of the most constructive things you can do to get help and begin treatment.
Where can I access online treatment from?
UK | Ireland | Sweden | Netherlands | Finland | Malta | Romania | Norway | Belgium
Learn more about private psychiatry for eating disorders
Anorexia treatment
At Castle Health, we offer Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). For inpatients, addiction treatment remains the priority, but eating disorder care is integrated into your recovery programme throughout.
Inpatient treatment combines medical monitoring, nutritional rehabilitation, and psychological therapy. Family therapy is also available, both during residential treatment and as part of our outpatient programme. This gives loved ones the space to understand addiction and co-occurring conditions, build connections, and find support.
Bulimia treatment
NICE recommends CBT as the primary treatment for bulimia in adults. It helps identify the thoughts and behaviours that maintain the cycle and develop practical ways to break it.
At Castle Health, bulimia treatment is delivered alongside addiction therapy, with the aim of helping you build a healthier relationship with food beyond the therapy room. Bulimia often co-exists with depression, anxiety, or trauma, and our approach takes the whole picture into account.
Binge eating disorder treatment
Binge eating disorder is the most prevalent eating disorder globally, yet it remains significantly underdiagnosed. Many people carry shame about their experiences, which makes seeking help feel harder than it already is.
At Castle Health, each person is assessed individually, and treatment is matched to their needs. Treatment focuses on understanding the emotional drivers behind binge episodes and developing coping strategies. The goal is a more compassionate relationship with eating.
Our approach to eating disorder treatment
At Castle Health, eating disorder treatment is delivered by a multidisciplinary team including psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, dietitians, and recovery coaches. It’s available for both inpatients (alongside addiction) and outpatients (during aftercare for addiction rehab or on its own).
CBT is our primary therapeutic approach. Where appropriate, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) may also be used, a talking therapy designed to help people manage intense emotions.
Medical care and nutritional counselling are integrated throughout. For those arriving with physical health complications from addiction, stabilisation comes first.
Aftercare planning begins before discharge. Recovery from both addiction and an eating disorder continues beyond residential care, and we work with you and your wider support network to make sure the right support is in place for your addiction and your eating disorder before you return home.
Dr McCann will provide an assessment, medication where required, and referral to an accredited provider when you are looking for eating disorder care on its own.
The cost of eating disorder treatment
The cost of private eating disorder treatment varies depending on the type of care and its duration. Many private health insurers cover eating disorder treatment, either fully or in part, and our team can help you with that process.
If eating disorder treatment is part of your addiction recovery, the cost is integrated into your overall rehab fees. For outpatient assessments or appointments for an eating disorder only, pricing is on an individual basis. Contact us to find out more.
Eating disorder treatment in the UK and Europe: locations and access
Castle Health is a specialist addiction treatment provider with the clinical expertise to recognise and address eating disorders where they occur alongside addiction and as a standalone mental health concern.
Our inpatient treatment options are available at Castle Craig, Scotland, and Smarmore Castle in Ireland.
Outpatient treatment options can be more flexible. We have clinics available in the UK, Ireland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Finland. For anyone outside these areas, we provide assessments and treatment referrals online. All appointments are delivered in English and are available to people over the age of 16 only.
Get started with eating disorder treatment
Taking the first step is often the hardest part. Whether you’re ready to begin treatment or simply want to understand your options, we’re here to help you work out what makes sense.
The process begins with a clinical assessment. It’s a confidential conversation with one of our specialists, designed to understand what you’re experiencing, what level of support would be most appropriate, and what you can expect from treatment. It’s not a commitment to any particular pathway. An assessment is a clinical conversation designed to understand your situation.
If you’re in crisis or concerned about your immediate physical safety, please contact your GP, a local crisis service, or go to your nearest emergency department.
Frequently asked questions
Can I access eating disorder treatment through private health insurance in the UK?
Many private health insurers in the UK do cover eating disorder treatment, either in full or in part. Coverage varies between policies and providers. It’s important to check the specific terms of your policy before your assessment.
What are the funding options for private eating disorder therapy?
Treatment can be funded through private health insurance, private funding or employer health schemes. We’re transparent about costs from the outset, so you can make an informed decision without pressure.
What are the best eating disorder treatment programmes available near me?
The right programme depends on your individual circumstances, and a professional assessment is the best way to determine that.
Castle Health offers residential treatment for addiction and any co-occurring mental health disorders at Castle Craig in Scotland and Smarmore Castle in Ireland. Outpatient options are available in person or online.
Can men get an eating disorder?
Yes. Eating disorders affect men and boys across all age groups, though they’re significantly underdiagnosed. According to Beat, around one in four people with an eating disorder in the UK is male, and the real figure is likely higher.
At Castle Health, we treat people regardless of gender, and our approach is tailored to the individual.
