EATING DISORDER SUPPORT IN COLORADO
Care for the complicated relationship between food, body, control, and self-worth.
Thoughtful psychiatric evaluation and future medication management for eating disorder concerns, disordered eating, anxiety, depression, trauma, obsessive thoughts, body image distress, and emotional overwhelm throughout Colorado via secure telehealth.
Psychiatric services anticipated July 2026 following licensure, credentialing, and applicable regulatory requirements.
NOURISHMENT • SAFETY • TRUST • RECOVERY
Eating disorder care should never begin with shame.
We focus on understanding what the symptoms are protecting, what feels difficult, and what support may help you move toward stability, safety, and healing.
MORE THAN FOOD
Eating disorders are not about vanity, weakness, or lack of willpower.
Eating disorder symptoms often develop around anxiety, control, trauma, identity, perfectionism, shame, sensory sensitivity, family stress, athletic pressure, depression, obsessive thoughts, or the need to feel safe when life feels overwhelming.
At Welch Psychiatric Group, care begins by looking at the whole person. We consider mood, anxiety, trauma history, medical safety, sleep, executive functioning, family history, body image distress, and the emotional meaning behind symptoms.
GENTLE SUPPORT
Recovery is not about perfection. It is about rebuilding trust with yourself.
Healing can involve learning how to feel safe in your body, tolerate emotions, reduce rigid rules, understand triggers, improve medical stability, and build a relationship with food and self that is less driven by fear.
WHAT WE EVALUATE
Eating disorder concerns can show up in many different ways.
Restrictive Eating
Skipping meals, rigid food rules, fear of weight gain, limited “safe” foods, calorie fixation, food avoidance, or feeling anxious when routines change.
Binge Eating
Feeling out of control with eating, eating past comfort, eating in secret, guilt afterward, shame cycles, or using food to manage emotional distress.
Purging Behaviors
Vomiting, laxative misuse, diuretic misuse, compensatory exercise, fasting after eating, or other behaviors intended to undo or control intake.
Body Image Distress
Persistent body checking, avoidance, comparing, shame, fear of being seen, feeling disconnected from your body, or feeling like your worth depends on appearance.
ARFID + Food Avoidance
Avoidance related to texture, sensory sensitivity, fear of choking or vomiting, low appetite, limited food variety, or difficulty meeting nutritional needs.
Disordered Eating
Patterns that may not fit one diagnosis perfectly but still cause distress, health concerns, obsessive thinking, isolation, anxiety, or impairment.
COMMON SIGNS
Eating disorder symptoms are often hidden behind “I’m fine.”
Many people appear high-functioning while quietly struggling with food rules, body distress, fear, shame, secrecy, or constant mental noise around eating, weight, control, or appearance.
Signs support may be needed:
- Preoccupation with food, calories, body size, weight, or exercise
- Avoiding meals, restaurants, social events, or eating with others
- Rigid food rules, rituals, or anxiety when routines change
- Binge eating, purging, laxative misuse, or compensatory behaviors
- Feeling guilt, panic, or shame after eating
- Body checking, comparing, hiding, or avoiding mirrors/photos
- Dizziness, fatigue, poor sleep, GI symptoms, or medical concerns
- Mood swings, irritability, anxiety, depression, or isolation
THE DIFFERENCE MATTERS
Eating disorder symptoms often overlap with anxiety, trauma, OCD, ADHD, depression, and medical concerns.
A careful psychiatric evaluation helps clarify what may be driving symptoms and whether additional medical, nutritional, therapy, or higher-level support is needed. Eating disorder care should be thoughtful, collaborative, and safety-focused.
Anxiety + Control
Food rules, restriction, rituals, or avoidance may become ways to manage uncertainty, fear, overwhelm, or feeling out of control.
Trauma + Safety
Body disconnection, shame, hypervigilance, restriction, bingeing, or avoidance may reflect attempts to feel safer or less overwhelmed.
OCD + Rigidity
Intrusive thoughts, compulsive checking, rituals, reassurance-seeking, or fear-based rules may overlap with eating disorder symptoms.
ADHD + Impulsivity
Executive dysfunction, impulsive eating, inconsistent meals, sensory sensitivity, or emotional dysregulation can complicate eating patterns.
RETURNING TO YOURSELF
Healing can begin with one safe next step.
You do not need to have everything figured out before asking for support. A thoughtful evaluation can help clarify what is happening and what level of care may be safest and most helpful.
PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION & MEDICATION MANAGEMENT
Medication may support recovery when symptoms extend beyond food.
Medication is not a replacement for eating disorder treatment, nutrition support, therapy, or medical monitoring. However, it may help when symptoms occur alongside anxiety, depression, obsessive thoughts, panic, trauma-related symptoms, ADHD, sleep disruption, or mood concerns.
Recommendations depend on diagnosis, symptom severity, medical status, medication history, safety concerns, side effects, and whether additional specialty eating disorder services may be appropriate.
Care may include:
- Comprehensive psychiatric evaluation
- Medication education and discussion
- Anxiety and depression treatment
- ADHD evaluation when appropriate
- Assessment of obsessive or intrusive thoughts
- Monitoring response and side effects
- Coordination with therapists and treatment teams
- Recommendations for higher levels of care when needed
WHO THIS IS FOR
Support for adolescents, young adults, adults, athletes, professionals, and anyone struggling with food, body image, or control.
Eating disorder symptoms affect people of all genders, ages, body sizes, backgrounds, and identities. Many people spend years believing they are “not sick enough” to deserve support.
If food, eating, body image, guilt, fear, control, or obsessive thinking are taking up more space in your life than you want them to, it may be worth exploring support.
EATING DISORDER FAQ
Common questions about eating disorder support.
Do I need a formal diagnosis before seeking help?
No. Many people seek support before they know exactly what is happening. A psychiatric evaluation can help clarify symptoms, diagnoses, safety concerns, and appropriate treatment recommendations.
Can eating disorders occur in people who are not underweight?
Yes. Eating disorders occur across all body sizes and appearances. Severity cannot be determined by appearance alone.
What if I am not sure whether my eating is “bad enough”?
Many people delay getting help because they believe they are not struggling enough. If thoughts about food, body image, eating, weight, guilt, control, or fear are causing distress, support may still be appropriate.
Can anxiety or trauma contribute to eating disorder symptoms?
Yes. Anxiety, trauma, obsessive thoughts, perfectionism, depression, ADHD, and stress frequently overlap with eating disorder concerns and deserve careful evaluation.
Will medication cure an eating disorder?
Medication is not a standalone eating disorder treatment. However, it may help address anxiety, depression, obsessive thoughts, ADHD symptoms, sleep disruption, or mood concerns that contribute to distress.
What if I need intensive treatment?
Some individuals benefit from outpatient therapy, while others may require intensive outpatient programs, partial hospitalization, residential treatment, or medical stabilization. Recommendations depend on safety, medical status, and symptom severity.
UNDERSTANDING THE WHY. FINDING THE WAY FORWARD.
You deserve support that looks beyond the symptoms.
Join the psychiatric waitlist for future eating disorder evaluation, medication management, and mental health support throughout Colorado.
Welch Psychiatric Group does not provide emergency or crisis services. Psychiatric services are anticipated July 2026 and are subject to licensure, credentialing, and applicable regulatory requirements.
