If you are worried that you or someone you know may be suffering from an eating disorder, it’s important to get help right away. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, 20 million women and 10 million men in the United States will be affected by an eating disorder in their lifetime. These disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and eating disorder not otherwise specified. Seek help at one of the qualified eating disorder treatment centers today.
The Focus of Eating Disorder Treatment Centers
Based on information provided by the American Psychiatric Association, eating disorders consist of a group of illnesses occurring from disturbed eating behaviors and the associated feelings and thought patterns that influence those behaviors. Eating disorders affect everyone but are particularly high in populations of females ages 12 to 35.
The effects of eating disorders depend on the classification of the disorder one experiences. These illnesses typically cause an overly extreme fascination with body weight and persistent thoughts and obsessions about food and eating. What’s more, eating disorders often appear in conjunction with other mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, and substance abuse. These serious illnesses require specialized care at eating disorder treatment centers before severe complications occur such as malnutrition, heart conditions, and death.
Eating disorder treatments centers generally focus on providing a safe and unbiased environment for the ill individual with trained eating disorder specialists and other people who are suffering with similar problems. Most clients are referred to an outpatient or inpatient treatment facility depending on the severity of their disorder and the co-morbid illnesses they are experiencing. Referrals are often initiated by dietitians, psychiatrists, or other medical providers. Treatment typically consists of psychological counseling, psycho-education about eating disorders and proper nutrition, and medication management to treat accompanying psychiatric symptoms.
Eating Disorder Treatment Centers: Multidisciplinary Services Offered
Psychological Counseling for Eating Disorders
The key step in recovering from eating disorder is to seek professional help by a provider who has experience with this class of disorders. Eating disorders are strongly influenced by maladaptive thoughts and the accompanying emotions. Therefore, counseling is recommended to narrow down these negative thought patterns and teach more adaptive coping mechanisms.
Individuals who suffer from eating disorders may also suffer from other psychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression. Psychological therapy is also conducted to treat these conditions. Depending on the type of eating disorder treatment centers and their method of approach, an individual in treatment may receive one-on-one therapy, group therapy, and family therapy to combat the psychological and behavioral symptoms of eating disorder. Other modalities may incorporate treatments such as art and music therapy, equine therapy, and other physical and natural techniques for the body and mind.
Nutritional Intervention for Eating Disorders
Data provided by the National Eating Disorder Association shows that there are a number of health consequences triggered by disordered eating patterns. These may include hypotension, slow heart rate, muscle decline, dehydration, dry hair and skin, and dry, brittle hair among others. Severe forms of eating disorder can even result in death. Due to these significant health complications, eating disorder treatment centers often aim at removing physical danger from clients first by returning them to a healthy weight and distinguishing unhealthy behaviors such as purging.
In conjunction with psychological counseling, nutritional intervention for eating disorders may include:
- regulating eating patterns by helping the individual eat balanced and healthy meals every few hours plus snacks
- delivering empirical research and information to educate clients about the dangers of disordered eating including its effects on body systems and physical healthy
- education on what healthy eating should look like–three meals a day, made up of lean protein, whole grains, fruits and vegetables
- helping individuals learn to plan nutritional meals and snacks
- assisting individuals with eliminating faulty eating habits such as binging
Medication Management for Eating Disorders
In some cases it may be necessary for an individual who suffers from disordered eating to take medications that help relieve symptoms. Different eating disorder treatment centers will have varied philosophies on medication management in the treatment of eating disorders but most will focus on treating the associated symptoms that may have led a person to develop an unhealthy relationship with food.
These medications are prescribed in correlation with psychological counseling in order to provider the client with the best mechanisms for overcoming their eating disorder. Therapy may focus on central issues such as bullying, family discord, sexual abuse, and perfectionism. Meanwhile, medications are prescribed to alleviate the effects of these disturbing life events or thought patterns. Individuals who suffer from eating disorder are closely assessed and monitored while on medications.
Medicine may be required to assist with treatment of the following conditions that may exist comorbidly with eating disorders:
- depression and other mood disorders
- anxiety
- alcoholism or substance abuse
- obsessive-compulsive disorder
- borderline personality disorder
Factors Determining Which Eating Disorder Treatment Centers are Best?
Different patients require different treatment approaches and levels of care. For instance, an individual who suffers from anorexia nervosa and substance abuse may require specialized care for both eating disorder and addiction. A rehabilitation facility that focuses on both conditions is recommended.
When an individual seeks out professional help for eating disorder, they are thoroughly evaluated by a multidisciplinary team of specialists. The individual is put under an assortment of tests and medical screenings to determine the extent of physical damage caused to their body. Any extenuating medical conditions must be treated first before comprehensive nutritional and psychiatric treatment can commence.
If an individual has serious medical complications, he or she is typically admitted into an inpatient program which can last anywhere from a few weeks to months depending on the circumstances of the client’s health conditions. Otherwise, if the person is reasonably healthy, they may enroll in a partial hospitalization or outpatient program.
These decisions will be made on the recommendations of the multidisciplinary team based on the patient’s unique needs. Treatment for eating disorder may last several months or years if the patient has a number of co-existing psychiatric conditions or if he or she relapses after initial treatment.
Generally, eating disorder treatment centers accept a wide variety of insurances. The cost of treatment can be quite substantial, especially if you are enrolling in an inpatient or residential treatment program. It is important to choose a facility that can work with your financial situation but also provide the services that you may need in treating all aspects of your eating disorder.
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