DR MARIANNE MILLER
CARING EATING DISORDER TREATMENT IN SAN DIEGO AND THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA, TEXAS, AND WASHINGTON D.C. FOR ADULTS & TEENS
Understanding Bulimia: Causes, Solutions, & Coping Strategies
Bulimia nervosa is a serious eating disorder that affects millions of people throughout San Diego, California, NYC, London UK, and elsewhere. It often leaves individuals feeling trapped in a cycle of binge eating and purging. Despite its prevalence, it remains misunderstood, carrying with it stigma and confusion. But understanding bulimia—the factors that contribute to it, the ways it can be treated, and strategies for managing it—can help provide a path to healing.
Obsessions, Compulsions, and Control: How OCD Intertwines with Eating Disorders
When people think of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), they often picture behaviors like hand-washing or checking locks. Yet OCD is much more complex, involving obsessive thoughts—unwanted, intrusive ideas—and compulsions, which are actions or mental rituals used to ease the anxiety these thoughts trigger. When OCD overlaps with eating habits and body image, it often coexists with eating disorders, creating a deeply intertwined struggle.
Binge Eating Disorder: How Patterns Can Begin in Childhood & What To Do About It
Binge eating disorder (BED) is often seen as an adult issue, and its origins frequently start in childhood. Early emotional connections to food, family dynamics, and exposure to societal pressures can all shape eating patterns that persist into adulthood. Whether you live in San Diego, California, in Dallas, Texas, or in Washington, D.C., binge eating disorder can emerge across the lifespan. In this post, we’ll explore how these behaviors begin in childhood, what caregivers can do to support their children, and how to address binge eating disorder as an adult if these patterns have continued.
How a Self-Paced Online Binge Eating Program Can Enhance Therapy for Eating Disorders, Anxiety, and Depression
You’re in therapy for anxiety, depression, family issues, or even an eating disorder, and you are needing something…more. Some other resource or support that will accelerate your binge eating recovery in San Diego, London, Atlanta, Chicago, and elsewhere. You’ve tried group therapy, and may even have found it helpful. You just need something that you can access any time—A system of binge eating recovery that really works. A support network that feels safe and secure. Something run by a trained eating disorder professional. Well, I’ve got you covered! I’ll share three reasons why a self-paced online binge eating program can enhance therapy for many things. It’s a perfect pairing!
Holiday Activities in Chicago to Help Your Binge Eating Recovery
I love Chicago. I’ve visited many times, for work, for play, and for SHOPPING (magnificent mile, anyone?). People were so friendly that I have to remind myself that I’m in a big city. Plus, being right there by Lake Michigan? The blend of nature and city excitement was a win for me! Any sort of distraction serves as self care when you’re struggling with binge eating disorder. If you live in Chicago, or you’re visiting there for the holiday season, I encourage you to do some awesome self-care and check out the following places. It’ll help you feel connected with others and with this magical time of year. It will benefit your binge eating recovery. I include takeaway tips to help you practice coping skills while you’re there.
What to Do When You Feel Like Crap About Your Body
Feeling terrible about your body? Did you look in the mirror this morning and recoil? Are you filled with shame and self-loathing when you see pictures of yourself? It can be so difficult in sunny San Diego to grapple with your body image when it seems like everyone is wearing shorts and skirts. You catch yourself in a mirror, and you’re flooded with negative thoughts and emotions about your body. It feels paralyzing and isolating. Whether you have an eating disorder, negative body image sucks.
Body shame is very real. We live in a society that equates how our body looks to our value as people. It has historically been tough for women and increasingly challenging for men as the objectification of bodies increases. It can be especially difficult for non-binary people. For all genders of individuals, society often equates appearance to morality. The dehumanization and oppression in such messages are appalling.
How do you cope with all of this negativity? I have three strategies that can get you on the path to body acceptance. These concepts come from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindful self-compassion.
Interested in Culturally Sensitive Treatment? Meet Eating Disorder Therapist Dr. Jennifer Douglas
Hello all! I’ve recently gotten to know eating disorder therapist Dr. Jennifer Douglas. She is a clinical psychologist who has worked at some of the top eating disorder treatment centers in the United States, including University of California at San Diego Eating Disorders Center and Stanford University Eating Disorders Program. One thing I really appreciate about Jen is that when treating folks with eating disorders, she takes a culturally sensitive approach. She loves working with people of diverse body sizes, genders, religions, abilities, ages, countries of origin, and sexual orientations. She used to live in San Diego and now resides in San Francisco. She can provide Telehealth anywhere in California. Enjoy getting to know her!
Four Steps to Stomp Out Self-Criticism in Eating Disorder Recovery
Ever wish you could take a break from negative thoughts—like take a vacation from your brain? Feel like you’re on a self-criticism merry-go-round that you can’t get off? Many people struggle with self-criticism, especially those in recovery from eating disorders. It can be easy to be hard on yourself in San Diego, as you see people around you splashing in the ocean and laying on the warm sand. You might think, “what’s wrong with me that I’m not like them?” Even on social media you see everyone else posting about how wonderful their lives are, triggering negative thoughts that crash over you like a wave. You may feel hopeless and that there’s no way out. I want to convey that you CAN get out of the self-criticism cycle and live a more satisfying life. Check out the four steps in this blog post, and you’ll be on your way!
Three Pointers for Pushing Back Perfectionism in Eating Disorder Recovery
Feel like you aren’t good enough? Always comparing yourself to others? Constantly cataloguing your faults and feeling like a failure? It sounds like you are struggling with perfectionism. It can be so challenging to fall into the “compare and despair” pit when you are in San Diego and there is such an emphasis on perfect looks and perfect achievement, materialistically or otherwise. Even elsewhere in the U.S. and around the world, perfectionism is a trait that can be common in people suffering from eating disorders.
As most eating disorder researchers and experts will say, eating disorders are brain disorders. When compared to brains of people without eating disorders, people with eating disorders have areas of their brains that don’t function as efficiently or effectively. What that means is that if you have an eating disorder, it’s not your fault. It’s not about willpower or about sucking it up to “just eat” or “just stop eating.” It’s about needing to get help to change how your brain works. Struggling with perfectionism AND an eating disorder can lead to (a) feeling like you have to be perfect, so you engage in eating disorder behaviors to try to be perfect, or (b) feeling disappointed or ashamed that you’re not perfect, so you you engage in eating disorder behaviors to counteract these emotions. Either way, perfectionism can be a challenge to recovery.