Most eating disorder treatment in Colorado Springs runs through therapy, and therapy matters. But for a lot of people, the thoughts and behaviors around food do not loosen their grip until whatever is underneath them gets treated too, the anxiety or the obsessive thinking that’s driving the pattern. That piece is often missing, and it’s the piece we handle.
We provide psychiatric evaluation and medication management for eating disorders in Colorado Springs, working alongside your therapist and dietitian instead of replacing them. Our job is figuring out what’s underneath the eating behaviors and treating that directly.
Some people binge, eating large amounts of food with a feeling of losing control over it, then sitting with shame afterward. That’s binge eating disorder, and according to the National Institute of Mental Health, it’s the most common eating disorder in the country, though it doesn’t get talked about that way. When binging gets followed by purging, excessive exercise, fasting, or laxative misuse to compensate, that shifts into bulimia nervosa, and the medication piece has real, well-studied evidence behind it here.
Then there’s the more medically serious end: restriction that drives body weight significantly low, paired with an intense fear of gaining weight and a relationship with your own body that’s become distorted. Anorexia nervosa needs close coordination with medical monitoring alongside psychiatric care, not psychiatric care alone.
A lot of what we see doesn’t fit neatly into any of those. Atypical presentations, avoidant or restrictive patterns that don’t check every diagnostic box. You don’t need to match a textbook description before it’s worth bringing up.
Usually both, doing different jobs. Therapy works on the thoughts and behaviors around food directly, often through cognitive behavioral approaches. Psychiatric care works on what’s underneath: anxiety, depression, OCD, or trauma that frequently drives disordered eating and makes it harder to treat with therapy on its own.
Medication isn’t right for every presentation, and it won’t replace therapy or nutritional support when those are what’s needed. For bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder specifically though, certain medications have real research behind them, and skipping that piece can leave people stuck longer than necessary.
A full psychiatric evaluation comes first. We look at your eating patterns and your history with food and body image, along with what else might be part of the picture: anxiety, depression, OCD, trauma history.
From there, medication management may make sense. Fluoxetine is FDA-approved for bulimia nervosa and remains the most studied option for cutting down binge and purge episodes. Lisdexamfetamine is FDA-approved specifically for binge eating disorder in adults. Depending on your presentation and what else is going on, other medications might fit better.
If you already have a therapist or dietitian, we coordinate with them directly. If you don’t, we can help you find that support. This works best as a team effort, and the psychiatric piece is ours to carry.
We offer in-person appointments at our Colorado Springs office at 1880 Office Club Point, Suite 108, and telehealth appointments across Colorado and Montana for anyone who prefers or needs to be seen remotely.
We work with commercial insurance and Tricare, along with VA-associated plans.
If food, body image, or eating patterns have started taking up more space in your life than you want them to, a psychiatric evaluation can help you understand what’s driving it and whether medication belongs in the picture. Contact Sage Psychiatry to get started.
Binge eating disorder involves episodes of eating large amounts of food with a loss of control, without regular compensatory behaviors after. Bulimia nervosa involves that same binge pattern followed by purging, excessive exercise, fasting, or laxative misuse to compensate. Both are treatable, and both have medication options with research behind them.
For bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder specifically, yes. Fluoxetine is FDA-approved for bulimia nervosa, and lisdexamfetamine is FDA-approved for binge eating disorder in adults. Medication works best alongside therapy, and whether it fits your situation depends on your specific presentation.
We evaluate and treat anorexia nervosa as part of a coordinated care team, working alongside medical monitoring and therapy. Anorexia carries serious medical risk, so we’ll be direct with you about what level of care your specific situation calls for.
No referral is required. Many patients come to us already working with a therapist or dietitian, and we coordinate with that team. Others come to us first, and we help connect them with additional support.
That’s common, and it doesn’t make an evaluation less worthwhile. Disordered eating exists on a spectrum, and atypical or subclinical presentations still respond to treatment. If food or body image concerns are affecting your daily life, that’s reason enough.
Yes, for psychiatric evaluation and medication management, across Colorado and Montana. In-person appointments are available in Colorado Springs, and depending on medical severity, in-person coordination with your medical team may still be recommended alongside telehealth psychiatric care.
