Whatever your age or gender, it may seem like there is no escape from your eating disorder, but it's within your reach. Eating disorders describe conditions where preoccupation with food, eating-related behaviors, and weight crowds out major facets of life. Eating disorders are serious, chronic health conditions that affect men and women of every age group. With treatment, support, and these self-help strategies, you are able to overcome your eating disorder and gain true self-confidence.
Eating disorder treatment also involves addressing other health problems brought on by an eating disorder, which can be serious or even life-threatening when they go untreated for long enough. If the eating disorder doesn't improve with standard treatment or causes health problems, you might need hospitalization or another type of inpatient program.
Psychotherapy
Individual and/or group psychotherapy sessions help many women with eating disorders to better understand their disease process, and notice a decrease in their symptoms. A psychologist, therapist, social worker, psychiatrist, or eating disorder specialist may conduct individual and group therapy for eating disorders.
Inpatient treatment
Inpatient treatment involves 24-hour care inside a public or private hospital (or in a likewise structured and contained environment). Inpatient treatment is often needed once the person with the eating disorder is experiencing medical or psychological problems and they'll commonly present with severe symptoms of the eating disorder. Inpatient treatment concentrates on medical stabilisation and will include medical assistance and psychological support.
Dietary Consultation
A registered dietician familiar with developing meal plans for eating disorder patients might be able to help the sufferer overcome their apprehensions about food. Generating nutrition, exercise and dietary must the help of a nutritionist can provide the affected person with a sense of trust and surrender required to end reliance on eating disorder symptoms.
Family Counseling
Eating disorders not just affect the sufferer, but impact her entire family. Family therapy also may help the family to engage in their own process of recovery and to better support their loved one in her recovery.
Peer Support Groups
Unlike therapeutic groups operated by professionals, peer-led support groups can help eating disorder sufferers learn to verbalize feelings about food, share their unique stories, and reduce the shame associated with the diseases. 12 step mutual support groups with concentrate on eating disorder recovery include Overeaters Anonymous, Anorexics and Bulimics Anonymous, and Eating Disorders Anonymous.
Outpatient Treatment Programs
Some hospitals and independent organizations offer structured programs that offer outpatient treatment for eating disorders. For persons who're able to tolerate emotions and steer clear of symptoms at home, these programs can be a viable alternative to inpatient hospitalizations or residential eating disorder treatment.
Medication
Studies have found that certain women with eating disorders, and especially those suffering with co-occurring disorders, can benefit from prescription medication. Medication may make it easier for sufferers to participate more fully in treatment and take greater ownership of the recovery. Medication for eating disorders and co-occurring disorders must only be prescribed by an experienced psychiatrist or medical doctor focusing on eating disorders and/or addiction medicine.