Eating disorder resources for current and previous clients

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, a time to shine a light on one of the most pressing issues in mental health: suicide. While conversations often focus broadly on depression or trauma, it is essential to recognize the deep connection between eating disorders and suicide risk. Studies show that individuals with eating disorders experience some of the highest rates of suicide among all psychiatric illnesses. For example, suicide is one of the leading causes of death for those with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder.

This heightened risk is tied to the immense emotional pain eating disorders bring, including feelings of hopelessness, shame, isolation, and self-hatred that can overwhelm anyone. Talking openly about suicide can reduce rather than increase suicidal thoughts, making education and awareness critical tools for prevention.

This blog post provides a curated list of suicide prevention resources specifically relevant to eating disorders. Whether you are an individual struggling, a loved one seeking to support someone, or a clinician looking for tools, these resources are designed to open pathways toward hope, safety, and healing.

Understanding the Elevated Risk of Eating Disorders and Suicide

• Suicide rates in anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders.

• Contributing factors: depression, PTSD, impulsivity, trauma.

• Why this intersection demands awareness.

Eating disorders are among the deadliest mental health conditions, with suicide being the second leading cause of death.  

Research indicates that individuals with anorexia nervosa are up to 18 times more likely to die by suicide than the general population. Those with bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder also face elevated suicide rates compared to peers without eating disorders. LGBTQ youth with a diagnosed eating disorder are nearly four times more likely to have attempted suicide in the past year compared to peers who have never had, or only suspected they had, an eating disorder.

Several factors contribute to this intersection. Many clients live with co-occurring depression, PTSD, anxiety, or trauma histories that compound their risk. Traits such as perfectionism, impulsivity, and intense emotional pain also increase vulnerability. People experiencing eating disorders often feel overwhelming guilt, shame, and hopelessness, which can create a dangerous cycle of self-criticism and despair.

The urgency becomes even clearer when looking at global data: suicide is the #1 cause of death among adolescent girls, and the #2 cause of death for individuals aged 10–34. Within eating disorder populations, risk factors such as weight suppression, social isolation, and medical complications add further strain.

Because eating disorders and suicide share such a dangerous overlap, raising awareness is not optional - it’s lifesaving. Families, clinicians, and communities must be equipped to recognize warning signs, understand contributing factors, and offer timely interventions that combine eating disorder care with suicide prevention strategies.

Why Support for Eating Disorders & Mental Health Is Crucial

Stigma and shame remain major barriers for those living with eating disorders and suicidal thoughts. Many feel silenced by fear of being judged or dismissed, making it less likely they will reach out for help. Without compassionate intervention, isolation can reinforce the dangerous belief that no one cares.

Early support changes outcomes. Asking directly about suicidal thoughts does not increase the risk. In fact, research shows it can reduce suicidal ideation by breaking through secrecy and showing that someone is willing to listen. Communities, caregivers, and professionals who create safe, nonjudgmental spaces play a crucial role in reducing risk and encouraging treatment engagement.

Eating disorder recovery requires not only nutritional rehabilitation but also attention to the emotional struggles that accompany the illness. By combining evidence-based therapies with suicide prevention strategies, treatment can address the whole person—body, mind, and spirit. Supporting those at risk is about more than safety; it is about affirming their worth and helping them envision a future beyond the eating disorder.

Curated Directory of Resources for Eating Disorders & Suicide Risk

Crisis Hotlines & Immediate Help

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.): Call or text 988 for 24/7 confidential support from trained crisis counselors.

• Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor.

Warning signs of acute suicide risk include talking about wanting to die, seeking access to lethal means, or showing dramatic mood changes. If these behaviors appear, immediate help is necessary. Parents, friends, and caregivers should never wait to act - call 911 if someone is in imminent danger.

Eating Disorder–Specific Support

• Monte Nido: Offers inpatient, residential, PHP, IOP, and virtual treatment, with suicide prevention integrated into care.

Eating disorder–specific hotlines and organizations provide targeted support for those whose struggles with food and body are closely tied to suicidal thoughts.

Broader Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Organizations

• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP): Offers research, advocacy, and support groups.

• The Trevor Project: Crisis services for LGBTQ+ youth, who face elevated risk for both eating disorders and suicide.

These organizations provide a wider net of mental health resources that complement eating disorder–specific supports.

Safety Planning & Emergency Tools

If an individual is struggling with suicidal thinking, a mental health professional can help develop a Safety Plan which can be designed to give individuals a step-by-step approach for managing suicidal thoughts when they arise.  These plans can offer a crucial bridge between a crisis and ongoing treatment.

Professional & Educational Resources

Mental health professionals are trained to provide a suicide risk assessment and when needed to help someone into the level of care that can best assist them.  Additionally, there are numerous continuing education programs designed to equip professionals with the latest knowledge and to ensure that suicide prevention is embedded in treatment programs, schools, and healthcare systems.

How to Use These Resources

• For individuals: keeping numbers accessible, joining groups, therapy.

• For loved ones: listening, validating, helping with safety plans.
  For clinicians/educators: screening, integrating safety planning, awareness in programs.

Suicide prevention resources are most effective when they are accessible and actively used. Individuals living with eating disorders can benefit from keeping hotline numbers saved in their phone, downloading safety planning apps, and exploring peer support communities. Therapy and structured treatment programs remain essential in reducing long-term risk.

For loved ones, the role is to listen without judgment, validate feelings, and encourage the use of crisis services when needed. Parents and caregivers can help teens create safety plans, remind them of available resources, and normalize asking for help. Even if conversations feel unproductive, research shows that those at risk are often listening closely.

For clinicians and educators, resources should be integrated into daily practice. Screening for suicide risk, creating safety plans, and connecting students or clients with crisis services are essential steps. Educational institutions and treatment centers alike can reduce stigma by openly discussing suicide prevention and ensuring that staff are trained in compassionate intervention.

The key is to make these tools part of everyday life—visible, accessible, and actively used, so that when risk arises, help feels within reach.

Taking Action: Support for Suicide and Eating Disorders

Suicide prevention starts with awareness and action. Saving helpline numbers, sharing them with others, and talking openly about eating disorders and suicide can create life-saving connections. Each conversation helps break stigma and reminds those struggling that they are not alone.

Monte Nido offers evidence-based, compassionate treatment designed to address both eating disorders and the co-occurring risks that come with them. If you or someone you know is in need, reach out today. Every step toward connection is a step away from isolation, and toward recovery.

Hope and Healing Beyond Suicide and Eating Disorders

Eating disorders carry a high risk of suicide, but risk does not define destiny. With timely support, compassionate treatment, and strong community connections, healing is possible. Talking openly about suicide does not create risk - it creates relief, reminding individuals that their pain can be shared and lightened.

No one has to face this alone. Help is always available, and recovery is within reach. By raising awareness this Suicide Prevention Month and beyond, we can help more people move from despair to hope—and toward lives full of meaning and possibility.

Maybe you’ve heard it, maybe you’ve said it: “I want to get better, I just don’t want to gain weight.” It can be a challenging feeling – especially if weight restoration is recommended by your team. And for those who need it, emotional and mental recovery happen when physical health is reestablished through weight restoration. Body and mind really are inextricably intertwined.

Once you get to the other side of weight restoration, the emotional and psychological healing that is likely to occur can make weight changes more manageable. Many people even come to appreciate their healthy bodies and have trouble remembering why weight mattered so much. I know that might be hard to believe right now, but it’s true, and it’s worth it, so take the leap of faith. Here are 5 strategies that might help.

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1) Focus on Your Values and Motivators

It’s normal to feel uncertain or ambivalent about eating disorder recovery in general – especially the weight piece. That’s why it’s important to figure out right at the beginning of treatment why recovery matters to you. These things are going to be harder to remember when you’re having a tough day, so write them down on an index card and use it as a bookmark so that you can keep looking back at it when you need a reminder.

To come up with your list, here are some questions to ask yourself.

• What things do you want to do that the eating disorder gets in the way of? For example, going out for dinner, getting a degree, or having a family.
• How has the eating disorder interfered with your values or who you want to be? For example, many people find themselves being less honest or isolating from family and friends, even though they value honesty and relationships.
• What do you dislike about the eating disorder? For example, you might dislike thinking about food all the time, the fact that you’re numb to positive emotions or that you lack energy or motivation for things you used to enjoy.

2) Learn about the Weight Restoration Process

When you know that weight restoration is part of your treatment plan, you might focus so much on possible body changes that you start to see almost everything as a sign that your weight is skyrocketing. For example, it is very normal to experience fluid shifts and digestive discomfort that may make you feel bloated and uncomfortable. These sensations happen regardless of whether or not weight is changing. It’s also common to believe that, since you are eating more, you must be gaining weight. However, your body is often using the added nutrition to make repairs rather than to restore weight.

The bottom line is, when living with an eating disorder, predictions about your weight are usually skewed. Knowledge is power, so talk to your team and ask them to explain what is happening to your body and what to expect during the course of treatment. And do your best to trust what they tell you – they’ve witnessed this process many times before.

3) Turn Your Attention Outward

The more we fixate on something, the more distorted our thoughts and perceptions get. For example, have you ever stared at your computer screen for so long that the words and images become blurry? Similarly, when we focus on our bodies for too long – including its appearance and sensations– our perception can become distorted, thus increasing distress.

Break the cycle by purposefully directing your attention outward, away from your body (but not onto other people’s bodies!). Focus on something in your environment, like the view out the window. Make a list of as many dog breeds as you can think of. Call a friend and ask them how their day is going. Color. Listen to music. Read. Anything that pushes body awareness to the back of your mind.

4) Talk Back to the Eating Disorder

Sometimes, it’s hard to shift your attention away from negative thoughts about your body, fears about weight change and body checking behaviors. When this happens, use your values, motivators, and what you’ve learned about the recovery process to challenge the eating disorder thoughts or “voice.” Practice disagreeing with it assertively and repeatedly. The more you do it, the easier it will get.

5) Practice Self-Compassion

Compassion is an alternative to judgment that recognizes difficulties as a universal part of what it means to be human. We experience compassion for each other when we notice that someone is having a tough time, feel emotionally moved by their pain, and therefore respond with kindness, warmth, and a desire to help. 

Do the same for yourself: recognize that you are having a tough time and respond with kindness and warmth. Speak to yourself in a gentle and understanding way, like you might speak to a friend. Try putting your hands over your heart or giving yourself a gentle squeeze. If it’s too daunting to give yourself kind encouragement, you might imagine an inner ally, a positive persona who voices kind and encouraging things to you, drowning out or talking back to the eating disorder’s negative voice.

Recovery Is Hard Work, But It’s Worth It

Of course, none of these strategies is going to guarantee you smooth sailing (that magic wand still doesn’t exist). Anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorder recovery is hard work, but that hard work is part of what leads to lasting health and happiness. If you let your team and support system help, and if you draw on these strategies for inner support, you will get through it. And yes, it will be worth it!

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The transition back to school marks a fresh start for many students, but for those at risk for or recovering from an eating disorder, it can also be a period of heightened vulnerability. New academic demands, shifting routines, and evolving social dynamics can lead to increased stress, which research shows is closely linked to the onset or worsening of disordered eating behaviors.

By understanding the relationship between stress and eating disorders, and by knowing the signs to look for, parents, teachers, and healthcare professionals can help ensure that students receive timely support and intervention.

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The Relationship Between Stress and Eating Disorders

Stress and eating disorders are deeply interconnected. In many cases, stress serves as both a trigger and a maintaining factor for disordered eating behaviors. For some, stress prompts restrictive eating as a way to gain a sense of control; for others, it can lead to overeating or binge eating as a way to cope with overwhelming emotions.

Anxiety disorders frequently co-occur with eating disorders, and the demands of the school environment can intensify both. Academic performance expectations, social relationships, and extracurricular responsibilities often create a high-pressure atmosphere, especially for teens with perfectionistic tendencies or a fear of failure.

These stressors can push vulnerable students toward unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as manipulating food intake, overexercising, or withdrawing socially. Over time, these behaviors can escalate, making early recognition and intervention critical. By addressing the underlying stress and providing healthier coping tools, families and professionals can help reduce the risk of an eating disorder taking hold.

Can School Stress Cause Eating Disorders?

School stress alone does not cause eating disorders, but it can be a powerful contributing factor, particularly for individuals with genetic predispositions, past trauma, or other mental health concerns. For adolescents, the school setting presents unique challenges: high academic expectations, peer pressure, social comparison, and in some cases, bullying or appearance-based teasing.

Transitions, such as moving from middle school to high school or preparing for college, can be especially destabilizing. These life changes often come with increased responsibilities, new environments, and a need to adapt quickly - all of which can heighten stress and trigger disordered eating patterns.

Perfectionism, a trait linked to both academic achievement and eating disorder risk, can further intensify the impact of school stress. Students who tie their self-worth to grades, sports performance, or social approval may use food and body control as a way to manage anxiety.

If these behaviors become habitual and unaddressed, they can progress into a diagnosable eating disorder, underscoring the importance of early identification and support.

Eating Disorders in High School Students

Adolescence is a peak period for the onset of eating disorders. Among high school students, these illnesses affect individuals across all genders, races, and body types, disproving the myth that eating disorders only impact a narrow demographic.

Common diagnoses in adolescents include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, ARFID, and other specified feeding or eating disorders (OSFED). These conditions can present differently from one student to another, and symptoms may be hidden behind academic success, athletic performance, or a socially active lifestyle.

Stigma remains a significant barrier to help-seeking in this age group, with many teens reluctant to disclose symptoms for fear of judgment or misunderstanding. Early intervention during high school is critical; timely, evidence-based treatment can improve recovery outcomes, reduce medical complications, and interrupt the progression of symptoms before they become deeply entrenched.

Signs of Stress-Induced Eating Disorders

Parents, educators, and peers can help by recognizing early warning signs of eating disorders, which may include:

• Skipping meals or drastically reducing food intake

• Eating in secret or avoiding eating with others

• Preoccupation with calories, weight, or body shape

• Sudden weight loss, gain, or fluctuation

• Excessive exercise or rigid workout routines

• Frequent trips to the bathroom during or after meals

• Mood changes, including irritability, anxiety, or depression

• Withdrawal from friends, activities, or school events

• Decline in academic performance or increased school absences

• Frequent complaints of stomach pain, bloating, or other digestive issues without a clear medical cause

While these behaviors can have many causes, persistent or worsening symptoms should be taken seriously. Eating disorders can develop gradually, and subtle changes in behavior or mood may be the first indicators. Early recognition is one of the most effective ways to prevent symptoms from escalating.

Tips to Help Reduce School Stress

There are many ways to help students manage back-to-school stress in healthy, sustainable ways:

• Encourage regular meals and snacks to support focus and energy

• Promote adequate, consistent sleep schedules

• Help students set realistic academic and extracurricular goals

• Provide time for unstructured relaxation and hobbies

• Model and teach mindfulness or breathing exercises for stress relief

• Maintain open, nonjudgmental communication about school and social pressures

While these strategies can reduce stress, it’s equally important to monitor for signs that stress is impacting a student’s health or daily functioning. If concerns arise, involving a mental health professional early can help address challenges before they escalate into more serious issues.

How Parents and Teachers Can Help

‍Parents and educators play a vital role in supporting students’ mental health and fostering resilience during stressful transitions. Strategies include:

• Maintaining open, judgment-free communication about challenges and concerns

• Avoiding comments about weight, appearance, or eating habits

• Offering reassurance that academic performance does not define worth

• Encouraging healthy coping outlets, such as creative activities, social connection, or physical activity for enjoyment rather than appearance control

• Coordinating with school counselors, coaches, and other professionals to ensure consistent support

By creating an environment of acceptance and understanding, parents and teachers can help students feel safe to share their struggles. This approach not only helps with early identification of eating disorder symptoms but also reinforces protective factors that can reduce vulnerability.

When Is Eating Disorder Treatment Necessary?

‍Early intervention is a key predictor of positive recovery outcomes. Treatment should be considered when changes in eating patterns are persistent, interfere with daily functioning, or cause noticeable physical or emotional distress.

Even “mild” symptoms should not be dismissed; without professional intervention, they can escalate quickly. Warning signs that treatment may be warranted include significant weight changes, physical health concerns, or an inability to manage school, work, and relationships due to eating disorder symptoms.

Parents and professionals are encouraged to seek an evaluation from a qualified eating disorder specialist if concerns arise. A comprehensive assessment can help determine the appropriate level of care, ranging from outpatient therapy to residential treatment, and provide the structure and support necessary for sustained recovery.

Learn About Eating Disorder Treatment with Monte Nido

Monte Nido Clementine’s programs provide evidence-based, individualized eating disorder treatment for adolescents, integrating medical, nutritional, and therapeutic care within a compassionate, recovery-focused environment. Our approach addresses the complex interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors, helping clients build lasting tools for recovery while restoring a healthy relationship with food and body.

For students facing increased stress during the school year, Monte Nido Clementine offers multiple levels of care, allowing for a seamless step-up or step-down in treatment as needed. Our adolescent programs prioritize age-appropriate interventions, family involvement, and coordination with schools to ensure that treatment supports, rather than disrupts, a student’s educational goals.

If you are working with or caring for a student who may be struggling, our Clementine team is available to provide consultation, assessment, and guidance on next steps. Learn more about our programs and admissions here.

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