Start Anorexia Therapy Early and Add Supportive Treatments

Psychotherapy Used With Other Treatments

Any reasonable treatment plan for a person with anorexia nervosa will include medical attention (a doctor for physical issues and potentially a psychiatrist for prescription medications) plus regular meetings with a registered dietitian and building of good support networks. Changes to a client's social environment and support system can improve the context for change.

In general, a good philosophy is that the more voices there are encouraging change in the life of someone with anorexia, the better off that person will be.

By itself, psychotherapy for anorexia does not have a good success rate in research trials (though therapists and treatment centers sometimes claim much higher numbers). It pays to add a couple of alternative complementary therapies to treatment. Here, some suggestions:

• Massage therapy: Massage therapy has been shown in some cases to improve body image, reduce stress hormone levels, and lower anxiety and depression.
• Art therapy: Working in creative ways can help clients express ideas and conflicts for which they have no words. In the proper setting, these ideas may then be available for verbal discussion in more traditional therapy. Interest in clients' work also helps eliminate their sense that therapists "are only interested in their weight."

(One might think that dance therapy could be helpful, but those with anorexia can use dance and any other form of exercise to try to lose more weight.)

Start Anorexia Therapy as Early as Possible

It is clear from research that those who arrive in therapy for anorexia as adolescents do much better than those who enter treatment later in life. Generally, the behaviors associated with the disorder are not ingrained as deeply for younger girls (and boys). Starting early also makes it more likely that the family can be involved, which may be the best situation possible for treatment of anorexia at the moment.

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