Can you suffer from an eating disorder without “feeling” like it?

At Clinique A Psychologie, every week we meet people who are experiencing real distress, without those around them — or even professionals — realizing it. Why? Because eating disorders are more than just physical appearance.

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Eating disorders that are often invisible

Contrary to some preconceived ideas, TCAs can be Manifest at all weights, at all ages and in all body types. A person can:

• have a “normal” weight according to medical criteria,
• eat in public and eat “properly” in appearance,
• show great food control or experience compulsions in secret,
• be very functional professionally or socially,
• while being deeply in pain.

It is therefore entirely possible — and even common — to suffer from an ASD without it being seen.

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What we can't see...

Here are some examples of behaviors or thoughts that are common among those affected, but often invisible to the outside world:

• Eating only certain “safe” foods (and hiding the rest)
• Obsessively counting calories or steps without talking about it
• Weigh yourself several times a day
• Experiencing bulimia attacks at night or in secret
• Feeling immense guilt after a “normal” meal
• Constantly self-criticizing yourself about your appearance
• Think about food most of the day
• Have self-esteem based entirely on your weight or control

These symptoms are very real, even if they do not (or only slightly) modify the body. And that's exactly what makes some TCAs harder to spot.

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The danger of “atypical TCAs”

In DSM-5, there is a category called unspecified eating disorders (TANES or OSFED in English), which refers to people with all the symptoms of an eating disorder — but without meeting all the strict criteria of a diagnosis such as anorexia or bulimia.

This concerns a lot of people who:

• have compensatory behaviors that are infrequent,
• are “moderately” underweight but experiencing severe restrictions,
• have irregular but very pervasive food crises,
• or who suffer from chronic emotional compulsions.

The fact of not “getting into the box” of a classic disorder does not make the suffering less legitimate.

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Why it's important to talk about it

Because Invisibility of an eating disorder can:

• reinforce shame (“I am not sick enough to be helped”),
• Make the people around you believe that there is no problem,
• delay the request for help,
• and worsen symptoms.

Too many people wait until they are “really in distress” or to have lost weight drastically to consult. In reality, The sooner you act, the more accessible the road to recovery is.

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In summary

• ‍No, you don't have to “look sick” to be heard.‍
• No, the severity of a TCA cannot be measured by a number on the scale.‍
• Yes, you can consult simply because You are suffering.‍
• Yes, it is legitimate to seek support, even if “it's not obvious”.

At Clinique A Psychologie, we welcome all forms of eating disorders, visible or not, diagnosed or not.
Because it's not the shape of the body that speaks, but what you experience inside.

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