How are eating disorders treated?
Most eating disorder cases need to be treated on two fronts: an emotional and a nutritional one. On an emotional level, treatment includes psychiatric support (which can be coped with anti-depressant medication) whereas on a nutritional level patients are given strict diets to balance out their condition.
The most effective treatment for an eating disorder will be a team approach that includes an internist, nutritionist, psychotherapist and a psychopharmacologist. Most of the eating disorders are needed to treat on two levels: an emotional and a nutritional one. On an emotional level, treatment includes psychiatric support whereas on nutritional level patients will be treated under strict diets in order to balance out their condition.
Recovering from an eating disorder is difficult and takes time. You will probably need to work with your psychiatrist for many years to develop a healthy body image and eating habits. Without treatment, eating disorders can cause permanent damage to your body, impair your work and social life, and they can even lead to death. Seeing a psychiatrist and being diagnosed Seeking treatment for an eating disorder can be scary. It helps to know what to expect when talking to a psychiatrist and getting treatment. Usually, a psychiatrist will diagnose you and determine what treatments will be helpful. Other health care professionals may work as a team with your psychiatrist to provide nutritional counseling, family therapy, individual and group therapy and skills training. The psychiatrist will ask you many questions about how you act and feel. Some will be specific questions about your eating patterns and how you think of your body. Others will be more general questions about your overall phys
Eating disorders are medical and psychological problems. Treatment usually includes working with a team of specialists: a therapist, a nutritionist, and a doctor or nurse practitioner. Treatment is individualized to fit a teen’s specific needs. What does a medical doctor do to treat an eating disorder? A doctor keeps track of a person’s medical health by checking height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, and temperature. It may be necessary to draw blood for lab tests, to make sure the chemicals in the body called electrolytes are stable. Electrolytes are the sodium, potassium, chloride, and carbon dioxide levels in your body. They keep the heart and body working properly. The doctor may recommend that a person stay in the hospital for a few days if her medical condition is dangerous. The doctor may also order special tests such as an EKG to monitor heart rhythm or a bone density test (DEXA) to see if osteoporosis is present. The doctor will likely discuss treatments such as healthy eatin
On a basic level, the most successful treatment for eating disorders is an integrated program of behavior modification, cognitive therapy and psychological intervention. In the more serious phases of the disorders, there can be serious medical consequences. Medication is given to address these consequences. These consequences include: For Anorexia, some of the medical consequences are bone and mineral loss, low body temperature, low blood pressure, slowed metabolism, and irregular heartbeat that can lead to cardiac arrest. Bulimia can lead to dehydration, damage to organs kidney, liver and bowels, and irregular heartbeat that can lead to cardiac arrest. Among the medical consequences of Binge Disorder are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, gall bladder disease, and heart disease. Depending on the stage of the disorder, patients are treated on either an outpatient or inpatient basis. Upon recovery, there are support groups and 12-step programs available to both the patient
