An Overview of Anorexia Treatments

The Dangers of Anorexia

Anorexia is an eating disorder that can result in a person losing vital nutrients they need for good health, and in a person losing bone mass. People who suffer from anorexia commonly have a distorted body image of their self, and frequently will not consume a healthy amount of food, if any.

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, anorexia is characterized by a relentless strive for thinness and the unwillingness to maintain a normal or healthy weight, as well as a distortion of body image and fear of putting on weight, and disturbed eating behavior. In addition, a lack of menstruation is common.

People with anorexia will lose, or attempt to lose, weight in different ways. Some people excessively exercise and diet, while others will eat and then make themselves throw up the food, or they will misuse laxatives. Anorexia is a difficult disorder for any person to live with, and it can cause a person a great deal of pain and health concerns if they do receive help for their disorder.

Anorexia Treatments

Therapy is a main component of treatment for anorexia, and group therapy can be a great help.

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, cognitive behavioral therapies and psychodynamic therapies are the most common used treatments of anorexia. Since there is not one definitive form of therapy that is recommended for eating disorders, often a therapist will evaluate where the patient is and then decide on the best therapy approach to take.

Depending on the level of treatment needed, a person with anorexia may need to be hospitalized if they have deprived their self of food for too long. There is also inpatient treatment programs and outpatient treatment programs available to help a person recover from their disorder and to help them learn to begin eating healthy again. In treatment programs, therapy is the main source of treatment.

There are different types of therapy available to help people overcome anorexia, and each individual will need a therapy that caters to their individualized needs. If a person attends an inpatient program they will reside at the program and receive 24/7 care and will engage in therapy sessions extremely frequently. At an outpatient program a person will attend therapy meetings on particular days and times that fit around their schedule, so that they can still keep their daily responsibilities while receiving treatment. In addition to therapy, through anorexia treatment programs, a person will also have a nutritionist to help them learn healthy ways of eating again.