Do eating disorders eventually get better?
Logically, it would seem that abnormal eating (or starving) behaviors would be self-limited – like holding your breath, but that is not the case with anorexia and bulimia. They have a broad range of presentation with regard to type and severity of symptoms. What may start out as a goal of losing 5 pounds can become a medical disorder in vulnerable individuals, seeming to take on a life of it’s own that has no endpoint. Since it usually is initially linked to a positive goal, it can be difficult to identify and treat through individuals asking for help until it has caused significant problems. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Most common causes of death are suicide and heart problems. The mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the death rate of ALL causes of death for females 15 – 24 years old. And while more common in females, it can be equally as serious in males. The majority of treatment needs respond to outpati
