An unhealthy obsession with food, exercise, or body image is a significant mental health issue known as an eating disorder.
Any individual, regardless of culture, gender, or age, can develop an eating disorder. One in seven people is said to suffer from this problem. There is no choice. The physical and emotional health of a person may be seriously impacted by an eating disorder, and it might even pose a threat to life.
However, eating problems are fully reversible with treatment. In this post, we’ll attempt to clarify the best practices for treating eating disorders.
Prescription Medications
Although not often the only form of treatment, prescription medications are used to treat eating disorders. When used in combination with treatment or to address co-occurring diseases like anxiety or depression, medications including antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, and antidepressants can assist with eating disorders.
The main type of medication used to treat bulimia nervosa is an antidepressant. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most well-tolerated and scientifically supported of these, although they work best when combined with psychotherapy.
Antidepressants have been demonstrated to lessen stressful binge eating habits and are also beneficial in the treatment of binge eating disorders. Although these therapies can help with weight gain and bone density, they shouldn’t be the only ones used.
Medical Care
It is crucial to seek the advice of a health professional as soon as you suspect you may have an eating disorder. The sooner you seek assistance, the simpler it will be to make a complete recovery, as the folks at Enhance Health Group emphasize.
Your requirements will be identified, and along with your treatment team, you will set objectives and rules. Any health or medical problems you have as a result of your eating disorder will be monitored and treated by them.
Some people with eating disorders may need to go to the hospital for life-saving therapy or care for long-term issues brought on by starvation. This is because eating disorders can develop into medical crises.
Healthy Eating
Effective therapy for those with eating disorders must always involve regular and adequate nutrition. Your medical staff will go through this in great detail with you.
A nutritionist or dietician’s mission is to assist you in incorporating good eating practices into your daily routine. Your behaviors won’t change overnight, but you may manage to have a better relationship with food over time.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
As the most effective evidence-based treatment for eating disorders, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is used. It is a method of psychotherapy that uses a number of methods.
These methods support a person’s development of strategies to alter problematic ideas and behaviors in order to enhance mood and functioning by assisting them in understanding the relationship between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
Therapy usually has a specified duration, is goal-oriented, and includes outside-of-session tasks. The focus of CBT is on active client engagement and therapist-client collaboration.
It is particularly successful in treating a variety of mental health issues, such as depression, OCD, phobias, and GAD.
Occupational Therapy
In order to help people live their lives to the fullest, occupational therapy (OT) offers specialized, useful advice and procedures. Daily tasks including self-care, work or school, leisure, and social activities, grocery shopping, or meal preparation can all be significantly impacted by eating disorders.
The goal of occupational therapy is to help patients regain or improve the independence and competencies they may have lost or decreased while struggling with an eating problem. Additionally, OT may be helpful for individuals who are experiencing problems such as anxiety, sadness, phobias, autism, or physical health issues.
Yoga
Yoga can help people with eating disorders in a number of ways. According to preliminary studies, yoga may aid in the development of a positive body image. One study concentrated on 12 weeks of yoga for women between the ages of 18 and 30. In this instance, the study subjects often saw a decrease in their unhappiness with their bodies and spent less time worrying about how they looked.
This is a hopeful sign that yoga may be useful in prevention and rehabilitation because body-image issues increase the chance of developing an eating disorder. Additionally, yoga therapists can receive extra training in treating physical conditions like osteoporosis and postural hypotension that frequently affect people with eating disorders.
The most crucial factor to keep in mind is that eating disorders can be treated. If you believe you have it, don’t be ashamed to ask for help. Treatment for eating disorders typically results in recovery and a return to a healthy lifestyle.
Early issue detection and prompt treatment are beneficial and can make the treatment process shorter and easier to handle.