Food is an essential part of our everyday lives, which can make it difficult to recognize when concerns about eating become something more serious. Our eating habits exist on a spectrum, from healthy to disordered eating to diagnosable eating disorders. Many of us engage in disordered eating and have dieted or manipulated food at some point in our lives, for many reasons. Many people struggle with their relationship with food long before they meet criteria for an eating disor

As providers who work with insurance companies, we are required to assign all clients a mental health diagnosis from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-5-TR. While these diagnoses can be a useful way to categorize a cluster of symptoms and apply evidence-based treatments to help a client find relief, clients can also have a strong response to their diagnosis. Some may find relief now that they finally have an explanation, while others may questi