GLP-1 Medications & Disordered Eating
Navigate the emotional side of GLP-1 treatment with specialized therapeutic support.
A New Conversation About Food, Weight & Medication
GLP-1 receptor agonists—medications like Ozempic (semaglutide), Wegovy, and Mounjaro (tirzepatide)—have rapidly become one of the fastest-growing prescription categories in the country. Originally developed for type 2 diabetes, they are now widely used for weight management, and their effects on appetite, food preoccupation, and eating behavior have been significant.
For many people, these medications provide genuine relief—reducing the constant noise of food thoughts, curbing cravings, and offering a sense of control that felt previously impossible. Early research has begun exploring whether they may also reduce binge eating episodes, though findings are mixed and more rigorous studies are needed.
But the picture is more complex than the headlines suggest. For individuals with a history of eating disorders, disordered eating, or a complicated relationship with food and body image, GLP-1 medications introduce a unique set of psychological challenges that deserve thoughtful, specialized attention.
This is an area where the medical and psychological worlds need to work more closely together. Whether you are considering a GLP-1 medication, currently taking one, or navigating the emotional aftermath of stopping—therapy can provide a space to process what these medications stir up and ensure that your relationship with food is healing, not just changing shape.
“Neuroscience research shows that the only way we can change the way we feel is by becoming aware of our inner experience and learning to befriend what is going inside ourselves.”
Bessel van der Kolk, MD
What You May Be Experiencing
The intersection of GLP-1 medications and disordered eating raises questions that most prescribers do not have time to explore. These are the concerns I hear most often.
Appetite Suppression & Restriction
GLP-1s can dramatically reduce appetite. For someone with a history of restriction, this effect can feel like permission to under-eat—reactivating old patterns without triggering alarm.
Identity & Weight Loss
Rapid body changes can disrupt your sense of self. If your identity has been shaped by your body size—in either direction—weight loss on GLP-1s can surface grief, confusion, or unexpected emotional responses.
Diet Culture Pressure
The cultural messaging around these medications often reinforces harmful beliefs: that thinness equals health, that appetite is the enemy, and that willpower was the missing ingredient. This can undermine recovery work.
Fear of Stopping
Many clients worry about what happens when they stop the medication. Will the bingeing return? Will the weight come back? These fears deserve careful, non-judgmental exploration.
Grief & Loss of a Coping Mechanism
If food has been your primary way of managing emotions, a medication that removes the urge to eat can leave a void. The emotions that eating was managing are still there—they just lost their buffer.
Medical vs. Psychological Treatment
GLP-1 medications address the biological dimension of eating. But the psychological, emotional, and relational patterns that contribute to disordered eating require a different kind of care.
Integrating Medication with Meaningful Therapy
I work with clients who are at every stage of the GLP-1 conversation—those considering the medication, those currently taking it, and those who have stopped or are thinking about stopping.
As an eating disorder specialist, I bring clinical knowledge that most prescribers do not have the time or training to offer. I help clients explore the emotional motivations behind seeking medication, screen for eating disorder patterns that may complicate treatment, and monitor for signs that appetite suppression is reinforcing restriction rather than supporting recovery. I also collaborate directly with prescribers when needed—ensuring that the psychological dimensions of your relationship with food are part of the treatment conversation, not an afterthought.
For clients with a history of eating disorders, this work is especially important. Eating disorder specialists have raised concerns that GLP-1 medications may mask active restriction, bypass the emotional work of recovery, or create a false sense of resolution. Therapy provides a place to look honestly at these dynamics and build the internal resources that lasting recovery requires.
The broader picture
GLP-1 medications intersect with many eating-related concerns. Understanding these connections helps ensure treatment addresses the emotional and psychological layers—not just the pharmacological ones.
The Process
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Medication and therapy
work better together.
GLP-1 medications change the body, but food's emotional pull often remains. Therapy helps you work through that layer. Start with a free 20-minute consultation.