Eating disorders are common, but if they aren’t treated the consequences can be as serious as death. Bringing up one’s food after gorging is an eating disorder known as bulimia. Anorexia is another common eating disorder that involves starving oneself. The reasons why people develop eating disorders has much to do with how they perceive themselves. Some of these people feel they are fat and need to lose weight. Others have low self-esteem. The cause of the problem needs to be addressed as much as the problem itself. Fortunately, there are a number or methods available for the treatment of an eating disorder.
Instructions
1. Counseling can be very beneficial for the one suffering with an eating disorder. A professional counselor will talk things out with the person who has an eating disorder and work with that person to change her eating habits. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is one commonly used treatment for eating disorders.
2. Hospitalization is another method used to treat people with abnormal eating habits. Depending on the severity of the eating disorder, a doctor will determine if the patient should be admitted into the hospital for treatment, or if the patient can be treated at the hospital during the day and sent home at night.
3. Medication is sometimes prescribed to treat the cause of an eating disorder. Since depression can often trigger an eating disorder, drugs such as Prozac will be given to elevate the patient’s mood. Sometimes the doctor will prescribe medication and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) as a course of treatment for the patient.
4. Nutritional counseling is yet another way of treating an eating disorder. By finding out how much the patient eats in the course of a day, what the person eats and how active that person is, the nutritionist is able to put together a healthy diet plan for the patient. By working together with the patient’s doctor, psychiatrist and family members, treatment of the eating disorder can be initiated.
5. If the eating disorder is a mild case the person with the eating disorder can use self-help methods of treatment. Books written by professionals on the subject can be read, and information on the subject of eating disorders can be found on various websites. Explaining the problem to a friend may also be helpful.
Tags: eating disorder, eating disorders, treatment eating, Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy