Leading behavioral health treatment provider Newport Healthcare is proudly recognizing National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, February 23 through March 1, and reaffirming its commitment to advancing compassionate, evidence-based care for individuals and families impacted by eating disorders. As a collaborating partner of the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), Newport joins organizations nationwide in raising awareness, reducing stigma, and promoting early intervention.
Eating disorders are serious, complex mental health conditions that affect an estimated 28.8 million Americans at some point in their lives. They are among the deadliest mental health disorders, with anorexia nervosa carrying one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric illness. Despite their severity, eating disorders often go undetected or untreated making early identification and intervention critical to improving outcomes and reducing long-term medical and psychological complications.
Newport Healthcare treats eating disorders as a secondary diagnosis alongside primary mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, trauma-related disorders, and mood disorders. This integrated approach reflects the reality that eating disorders frequently co-occur with other psychiatric conditions and require coordinated, multidisciplinary care. Newport is in-network with most major insurance providers, helping expand access to high-quality, specialized treatment for those in need.
Last week, Newport thought leaders presented at the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP) Annual Symposium, contributing to the national conversation on innovation in eating disorder treatment. Their presentation, titled “When the Eating Disorder is (un)masked by Trauma,” highlighted the intricate and often underrecognized relationship between trauma and eating disorders. The panel featured Newport Healthcare’s Medical Director Mirela Loftus, MD, PhD; National Director of Eating Disorder Programs Kara Becker, LMFT, CEDS; National Nutrition Manager Annaliese DiFabbio, RD, CEDS; and National Director of EMDR Services Olivia Lynch, MS, LPC.
The presentation explored the significant clinical challenges that arise when post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) co-occurs with eating disorders, particularly severe presentations. Newport’s experts emphasized that trauma often precedes and fuels disordered eating behaviors, as individuals may use restriction, bingeing, purging, or other maladaptive behaviors to cope with overwhelming distress, shame, guilt, or self-punishment. Through the lens of a complex case study, the team demonstrated how collaborative, patient-centered treatment can address both trauma and eating disorder symptoms simultaneously. The approach integrated medical oversight, nutritional rehabilitation, specialized psychotherapy, and trauma-focused interventions to create a cohesive and individualized treatment plan.
Attendees of the 500+ person Symposium gained practical tools to identify overlapping symptoms between PTSD and eating disorders, apply a symptom prioritization framework, and utilize Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to decrease internalized negative beliefs and maladaptive coping behaviors.
During National Eating Disorders Awareness Week and beyond, Newport Healthcare remains committed to increasing awareness, expanding access to care, and advancing innovation in the treatment of complex mental health conditions. Join their live CE webinar for mental health professionals on Wednesday, February 25 titled “Neurodiversity and Eating Disorders: What Clinicians Need to Know.” Register here.
For more information about Newport Healthcare’s programs and services, visit www.newporthealthcare.com.
About Newport Healthcare
Newport Healthcare is the nation’s leading provider of evidence-based behavioral health treatment for youth, young adults, and families. Its full continuum of care includes residential services, partial hospitalization programs (PHP), and intensive outpatient programs (IOP) for mental health and substance use disorders, as well as psychiatric inpatient services. Newport’s family-centered, integrated approach fosters sustainable healing from a foundation of compassionate care and clinical expertise, with a primary mission to empower lives and restore families.
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