hospitalizationThe first step in treating someone with an eating disorder is medical treatment. Patients whose body weight is at 75% of the lowest normal weight for their height and age must be treated immediately for malnutrition and other dangerous health issues. Complications caused by anorexia, bingeing, and purging can be helped through intravenous fluid replacement. Heart and blood pressure problems can be treated with medication. Patients who refuse to eat are often nourished by nasogastric feeding. This process provides nutrients through a tube that goes through the nose, and into the stomach. Many people will resist treatment at first, but after a few days will accept that they are in need of help.
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Residential treatmentResidential treatment is sufficient for many sufferers of eating disorders. This type of treatment includes living in a treatment center for 30 days to a full year. During this time, patients complete physical, educational, therapeutic, and nutritional treatment that will lead them to recovery. Patients learn useful life skills such as learning to stand up for themselves, coping with changes in their lives, handling stress and continuing recovery after leaving the center. There are numerous types of therapy used in treatment centers, including music, art, yoga and body image therapy. The goal of treatment is to remove the patients body and mind from their eating disorder. This will give them control over their life to eat and live normally.
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outpatient treatmentNot everyone who is treated for an eating disorder does residential treatment. Many receive outpatient treatment, in which they live at home. These patients see therapists, nutritionists and medical doctors, multiple times per week. A widely used method is the Maudsley Treatment Method. In this type of treatment, parents learn the three stages of treatment. First, they feed the child normal meals and teach them that it is important to be healthy. Parents control all of the child's meals and snacks. Once the child has begun eating normally with the help of their parents, they are ready for the second stage. In the second stage, parents give the child more freedom and choices of what they eat. The child is then allowed to prepare and choose their food. Once they have made progress, stage three begins. During this stage, parents discuss with the child what might have caused the eating disorder. They share any thoughts and emotions that they are experiencing. Throughout this entire process, the family receives assistance from medical professionals, such as doctors, nutritionists, and therapists.
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binge ed treatmentThe Maudsley method has worked in some cases of binge eating. It has been proven though, that talk therapy works best for binge-eaters. Through talking, people with binge eating disorders can understand and share the feelings or problems that led to their eating disorder. Many binge eating disorders are caused by trauma. Talk therapy can also teach a patient how to deal with the traumatic experience in another way than food.
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cognitive behavioral therapy
Another type of therapy used to treat eating disorders is cognitive behavioral therapy. This type of therapy teaches a patient how to think and live more healthily, rather than discussing past trauma. A therapist may have the patient keep a journal to record what they eat and how they are feeling. The therapist will review the journal with the patient and help them learn how to change their unhealthy behaviors. A therapist will often teach how to deal with stress. They may also discuss mistaken beliefs, such as someone who is anorexic thinking they are fat. Therapists will help the patient develop healthy habits in place of starving, bingeing, or purging.
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medications
There is no effective medication that will completely solve an eating disorder, but there are some that may help. Antidepressants are often effective in bulimia. This may be because the medicine alters the serotonin levels in the brain, making the patient less likely to binge and purge. Mood-altering drugs to treat depression and anxiety can help some eating-disordered adults. These drugs are occasionally prescribed for teens who suffer from depression or suicidal thoughts in addition to their eating disorder.