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Eating disorder resources, helplines, and support

You don’t have to navigate everything on your own. Whether you are looking for information about eating disorders, support for someone you love, help with ARFID, or the right kind of care, this page gathers the organizations, helplines, and guides worth knowing — and says what each one actually does.

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Numbers and links checked September 25, 2026. Free unless marked otherwise.

Right now

If you need help right now

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Otherwise, these lines are free, confidential, and open all night.

  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

    Call or text 988

    Free, confidential support for anyone in emotional distress or thinking about suicide, and for people worried about someone else. Call, text, or chat. Spanish-speaking counselors are available by pressing 2 or texting AYUDA.

    24/7 · Free · Confidential

  • Crisis Text Line

    Text HOME to 741741

    Text-based crisis support from trained volunteer counselors, for any kind of crisis. Useful when talking out loud is not possible.

    24/7 · Free · Text

  • Emergency services

    Call 911

    If you or someone else is in immediate danger, or there is a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Eating disorders can cause medical emergencies that are not visible from the outside.

    24/7 · Emergency

  • 211

    Call 211

    A free, confidential line that connects you with local services: behavioral health, food, housing, utilities, and transportation. Available in most languages through interpreters.

    24/7 · Free · Local services

In brief

The short version.

In a crisis
Call or text 988, any hour. If you cannot talk, text HOME to 741741. For a medical emergency, call 911.
To talk to someone about an eating disorder
The National Alliance for Eating Disorders helpline, 1-866-662-1235, is free and staffed by licensed therapists on weekdays.
If you are a parent
Start with F.E.A.S.T.: the free FEAST 30 Days email program and a parent forum where experienced parents answer, day or night.
To find care in California
OC Links, 1-855-625-4657, in Orange County; your county's behavioral health line elsewhere; findEDhelp.com for eating disorder programs.

Support lines

More lines to call, text, or chat

Not every hard moment is a 911 moment. These lines are for the middle ground: needing to talk to someone tonight, needing a referral, or needing help with a specific situation. Where a line is peer-run rather than clinician-staffed, it says so.

National

California

Warm lines are for the hours before something becomes a crisis. They are answered by peer counselors with lived experience, not clinicians, and they are not for emergencies.

Eating disorders

Eating disorder helplines and organizations

Eating disorders are serious, treatable mental health conditions that affect people of every age, body size, gender, and background. Support does not have to wait until things feel bad enough — the organizations below are where most people start.

Talk to someone who knows eating disorders

Learn more

ARFID

ARFID resources

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder is an eating disorder in which food is avoided or restricted because of sensory sensitivity, low interest in eating, or fear of what might happen after eating — choking, vomiting, pain — rather than because of weight or shape concerns. It affects children and adults, and treatment is matched to the reasons behind the avoidance.

ARFID can look different from other eating disorders: the person may be a lifelong “picky eater,” eat a very narrow range of foods, or have stopped eating after a frightening episode. It is often missed, especially in adults and in autistic people, and it frequently exists alongside other conditions.

Information and support

Specialist programs and research

Two academic programs that developed and study the main treatments for ARFID publish reliable information for families and clinicians.

Families

For parents, partners, and caregivers

Supporting someone with an eating disorder is hard, especially when you are trying to balance compassion, boundaries, and the need to encourage treatment. You do not have to know exactly what to say. Learning how the illness works lets you respond to the disorder rather than to the person, and it lets you stop navigating alone.

Parents in particular often arrive having been told, directly or by implication, that they caused this. The organizations below start from a different position: families are part of the solution, and the evidence supports involving them.

Where to start

Family-Based Treatment

Family-Based Treatment (FBT) is the leading evidence-based treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa and is also used for bulimia and ARFID. Parents take charge of nutrition early in treatment, then hand control back as the young person recovers. These resources explain the approach and help you find clinicians trained in it.

Teens & young adults

For teens, students, and young adults

If you are a teenager or in college and something about food or your body has taken over more space than it should, you are allowed to ask for help before you have a name for it. These are places where people your age go first.

Made for young people

Body image

Body image and your relationship with food

Developing a more peaceful relationship with food and your body is usually a process rather than a destination. These organizations focus on body image, weight stigma, and eating without rules — the ground that recovery tends to settle into.

Organizations

Communities

Support for specific communities

Eating disorders do not look like the stereotype. They are common in men and boys, in LGBTQ+ people, in people of color, in athletes, in autistic people, in people in larger bodies, and in people with diabetes — and each of these groups is less likely to be recognized and referred. These organizations were built for them.

LGBTQ+ and trans people

Black, Indigenous, and people of color

Men and boys

Athletes

People with diabetes

  • Diabulimia Helpline (opens in a new tab)

    Free · Type 1 diabetes · Volunteer-run

    For people with type 1 diabetes who restrict insulin or struggle with eating, and for their families. A volunteer-run, 24-hour line, referrals to providers who understand both conditions, help with insurance, and peer support groups. Insulin restriction is medically dangerous; if you are unwell, treat it as an emergency.

    Volunteer-run, not clinician-staffed.

    Call
    1-425-985-3635
    Web
    diabulimiahelpline.org (opens in a new tab)
    Hours
    24/7
    Cost
    Free

Autistic and neurodivergent people

Pregnancy and postpartum

Treatment team

Building a treatment team

Therapy is usually one part of a larger support system. Depending on your needs, recovery may also involve a physician, a registered dietitian who specializes in eating disorders, a psychiatrist, or a higher level of care. This is how the pieces fit.

When looking for any provider, it is reasonable to ask about their experience with eating disorders, with ARFID if that applies, and with weight-inclusive care. A provider who is unsure is not a bad provider — but eating disorders are a specialty, and the answer matters.

Eating disorder–informed dietitians

A dietitian with eating disorder experience provides individualized nutrition support as part of recovery, coordinated with therapy and medical care. The practice does not provide nutrition services; these directories help you find someone who does.

Finding a therapist

For eating disorders specifically, start with the Alliance's findEDhelp.com and the iaedp directory above. These two general directories are useful when you also need a fit around identity, language, or location.

Medical and psychiatric care

Eating disorders can have significant physical effects even when they are not visible, and even at any body weight. If you have physical symptoms related to eating, weight change, or purging, involve a medical provider — and share the AED medical care guide above if they are unfamiliar with what to check. Some people also benefit from psychiatric evaluation or medication alongside therapy; a therapist can help decide whether that referral makes sense and coordinate it with an appropriate release.

Levels of care, explained

Outpatient therapy is not the right level of care for everyone at every point in recovery. If more support may be needed, your treatment team can help you understand the options. These are the terms you will hear.

Outpatient
Regular appointments with a therapist, often alongside a dietitian and a physician, while you live at home and keep up with school or work. This is what Zehn Therapy provides. It suits people who are medically stable and able to make progress between sessions.
Intensive outpatient (IOP)
Several hours of programming a few days a week, usually including group therapy and supported meals, while still living at home. A step up when weekly sessions are not enough.
Partial hospitalization (PHP)
Most of the day, most days of the week, in a structured program with meals, groups, and medical oversight, returning home at night. Used when symptoms need daily support but overnight care is not required.
Residential
Living at a treatment facility for weeks or months, with round-the-clock support, structured meals, and a full treatment team. For people who are medically stable but need more containment than day programs offer.
Inpatient and medical stabilization
Hospital-based care for people who are medically unstable or at acute risk. The focus is safety and physical stabilization, after which care steps down to a lower level.

Outpatient therapy is not appropriate for every person at every stage of an eating disorder. The clinician may recommend additional medical or nutritional support, or a higher level of care, when that is what the situation calls for. Referral options are offered without any guarantee of availability.

Paying for care

Paying for treatment and knowing your rights

Cost is one of the most common reasons treatment is delayed. Californians have stronger insurance protections for mental health care than most people realize, and there are organizations whose whole purpose is to close the gap.

Under California's mental health parity law (SB 855, in effect since 2021), state-regulated health plans must cover medically necessary treatment for every mental health condition in the DSM — which includes eating disorders — at every level of care, from outpatient therapy to residential treatment, and must arrange out-of-network care when no in-network provider is available. A denial can be appealed, and the state will review it independently. The law does not reach self-funded employer plans, Medicare, or Medi-Cal, which have their own rules and their own appeal routes.

If your insurance says no

Lower-cost therapy

California & Orange County

California and Orange County services

Every California county runs a behavioral health line that can assess what you need and connect you with public services, regardless of insurance. Orange County's is OC Links. If you are elsewhere in the state, the county directory below will find yours.

Orange County

Elsewhere in California

Reading

Books to start with

None of these replaces treatment, and a book that steadies one person can unsettle another — if you are in treatment, ask your team before reading about symptoms in detail. Links go to the publisher or author where possible, not to a retailer.

For parents and caregivers

Written for the person doing the shopping, the cooking, and the sitting-with.

About eating disorders and recovery

For the person who is unwell, and for anyone trying to understand them.

Body image and food without rules

Often read later in recovery, and by anyone tired of diet culture.

Tools

Screening and self-help tools

A few free tools that answer a specific question — is this worth talking to someone about, is this dose dangerous, how do I track what I am eating and feeling for my team — without turning your phone into a monitor.

Free tools

Zehn guides

Guides from Zehn Therapy, in progress

A small library of practical guides is being written to make eating disorder information easier to understand and use. Each one is reviewed by the clinician before it appears here, so the list grows slowly and on purpose.

  • Understanding eating disorders

    In progress

    An introduction to eating disorders, common symptoms, and why they can be difficult to recognize.

  • Understanding ARFID

    In progress

    A practical introduction to ARFID, including the different reasons someone may avoid or restrict food.

  • Supporting a loved one with an eating disorder

    In progress

    Guidance for parents, partners, and other loved ones who want to help without reinforcing eating disorder behaviors.

  • Understanding the binge–restrict cycle

    In progress

    How restriction contributes to binge eating, and why breaking the cycle usually involves more than willpower.

  • Body neutrality vs. body positivity

    In progress

    What it can look like to develop a more neutral, compassionate relationship with your body.

  • Meal support: helpful and unhelpful responses

    In progress

    Practical guidance for supporting someone through meals without increasing shame or conflict.

  • Recognizing signs of relapse

    In progress

    Changes in thoughts, behaviors, and routines that may signal a need for additional support.

  • Preparing for your first therapy session

    In progress

    What to expect, what you can bring, and how to begin talking about things that are hard to put into words.

Already on this site

Until the guides are ready, the condition pages cover each presentation in depth, and the FAQ answers the questions that come up most often.

Questions

Questions people ask when looking for help

Short, direct answers. Where a question is really about your own situation, the answer is a conversation with a clinician, and the first one is free.

I think I might have an eating disorder. Where do I start?

Start with one conversation. If you want to talk to a person, the National Alliance for Eating Disorders helpline (1-866-662-1235, weekdays) is staffed by licensed therapists who will help you understand what you are experiencing and what kind of help fits. If you would rather begin privately, NEDA's free online screening takes about three minutes. Either way, you do not need to be certain something is wrong, or to meet a diagnostic threshold, to ask.

Is an eating disorder helpline confidential and free?

Yes. The helplines on this page are free to call, and they are confidential. You do not need to give your name, and calling does not obligate you to anything. The exception is an emergency: if someone's life is in immediate danger, a counselor may involve emergency services.

What is the difference between 988 and Crisis Text Line?

Both are free, confidential, and available 24/7. 988 is the national Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — you can call, text, or chat, and it is the right line for suicidal thoughts, overwhelming distress, or worry about someone else. Crisis Text Line is text-only (HOME to 741741), staffed by trained volunteer counselors, and is useful when you cannot or would rather not speak out loud. Neither is limited to suicide; both take any kind of crisis.

When does an eating disorder become a medical emergency?

Fainting or collapse, chest pain or an irregular heartbeat, blood in vomit or stool, confusion, a seizure, or being unable to keep fluids down are reasons to call 911 or go to an emergency department. These can happen at any body weight. If in doubt, err toward being seen — eating disorders have one of the highest medical risks of any mental health condition, and emergency physicians would rather assess someone who turns out to be stable than miss someone who is not.

How do I know if outpatient therapy is enough?

That is a clinical judgment made with your treatment team, based on medical stability, how much symptoms are interfering with daily life, and whether progress is possible between sessions. Signs that a higher level of care may be needed include continued weight loss or medical instability, being unable to eat enough without support at most meals, or symptoms that keep escalating despite weekly therapy. A therapist who works with eating disorders will raise this with you directly rather than wait for you to ask.

Does Zehn Therapy provide crisis support?

No. Zehn Therapy provides scheduled outpatient psychotherapy by telehealth. It does not provide crisis response, after-hours cover, medical monitoring, or 24/7 support, and messages are not monitored continuously. If you are in immediate danger or experiencing a medical emergency, call 911. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline can be reached by call or text at 988.

How do I find an eating disorder dietitian in California?

Search the EDRD Pro directory or the iaedp Foundation's Find a Practitioner directory, both of which list dietitians who specialize in eating disorders and many of whom see clients by telehealth anywhere in California. Ask about their experience with your specific concern — ARFID, binge eating, atypical anorexia — and whether they practice weight-inclusive care. Your therapist can also refer you and, with your written permission, coordinate care.

Does insurance have to cover eating disorder treatment in California?

For state-regulated plans, yes. California's SB 855 requires health plans to cover medically necessary treatment for all mental health conditions, including eating disorders, at every level of care, using nationally recognized clinical criteria. If a plan denies care, you can appeal, and the Department of Managed Health Care (1-888-466-2219) or the Department of Insurance (1-800-927-4357) can arrange a free Independent Medical Review. Self-funded employer plans, Medicare, and Medi-Cal follow different rules with their own appeal routes; the Alliance helpline can help you work out which apply, and Project HEAL's Insurance Resource Hub walks through an appeal step by step.

My child is refusing to eat. What should I do tonight?

Tonight, keep it calm and keep them safe: do not negotiate, lecture, or threaten, and do not leave a child who has fainted, is confused, or has chest pain without medical attention — those are emergency department signs. Tomorrow, call your pediatrician for a medical check and ask for a referral to an eating disorder specialist, and sign up for F.E.A.S.T.'s free FEAST 30 Days emails. Parents are not the cause of eating disorders, and with the right support they are one of the strongest parts of treatment.

Is listing a resource here an endorsement?

No. Resources are listed for information. Inclusion is not an endorsement, a guarantee of service, or a referral agreement with Zehn Family Therapy, Professional Corporation. Availability, eligibility, and services change; check each organization's current information directly.

About this page

How this list is kept honest.

Every number and link here was checked against the organization’s own website on September 25, 2026. Only nonprofits, professional bodies, and public agencies are listed; no treatment company pays, or could pay, to appear.

Organizations change their hours, names, and numbers. If you find something out of date, or know a resource that belongs here, email hello@zehntherapy.com and it will be fixed.

Looking for therapy?

If you are looking for support with an eating disorder, ARFID, body image, or a related concern, you do not have to have everything figured out before reaching out. Therapy is a place to slow things down, understand what is happening, and work toward change at a pace that is collaborative and right for you.

Schedule a Consultation

Abir Ayesh, LMFT #164848 · Telehealth across California