Eating Disorders in Adults

Eating Disorder Treatment in Adults

Compassionate care for adults navigating food, body, and self-worth in Chicago, Northbrook, and virtually throughout Illinois.

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Eating disorders are often thought of as illnesses of adolescence. In reality, they affect people across every stage of life. Many adults develop eating disorders for the first time in midlife. Others carry patterns that began years earlier and slowly intensified over time. For some, symptoms return after long periods of dormancy.

If you are struggling with food in adulthood, you are not alone. And you are not failing. Eating disorders in midlife and later life are far more common than most people realize, and they deserve thoughtful, specialized care.

Midlife is a season of profound transition. Bodies change. Roles shift. Relationships evolve. Many adults find themselves balancing careers, caregiving, parenting, health concerns, and questions about self-image and purpose. Even people who have always been capable and resilient can feel overwhelmed.

For some, an eating disorder becomes a way to cope when life feels unsteady. These patterns are not simply habits. Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that can become dangerous without treatment. They often travel alongside anxiety, depression, trauma, and chronic stress.

Yet adult eating disorders are frequently overlooked. Many people were taught that these illnesses only happen to teenagers. Others carry deep shame or believe they “should be past this by now.” Adults are often very skilled at functioning on the outside while suffering quietly on the inside.

You may still be showing up at work. You may be caring for others. You may appear disciplined, health-conscious, or in control. Inside, however, food may feel fraught, rigid, frightening, or consuming. That disconnect can be profoundly lonely.

How Eating Disorders Can Look in Adults

Eating disorders in adulthood often carry unique emotional and physical burdens.

Adult Anorexia may involve long-standing restriction, perfectionism, and control that extends beyond food into work, relationships, and daily life. Adults are more vulnerable to bone loss, cardiac strain, fatigue, hormonal disruption, and isolation. Shame often grows alongside the illness, especially when adult responsibilities feel harder to meet.
ARFID in Adults is not driven by weight or body image. Instead, eating is limited by fear, sensory sensitivity, or past negative experiences. Adults with ARFID may avoid social eating, feel embarrassed by their limitations, and struggle with chronic fatigue or nutritional deficits.
Bulimia and Binge Eating in adulthood often emerge or intensify during periods of loss, stress, or transition. Cycles of bingeing, purging, or compulsive eating are frequently intertwined with depression, anxiety, or trauma.

Across all presentations, many adults describe feeling trapped in patterns they did not choose and no longer want, yet cannot seem to escape.

Why Adults Often Go Undiagnosed

Eating disorders in adulthood are commonly missed because:

They are still widely seen as “teenage illnesses”
Shame makes it difficult to ask for help
Symptoms may be masked by high-functioning roles
Distress may be attributed solely to medical or hormonal causes
Diet culture normalizes harmful behaviors

For years, diagnostic systems excluded older adults entirely. Many people learned that their suffering did not “count.” That message lingers.

You do not need to fit a stereotype to deserve care.

Healing in Adulthood

Recovery in adulthood can feel daunting. Patterns may be deeply ingrained. Relationships may be affected as change begins. You may worry about what healing will ask of you or those around you.

Adult recovery is not about becoming someone new. It is about returning to yourself.

Effective treatment honors the complexity of adult life. It often includes:

Individual therapy with eating disorder specialists
Collaboration with medical and nutritional providers
Support for mood, anxiety, trauma, and life transitions
Relationship and family work when helpful
Community and group support to reduce isolation

Connection is one of the strongest protective factors in adulthood. Eating disorders thrive in isolation. Healing grows in relationships.

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Adult Eating Disorder Treatment at SpringSource

At SpringSource: Eating, Weight & Mood Disorders, we specialize in adult-centered care. We understand that eating disorders in midlife and beyond are layered, personal, and present in unique and specific ways, from those of adolescents and teenagers.

We treat adult anorexia, ARFID, bulimia, binge eating, and co-occurring mood, anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship concerns. Our clinicians collaborate with medical and nutritional providers and offer both individual therapy and a hybrid Adult IOP for those who need more structured support. We also provide specialized care for adults considering or currently taking a GLP-1 medication.

You do not have to be in crisis to reach out.
You do not have to “prove” that things are bad enough.
You do not have to carry this alone.

With offices in downtown Chicago and Northbrook, and virtual services throughout Illinois, we are here to help you widen your world again, gently and at your pace.

Call 224-202-6260 or schedule a free 15-minute consultation.