“Do I Have an Eating Disorder?” Let’s Talk About the Gray Area I Know Too Well

If you've ever typed "Do I have an eating disorder?" or "Why do I hate my body?" into a search bar at 2 a.m., you’re not alone.

I’ve been there. Not just as a therapist—but as someone who spent years tangled in that fog.

Here’s the truth most people don’t say out loud: You don’t have to be underweight, hospitalized, or on a feeding tube for your pain to matter. Disordered eating and body image issues are sneaky.

They show up in the quiet ways you think, obsess, and spiral. And they can steal your joy, your energy, and your peace without ever raising a red flag to anyone else.

So how do you know if what you’re going through is just stress… or something deeper?

Let’s talk about it.

What Is Disordered Eating?

Disordered eating lives on the same spectrum as eating disorders—just without the formal diagnosis (yet). It’s any pattern of food, movement, or body-control behavior that causes distress, shame, or dysfunction.

And yep. I’ve lived through all of it.

You might have disordered eating if:

• You think about food constantly (what you ate, what you shouldn’t have, how to "fix it" tomorrow)

• You feel guilty for eating "bad" foods or skipping a workout

• You cancel plans to avoid food or being seen

• You treat hunger like weakness and pride yourself on willpower

• You binge, restrict, or mentally "start over" every week

I used to call it wellness. Discipline. Taking care of myself. But really? It was fear. Obsession. Desperation. A full-blown war with my own body.

If food feels like something you have to earn, micromanage, or punish yourself for—that’s not wellness. That’s a red flag.

What Is Distorted Body Image?

Body image distortion isn’t just about not liking your stomach. It’s about how much space those thoughts take up in your brain. How often they steal your confidence, joy, and freedom.

Some signs of distorted body image:

• Constant mirror-checking or comparing your body to others

• Feeling uncomfortable in your body no matter what others say

• Tying your worth to your weight or appearance

• Avoiding intimacy, photos, or certain clothes

• Thinking, "I'll be happy when I lose ___ pounds"

I used to believe that shrinking would fix everything. That if I just worked harder, looked better, did more... I'd finally feel okay. But the goalpost kept moving. And the shame stuck around anyway.

When to Get Help

You do not have to wait until it’s "bad enough." You don’t need to check every diagnostic box for anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder. You don’t need to collapse in public to qualify for support.

If your relationship with food or your body feels obsessive, painful, or exhausting—that’s enough.

You are enough.

Therapy can help you:

• Rebuild trust with your body (without obsession or restriction)

• Break the shame cycles of bingeing, purging, or overexercising

• Untangle food from your identity, emotions, or sense of control

• Learn how to actually nourish yourself—physically and emotionally

Final Thoughts

If you’re wondering, "Is this normal?" or "Does this count?" — that question alone is a signal worth listening to.

You don’t have to live in a mental warzone. You don’t have to fight your body forever. There is another way.

And when you’re ready, I’m here.

At CWK Counseling, I offer trauma-informed therapy for eating disorders, disordered eating, and body image struggles. I know the shame, the silence, and the fear of not being "sick enough."

I also know recovery is possible—and it doesn’t have to be perfect to be real.

Online therapy available in Texas, Florida, Alabama, Colorado, and Louisiana.

📞 Call or text: 903.701.0525

📲 Instagram: @bruisedbananacounseling