Many people who have an Eating disorder therapy experience co-occurring mental health issues like depression, low self-esteem or anxiety. Some types of therapy address these issues as well as the eating disorder.
Psychotherapy may be done individually or in groups and can include family therapy, which helps a person’s loved ones learn how to support their recovery.
Nutrition education
Nutrition counseling is an important component of eating disorder treatment. It can include education on topics like food rules, metabolism, and the risks of disordered behaviors, as well as assistance with meal/snack support and weight monitoring (only if clinically indicated). Ideally, nutrition therapy also explores how past experiences around eating and body image influence current patterns and helps clients build goals to develop a new relationship with food and their bodies in the future.
Often, people who have eating disorders also struggle with other types of behavioral issues, such as substance use or poor stress management. These behaviors may trigger or reinforce eating disorder symptoms, such as anxiety or low self-esteem. Therapy can help you manage these other problems and find healthy ways to deal with stress and painful emotions.
Eating disorders can cause serious medical complications, including malnutrition, dehydration, heart problems, and gastrointestinal disturbances. Typically, a person’s diet will be restricted during treatment to prevent nutritional deficiency and restore a normal weight. This is often done in conjunction with psychotherapy and medication. Medication is often used to treat underlying mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety. Depending on the individual, other therapies can also be beneficial in treating an eating disorder. These can include occupational therapy, family therapy, or individual psychotherapy. The goal of therapy is to reach full recovery and prevent relapse.
Medication
Medications can help manage symptoms of an eating disorder and improve your ability to participate in therapy. Different types of medications are available, and research shows that they work well for many people. Your doctor will prescribe or recommend medication after an initial assessment of your health and condition.
Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is an essential part of eating disorder treatment. There are a number of different forms of psychotherapy, and the type that is best for you will depend on a number of factors, including the severity of your eating disorder, your personal beliefs, and your family dynamics.
A therapist will teach you skills to develop healthy and sustainable eating habits that are balanced with your psychological needs and lifestyle. They will also help you identify and deal with emotional pain that may contribute to your eating disorder.
Often, people with an eating disorder have co-occurring mental health concerns like anxiety and depression. These conditions should be treated at the same time as the eating disorder to improve your chances of recovery.
Psychotherapy
Often, people with eating disorders also have other mental health conditions or problems that must be addressed during treatment. Those issues can be treated through psychotherapy or other types of psychological treatments. Cognitive behavioral therapy is usually considered the “gold standard” for treating eating disorders, but other therapies have also proven effective in certain situations.
Individual and group therapy can help people learn healthy ways to cope with stress and emotional pain. Different therapists have different approaches, but they all aim to increase a person’s self-esteem and help him or her develop positive coping skills that can be used in everyday life.
Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) involves talking to a therapist on a regular basis, either individually or in a group. IPT helps patients explore their relationships with others and determine if there are any unhelpful patterns of behavior that need to be changed. This type of therapy has been shown to improve interpersonal functioning and reduce bulimia and binge-eating disorder symptoms.
Another type of psychotherapy is called acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). ACT encourages people to accept their feelings and thoughts, but then commit to changing their behaviors. This type of therapy has been shown to be an effective supplemental treatment for eating disorders, but more research is needed to confirm its effectiveness.
Family therapy
Family therapy is a key component of treatment for eating disorders. It may be incorporated as part of intensive programs or used to supplement traditional outpatient treatment. It can involve all members of a family, including siblings. The aim is to provide a safe space for adolescents to receive emotional support, while also providing parents with tools and resources to help their child in recovery.
During the first phase of treatment, called weight restoration, the therapist helps the patient to eat enough to restore their physical health. The therapist may conduct a family meal during this time, which can be helpful in observing the interaction between the adolescent and parents. During this phase, the therapist is likely to encourage the parent to stop criticizing their child’s behavior and focus instead on getting them nourished.
The therapist can assist the family in developing more effective communication strategies and helping to address any other concerns that may arise during the process. Some patients benefit from group family therapy, where they can talk with other families who are going through the same experience. This can help abate feelings of isolation and loneliness that can often accompany eating disorder recovery. It can also allow the teen to see that they are not alone in their struggle with this complex illness. A teen’s peers can offer support and encouragement during a difficult period of their lives.