Treatment
is Available– Recovery is Possible
What
Does Treatment Involve?
Early diagnosis and intervention significantly enhance the recovery
process. The most effective and long-lasting treatment for an
eating disorder is some form of psychotherapy or psychological
counseling, coupled with careful attention to medical and nutritional
needs. Ideally, this treatment is tailored to each individual
based on severity of the disorder. The time length for recovery
varies based on the factors of severity, motivation level, and
amount of support.
Types of Treatment Options
Individual Therapy
• Group Therapy • Family
Therapy
Medical Management • Nutritional
Counseling
Pharmacotherapy
Individual Therapy
or Psychotherapy
Therapy usually addresses both the eating disordered symptoms
and the underlying psychological, interpersonal, and cultural
forces that contributed to the eating disorder. There are many
different types of therapy available: cognitive-behavioral; interpersonal;
relational; narrative; psychodynamic (to name a few). Many clinicians
prefer cognitive-behavioral approached to monitor weight gain
and maintenance and to address eating behaviors and use an additional
approach to examine underlying issues that maintain the eating
issues. It is important that you choose a therapist that has experience
in the area of eating disorders, and that you feel comfortable
with. Many insurance companies will pay for longer-term treatment
for eating disorders, look into your insurance company’s
policy to find out specifically what treatment is covered. Counseling
and Psychological Services on campus at UC Davis can provide
you with a referral in the area.
Group
Therapy
Self-help, support and therapy groups can be helpful in conjunction
with individual therapy. Groups tend to increase a sense of
support and provide a sense of belonging. It is often helpful
to interact with others who are struggling with the same issues.
It is important that you choose a group that fits with the level
of care that you need so that it is not disruptive to your treatment
process.
Family
Therapy
Family therapy has been used to examine interactions among family
members, since unresolved conflict within the family is often
implicated in the illness. Increasing positive family communication
can be achieved through this type of therapy. Some or all of
the family members attend.
Medical
Management
Because eating disorders can cause life-threatening conditions,
medical management in conjunction with therapy is important. Electrolyte
balance, blood pressure and heart function should be monitored
on an ongoing basis. This additionally aides in the recovery process
by providing feedback about physical recovery.
Nutritional
Counseling
A nutritionist can provide healthy caloric goals and plans to
return to a balanced diet. It would be ideal to choose a nutritionist
that has experience in the area of eating disorders. Nutrition
page.
Pharmacotherapy
(Psychiatric Care)
Sometimes there are additional issues that make it difficult
for a person to recover from an eating disorder. Depression
and anxiety are common co-occurring issues that can be effectively
treated with medication. Your primary treatment provider should
help you in determining if this could be a useful treatment
option.
Hospitalization or inpatient living environment
Inpatient care or residential care is necessary when an eating
disorder has led to physical problems that may be life threatening,
or when it is associated with severe psychological or behavioral
problems. Inpatient stays vary in length, but typically require
a period of outpatient follow-up and care to continue addressing
the underlying issues that an individual is dealing with.
There is also the option of attending a residential treatment
program (programs where you live on-site for the duration of
treatment). These programs are designed to be treatment intense
by offering all of the above types of therapy in one setting.
Individuals live in this setting for anywhere from a week up
to a year depending on the treatment needs. Several of these
programs can be found on our Resources
and References page.
"A journey of a thousand
miles begins with a single step."
Lao-tzu (Chinese philosopher, 604 BC-531 BC)
