Eating Disorders Treatment

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, getting help in an eating disorders treatment program as soon as possible is key to preventing any further damage to the body. It might be hard for someone on the outside to understand an eating disorder, and why their loved one has these behaviors. The person suffering does not see their behaviors as irrational but as a means to control these intrusive thoughts they have about their physical appearance. The most important thing to do when looking for treatment is to surround yourself or your loved one with support. There are approximately 30 million people, men and women of all ages, who suffer in the United States each year.

Eating Disorder Conditions

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia is an eating disorder where a person has a distorted perception of their weight and appearance. They will typically present with very low body weight, sometimes to the point that a hospital level of care is required first for stabilization purposes. The person who is suffering from anorexia will focus greatly on controlling caloric intake and often to the point of no intake at all. If gone untreated, it can lead to severe medical complications such as irregular heartbeat, low blood sugar, loss of bone mass, kidney and liver damage, osteoporosis, insomnia, anemia, infertility, low potassium, cardiac arrest and death.

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder where an individual secretly binges large amounts of food and/or tries to remove the food through some type of purging. The difference from anorexia is that people with bulimia usually are of a normal weight which makes it very difficult to suspect a problem early on. There are two classifications of bulimia, purging bulimia and non-purging bulimia. Purging bulimia involves the use of vomiting, diuretics, laxatives, and enemas. Non-purging bulimia is when an individual may use excessive exercise, strict dieting, fasting, and extreme dieting. Just like anorexia, bulimia has quite severe medical complications if left untreated. A person suffering from bulimia may experience tooth decay, osteoporosis, electrolyte imbalance, dehydration, inflammation or tears in the esophagus, fainting, low body temperature, and suicide risk.

Compulsive Overeating

Most of us have experienced the urge to overeat on occasion, but when it becomes an uncontrollable compulsion, there are inevitable consequences. Compulsive overeating can result in high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and other health issues. In addition, this can lead to psychological effects such as depression, anxiety and isolation from friends and family. If you are experiencing any of these issues with overeating, it is important to seek help to prevent health and psychological conditions from progressing.

Getting Help for an Eating Disorder

If you or someone you know is suffering from anorexia, bulimia or compulsive overeating, there is help within reach. We invite you to contact The Treatment Specialist – we will guide you through the process to find the best Eating Disorders Treatment program. Our team offers a free confidential telephone assessment, free insurance verification, help getting insurance if without, and options for eating disorder treatment centers.

Finding the Best Eating Disorder Treatment

Find the best eating disorder treatment program can be a daunting task because there might be so many choices and a lot of information to take in. We understand that the time is valuable to find an eating disorder treatment option quickly so that recovery can begin and to prevent any serious consequences from occurring. There are various levels of care that are offered for eating disorder treatment.

Eating Disorder Hospital Level of Care

The highest level of care is in a medical hospital. If a person is suffering from severe medical complications due to bulimia, they may need to be admitted into the hospital first prior to going into residential treatment.

Eating Disorder Residential Level of Care

Once a person is stabilized, they may be able to enter the residential level of care for eating disorders. The residential level of care is typically a minimum of 30 days and can extend 60-90 days. Residential eating disorder treatment programs may offer medical assessments, psychiatric assessment, individual therapy, group therapy, support groups, equine therapy (working with horses), yoga and meditation, healthy eating habits, dietician and extracurricular activities.

Eating Disorder Outpatient Level of Care

After a person has completed residential treatment, the next phase of the continuum of care would be outpatient treatment for eating disorders. The outpatient treatment may include individual therapy sessions and group therapy sessions, or support groups in the community.
Going through the appropriate level of care to start treatment is an important part of the process. By calling for a free assessment we can review your or your loved one’s history and give the best recommendations for eating disorder treatment facilities.