How to Treat Eating Disorders

Although there are many ways to treat eating disorders, some of them are more effective than others. In this article, we’ll tell you what they are, how to choose one, and why people choose them.

Most people feel it’s impossible to treat eating disorders but this is not true. Although it requires a lot of work and time, it is possible to treat eating disorders

Eating disorder treatment relies on your unique condition and your symptoms. It often comprises a mix of psychological counselling (psychotherapy), dietary instruction, medical monitoring, and occasionally drugs.

Eating disorder therapy also requires you to treat additional health issues produced by eating disorders, which may be significant or even life-threatening if they go untreated for too long.

How common are eating disorders?

Eating disorders are more frequent than most people realize. In studies done it was revealed that eating disorders impact at least 9 per cent of the population globally. 9 per cent of the U.S. population, or 28.8 million Americans, will develop an eating problem in their lives.

Also, less than 6 per cent of those with eating disorders are medically categorized as “underweight.” A range of 30 to 70 per cent of those with eating disorders come from genes. Eating disorders are among the worst mental diseases, second only to opiate addiction.

There are around 10000 deaths due to eating disorders each year and a death every 52 minutes. About 26 per cent of persons with eating problems attempt suicide. The economic impact of eating disorders is $64.7 billion per year.

Who is at risk for eating disorders?

Although eating disorders are often associated with young girls, they may affect men and women of any age.

Eating disorders are considerably more than just a problem with eating. They’re typically used to cope with or express feelings that are too overpowering or difficult to put into words.

People with eating disorders might divert their attention away from their true feelings by focusing on food and weight.

The kind of food you consume may promote eating disorders, but eating disorders have little to do with food. Instead, they are complicated disorders caused by a slew of long-standing psychological, spiritual, psychological, interpersonal, and societal difficulties.

Anybody, irrespective of race or ethnicity, family financial level, or body shape, may develop an eating problem. However, certain individuals are more vulnerable to this, such as:

• Women have a history of eating problems in their families.
• People who have tried and failed to lose weight in the past.
• People who have been made fun of because of their weight.
• Athletes and dancers are under a lot of pressure to stay in shape.
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder sufferers.

What are the treatments for eating disorders?

Eating disorders are serious medical conditions that cause a person’s eating habits to drastically shift. Food, body weight, or form obsessions might be indicators of an eating problem. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorders are all common eating disorders.

To treat eating disorders, the doctor will first examine the patient’s physical symptoms. The physical and emotional elements of the condition may have different treatment objectives from person to person. The patient, his or her family, and the physicians collaborate to establish reasonable treatment objectives.

Treatment for eating disorders usually consists of a mix of psychological and nutritional therapy, as well as medication if required.

• Psychologist: A psychologist is a mental health practitioner who specializes in mental disease diagnosis and treatment.
• Psychiatrist: A mental health professional who can prescribe psychiatric medications.
• Therapist: A therapist, often known as a counsellor, is a mental health professional who uses talk therapy to treat mental diseases.
• Psychiatric nurse: A psychiatric nurse is a professional nurse who specializes in the treatment of mental illnesses.

Therapies

Eating disorder treatment begins with psychotherapy. The kind you choose is determined by the severity of your illness, your own culture, history, preferences, age, and other factors. The most successful therapy in most circumstances is a mix of medicines.

You must make mental and behavioural adjustments to recover and stay healthy. Anyone suffering from an eating problem should receive psychological counselling as part of their treatment. It enables you to determine what causes an individual’s eating issues and how to address them.

Although there are many different sorts of psychological therapies, they all entail discussing with a therapist (a psychologist or psychiatrist). These therapies are designed to help you get a better understanding of your thoughts, behaviours, and relationships so that you may make changes that will make you feel less troubled and make your everyday life simpler.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Well-studied psychotherapy for addressing eating problems is cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT teaches people how to recognize their thought patterns, gain awareness, and modify their thinking and, as a result, their behaviour.

A person may first learn to understand their problematic thinking patterns regarding food, emotions, control, and body image in CBT for eating disorders. They’ll develop coping methods to deal with these negative thinking cycles after that. Eventually, the therapist and the client collaborate to change the client’s problematic eating habits.

According to research, eating disorder symptoms can start to reduce after just 6 sessions of cognitive-behavioural treatment, with a rapid reduction in restrictive behaviours being the strongest sign of a favourable outcome.

Occupational therapy (OT)

Occupational therapy (OT) is quickly becoming a part of eating disorder treatment in both residential and inpatient settings. When it comes to health and rehabilitation, occupational therapists look at a person’s major activities and habits.

Working in occupations that need food, communication, self-care, or other tasks will be tough if you have an eating problem.

It can assist you in relearning self-care, dining alone or with others, meal preparation, grocery shopping, leisure activities, and more.

it also helps Sensory regulation and integration, especially for persons with anorexia nervosa who have sensory over-responsiveness during the early phases of healing and weight gain.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

(ACT) is a type of counselling that helps men and women become more conscious of and tolerant of their emotions and experiences. This treatment helps people with eating problems rehabilitate by assisting them in developing a healthy relationship with their emotions and intellect.

Also, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy can assist you in recognizing and comprehending your own thoughts and goals regarding your illness. ACT can help those with co-occurring illnesses including sadness and anxiety.

Nutritional advice.

A nutritionist or dietician’s purpose is to assist you in incorporating good eating habits into your daily routine. A nutritionist won’t be able to change your behaviours overnight, but you can learn to have a healthy relationship with food over time.

Exercise

Exercise is a type of healing that helps you to engage in a different manner of coping with and expressing emotion. It may also aid in the attainment of a healthy balance as well as a method of self-expression.

For a variety of diseases, including learning difficulties and mood disorders, exercise is a helpful type of psychotherapy. Exercise can help you recover from eating problems by using different kinds of exercise and meditation.

Self-help

If you choose to treat eating disorders yourself, you will either have a strong understanding of their situation, be in long-term recovery, or be still coming to grips with your situation and how to seek support from other sources.

Read literature on recovery.

Literature on eating disorders and recovery might help encourage and challenge you. Eating Illnesses If you or someone you know is suffering from an eating issue, Victoria has some excellent reading recommendations.

Pick up a new interest.

Try something new or return to a hobby you used to like. There are several enjoyable and intriguing activities to choose from. You could discover that you’re a fantastic guitarist or that you have a natural talent for painting.

Hang out with folks who are encouraging.

Look for folks that are at ease in their skin and don’t spend all of their time debating diets and body image.

Speak with those who are recovering or have recovered.

A partnership may be inspiring, and watching someone else succeed or enjoy life can keep you motivated as well. Support groups are an excellent method to meet individuals who are going through similar experiences.

Why should I get help?

If you feel you have an eating disorder, it is important to treat it right away. If you do not take the time to treat eating disorders it can lead to major medical concerns. An eating disorder can cause problems at home, in school, in career, and in social situations.

How do I begin recovery from an eating disorder?

• If at all feasible, work with an eating disorder treatment team. If not, look into some of the many fantastic self-help programs that are available to help you get back on your feet.
• Practice self-compassion to help you develop self-acceptance.
• Create an internal discourse that is uplifting and supportive to yourself.
• Seek help for any co-occurring illnesses, such as anxiety or depression.
• Practice mindfulness and present-moment living.
• Pay attention to and respect your emotions.
• Eat healthily and pay attention to your hunger and fullness cues.
• Love your physique and embrace your genetic nature.
• Make a strategy to avoid or rectify relapse.

How long does it take to recover from an eating disorder?

If you’re looking for a general sense of how long it takes for your body to heal from an eating disorder, the answer isn’t straightforward. Some people experience symptoms within weeks and make a full recovery in a matter of months when they get treatment.

However, it will typically take 6 to 8 months for patients to recover from eating disorders after starting treatments.

Healing from an eating disorder may be a long journey that necessitates not only the help of a competent team of specialists but also the love and support of loved ones. It’s not unusual for you to be unsure of your progress or for your loved ones to be disconnected from the treatment process.

These possible stumbling obstacles might lead to ambivalence, slow progress, and therapy discontinuation. As a result, understanding the Change Model will aid you in better navigating the path to recovery.

How can I prevent an eating disorder?

Concentrate on the important things

Respect yourself primarily for your ambitions, achievements, skills, and personality. Allowing your feelings about your body weight and form to dictate the course of your day is not a good idea.

Appreciate the inherent variety of human bodies by embracing your body’s unique shape and size. Whenever you think about your body, focus on what it can accomplish rather than how it appears.

Know anything that you need to about eating disorders.

Genuine knowledge can assist you in avoiding prejudicial or incorrect views around food, size, body form, and eating disorders. It will also assist you in learning the indicators of prospective eating disorders so that you can recognize symptoms and get treatment as soon as possible.

Shun Negative comment

Develop an effective eye for the media’s messages regarding body image and self-esteem. Although there has been significant progress in recent years to include more diverse body types in cinema, television, advertisements, and other forms of media, there is still a concern with slimness.

Understand that the pictures you see aren’t always the standards you should strive towards. Talkback to the screen when you hear a statement or see a picture that pushes slimness at any cost.

Tear out any magazine advertisements or articles that make you feel horrible about your body size or shape. And don’t let anyone make you feel bad about your weight either.

Relapse

The road to recovery may be a wild ride. There are highs and lows. Although relapse may feel like a failure, it’s really a very effective approach to learn more about yourself, your vulnerabilities, and what you might have to alter on your path to recovery.

This is why professional help is so vital. Other people can sometimes assist you in unravelling and better understanding those triggers. They may also assist you by providing additional tools to help you handle difficult circumstances, such as formulating plans and other self-care suggestions.

Therefore, even if it seems like you’ve gone backwards, remember that you’re still moving ahead, but with more knowledge about yourself and what you require.