Eating disorders can affect people in various ways depending on the scope and extent of the condition. Eating disorder recovery groups help individuals who are having difficulty coping with their disorder. Groups provide support from peers who are also on the road to recovery from anorexia, bulimia, or a similar condition.
Eating disorder therapy programs provide professional treatment for those who have a problem but are having a difficult time overcoming their disorder. The right treatment can help a person identify the underlying causes of their disorder and develop a plan for lifelong recovery.
Understanding the Symptoms of Eating Disorders
It can be challenging to identify the symptoms of eating disorders. One of the reasons for this is simply because the person who has the condition does everything they can to hide it from others. Therefore, it may take months to realize that there is a problem.
Some symptoms of eating disorders to look for include:
Fluctuating body weight
Restriction of food intake
Intense fear of becoming overweight
A need to maintain dietary control at all times
Obsession with food preparation
Refusal to eat even during hunger
The symptoms of eating disorders can be severe, leading to health problems or fatality.
Eating Disorder Therapy Programs
A residential or outpatient eating disorder treatment center provides a wide range of evidence-based and holistic therapies to help individuals who are struggling with eating disorders. Treatment may include
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Part of the reason why eating disorders exist is due to negative thoughts, beliefs, or feelings. Cognitive-behavioral therapy can help a client identify these negative thoughts and use strategies to replace them with more positive thoughts and behaviors. Through mindfulness, a therapist can transform the way a client feels about their bodies and their condition.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
An eating disorder may exist due to stress or anxiety about a person’s life or circumstances. Dialectical behavior therapy helps an individual cope with certain situations or relationships in a more healthy manner. This type of treatment is effective in treating borderline personality disorders.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Acceptance and commitment therapy encourages people to embrace the feelings or thoughts they have instead of resisting them or feeling guilty about them. It helps a client develop psychological flexibility and commitment to face their struggles head-on instead of running from them.
Psychodynamic Therapy
The focus of psychodynamic therapy is a person’s relationship with the world around them. A client can speak freely about their dreams, desires, fears, or current issues that are triggering their disorder. A therapist helps the client develop self-esteem, better use of their abilities, and the capacity to develop and sustain meaningful relationships by overcoming negative feelings.
Experiential Therapy
During experiential therapy, a client uses expressive tools or activities to reenact or recreate different situations in the past. This is especially helpful in helping people deal with past trauma that may have led to an eating disorder. It is a more hands-on approach to helping a client explore their negative emotions, stress, and shame associated with their condition.
Dual Diagnosis for Eating Disorders
In addition to standard therapy, a person who has a problem with eating may also need treatment with other disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, or borderline personality disorder. Dual diagnosis allows a therapist to identify all disorders and provide an effective treatment plan for each.
Dual diagnosis helps a person manage the symptoms of their mental disorder while overcoming their addiction or eating disorder. It allows therapists to explore and discover the root causes of anorexia or bulimia.
Get Treatment for Your Eating Disorder Today
If you are ready to get help for your eating disorder, an anorexia disorder treatment program is available to help you recover. To find out more, contact a local treatment center in your area today.