Therapy for eating disorders

Even though it might not sound so serious at first thought, the fact is that every eating disorder is more than serious and harmful to the health of the person in question, particularly if it is present for a longer period. And the truth is that it usually takes time before people with this kind of problem get help, because they are masters at concealing the symptoms, so it is not so easy for those who are close to them to realize what lies behind.

The therapy for eating disorders depends on the type of it, but generally speaking, it is complex and it consists of more than one element. Since the person’s physical health is usually seriously damaged when the problem is detected, it is not excluded that even hospitalization will be necessary. But even if that is not the case, the person in question will certainly have to go through psychotherapy and nutrition education. Medications will also be inevitable because the urges to purge or binge, for example, can only be controlled in that way, at least at the beginning of the treatment. Sometimes even antidepressants have to be used so that the patient could deal with the symptoms that are typical of depression or anxiety and that often accompany eating disorders.

The role of psychotherapy

Since people who suffer from this kind of health problem usually have some psychological problem which is actually the main cause of eating disorder, psychotherapy will help in identifying that problem as well as in dealing with it in a healthy way. This is practically of crucial importance for people with eating disorder, and the truth is that there is no better way to achieve this. Aside from this, psychotherapy has several other benefits, because the person will learn how to react in stressful situations and how to cope with them, as well as how to improve the mood and relationships with other people. Psychotherapy can be individual or group therapy, and while the first is necessary, the second is optional, though also helpful. In some cases, it is simply necessary to include close people in the therapy, and this is typical of cases in which the person in question is regarded as unable to make sound decisions about their own health.

The importance of nutritional education

It is more than obvious that the person with any eating disorder will have to regain normal and healthy weight, and this will require changes in the nutrition. Dietitians are, thus, involved in this part of the therapy, and they will create a perfect diet plan, which will be based on introducing normal eating habits. Other specialists might also be included in this part of the treatment.