Treatment of Eating Disorders

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders can be and should be professionally treated.

I never sought professional treatment for my anorexia, perhaps if I had it would not have taken me over eight years to come into a place of recovery. The good news is that there are resources for you and your family so that you do not need to go it alone like I did. Eating disorders are difficult, but there is treatment, and it’s getting better all the time!

First off, whether you are a parent reading this or a sufferer, understand this; Malnutrition, starvation and the effects of eating disorders have severely distortionary effects on the brain. Because of this many sufferers do not want treatment. In fact, many sufferers will deny that they have an eating disorder. I would know because I denied mine for eight years! Anorexia, in particular, is very manipulative.

Due to the long-term problems associated with a low body weight, it is crucial that treatment is given as soon as possible. If you suspect that a loved one (or yourself) has an eating disorder, DO NOT WAIT to seek treatment.

If the sufferer is you- Do not wait until you feel ready to get treatment, that time will never come and every day that you wait will make it harder on you. Do it today, tell someone that you know will look after you, a parent, family member, friend or email me.

For Parents– If the individual that you are worried about is a minor you can begin their treatment for them without their consent and in the majority of cases of anorexia this is how it will be in the primary stages of treatment. Do not wait for them to want treatment, that day will likely never come. Act today. 

Eating disorders can kill. Do not wait to until the sufferer is ‘ready’ for treatment if they are at a dangerously low body weight.

 

Treatment options

 

Inpatient Programs.

It is important that a low body weight is not sustained  and that a more normal weight gets achieved as soon as possible. This is a particularly stressful time for a sufferer and impatient facilities can make it easier.

For Sufferers An inpatient facility will take all the decision-making stress around what to eat, when to eat it etc away from you. You will be taken care of and you will not have any choice but to recover. I highly recommend this route so long as you find a credible inpatient facility. Make sure that you have a support system in place for when you come out- more on that below.

For Parents If you have a child that is very underweight and is not responsive to your efforts to make him or her eat I strongly recommend that you send them to an inpatient facility. Here the bulk of the re- feeding will be done for you, and it will be done no matter what it takes. Be prepared that this might involve a feeding tube and/ or medication and understand that it is actually often less stressful for a person with anorexia not to have to make decisions about food. Your child will be fed and they will not have any part in the decision-making process. Understand that this is looking after their long term health and recovery.

The re-feeding process can be difficult, stressful and complicated but thankfully there are  centers that can help you do this, I have heard great things about the Eating Recovery Center in Denver and I am also happy to give you my opinion on other centers, or ask a colleague that has first-hand experience on your behalf. It’s very important that the treatment center that you choose for yourself or your child is going to get results in terms of weight restoration.

Even then, treatment does not begin and end in a treatment facility, there is a lot of work to be done after the initial re-feeding stage is taken care of, and this is where family therapy and outpatient programs are essential to prevent relapse.

If you are looking for a treatment center I recommend this peer-based review site – F.E.A.S.T

Family-Based Therapy (FBT):

For Parents– it is vital that you look into FBT and MaudsleyResearch on these systems points very clearly that they are very effective at treating eating disorders. This approach will give the parents a vital role as caregivers that are working with the sufferer 24/7 restore a more normal body weight.

In doing this, you will be helping your child get back to a state of repair needed in order to overcome some of the neurological and biological effects of malnutrition.

An essential resource is the F.E.A.S.T. forum

After weight restoration- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)/ Yoga and coaches

Weight restoration has to come first. But after that there is often still a lot of work to be done. The habitual, behavioral and addictive elements of an eating disorder will need to be addressed, as will the triggers, as without doing this there is a high chance of relapse.

Be prepared for some work in this part. Eating disorders are chronic illnesses, but with constant and dedicated effort they can be largely overcome.

Nutritional Therapy/ Coaching.

Malnutrition plays a large part in any eating disorder and has neurological and biological effects. Once weight is restored,  it needs to stay restored without chance of relapse. Many patients and carers make the mistake of complacency in the final stages of recovering from an eating disorder and this can be costly. Having a team is essential, a dietitian, nutritionist or eating coach will help everything stay on track.

Out Patient Programs;

The University of California has a fabulous Adult Intensive Family Therapy Program. It’s also FREE!!

 

Online Support.

There are plenty of online resources for a person that is living life after an eating disorder, but watch out because there is a lot of misinformation out there too! Most of these are well-intended support groups, but remember that they are peer-based and should not be used instead of a professional or experienced treatment team.

One thing that scares me is diet gurus that tout restrictive diets as a recovery resource for an eating disorder. Recovered sufferers and their parents need to be wary of groups that promote any particular diet or restrictive way of eating as this could potentially trigger a relapse. People that have had anorexia or bulimia need to focus on retaining a balanced diet that does not eliminate any good group or macronutrient. Cleanses and commercial eating programs should be avoided.

There are some wonderful groups that work to keep sufferers safe from such things.

 MEAD Advocacy and Activism and IED International Eating Disorder Action are two of them and you can find them on twitter #MEADvocates. Recovery, especially in the initial stages means understanding what your triggers might be and working against them on a daily basis

Eating disorders are complicated because they affect neurological and biological systems at the same time. Every sufferer will have their own path to recovery but one thing that is clear is that body weight has to be restored before the behavioral effects can be addressed. After weight restoration a planned and structured continuation of treatment must be maintained in order to prevent relapse and ensure that the individual continues into full long term recovery.

 

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