Eating Disorder Treatment: Getting the Help You Need
By Matthew Tiemeyer, About.com Guide to Eating Disorders
Treating eating disorders means addressing psychological, medical, behavioral, and social concerns associated with the struggle. Each of these requires specific treatments aimed at lasting change based on more than force of will.
Anorexia Treatment
Anorexia nervosa is treatable, but the road to wellness is amongst the most difficult of all the psychological issues we know. You, or your loved one, likely want to begin by exploring the treatments with the most evidence behind them.
- Refeeding First: Calories Are the Best Medicine
- Maudsley Method: Evidence-Based Treatment for Anorexia
- After Weight Gain: Psychosocial Treatment
- How Effective Are Medications in Anorexia Treatment?
- Alternative Therapies for Treating Chronic Anorexia
Bulimia Treatment
If you have bulimia, it may have been easy for you to hide your problem. But the damage being done to your body -- or, if you're a caregiver, to the body of the one you love -- is undeniable. The earlier you seek treatment with the greatest likelihood of success, the better.
- Nutritional Counseling for Bulimia
- Psychosocial Treatments for Bulimia Provide Good Results
- Speed Your Recovery From Bulimia With Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
- The Benefits of Medications
Binge-Eating Disorder Treatment
Binge-eating disorder (BED) isn't an official diagnosis yet, but it's far more common than anorexia and bulimia combined. Those with BED don't feel powerful, as those with anorexia do, and many can't hide as easily as those with bulimia. It's a problem that often results in guilt. But it doesn't have to be that way. BED is treatable. Life can be different in ways you may not expect.
- Seeking Fast Recovery From BED With Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
- A Promising Alternative for BED: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
- Can Medications Help With Binge-Eating Disorder?
- The Dieting Trap: How Starvation Leads to Binging
- Prioritizing Health Over Thinness Eases the Path
Assembling a Treatment Team
Eating disorders have physical, psychological, dietary, and social impacts. Addressing these issues is too much for anyone to take on alone. A good, expert clinical team is necessary, and those on it can work with you to help you reach your goals.
- A Four-Part Treatment Approach
- Building an Eating Disorder Treatment Team
- Should a Psychiatrist Lead Your Treatment Team?
- Before You Choose a Doctor
- Find an Eating Disorder Doctor
- Before You Choose a Therapist
- Find an Eating Disorder Therapist
- Meet a Therapist - Q & A
- Before You Choose a Dietitian
- Find a Registered Dietitian
- Meet a Dietitian - Q & A
Choosing a Level of Care
Those with an early-stage eating disorder may be recommended to seek an outpatient clinic for treatment. For those with chronic eating disorders, the best treatment may come from a dedicated inpatient facility. Learn the ins and outs of the different options, and what might be right for your situation.
- Different Sites for Different Severities
- Outpatient Care for Eating Disorders
- Intensive Outpatient Treatment
- Partial Hospitalization (Full-Day Outpatient Care)
- Residential Treatment Centers
- Deepest Severity: Inpatient Hospitalization
Getting Support Throughout Treatment
Treatment for an eating disorder isn't easy, which is why support is such an integral part of eating disorder treatment. How do you find support for yourself, especially when you may have become more isolated because of the eating disorder?
