Eating disorders are fairly common mental health disorders where people have an unhealthy relationship with food. People with eating disorders can over or undereat, and binge eating, anorexia, and bulimia are some of the most common examples. Eating disorders can happen to anyone at any age, and it often co-exists with other mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, or self-hate.
Eating disorders can be tough to spot and diagnose, which makes them difficult to treat. In most cases, doctors will use a combination of therapy and medications when trying to someone recover from an eating disorder.
Psychotherapy is often the first course of treatment for people with eating disorders. Psychotherapy is less invasive than using medications and is a good way to help people overcome their mental disorders on their own.
Cognitive behavioural therapy, family-based therapy, and group therapy are the most common forms of psychotherapy used to treat eating disorders. Each of these therapies is designed to teach you about how and why you have an eating disorder so that you can control the thoughts that cause your over or undereating. Therapy is most effective when it is administered by a mental health professional.
The Maudsley Approach is a form of psychotherapy that is directed at helping parents of teenagers. This approach teaches parents how to guide their teens and teach them healthy eating habits.
If psychotherapy is not enough to treat an eating disorder, medications may be necessary. Medications are useful because eating disorders are mental health conditions and not physical ones. They can, however, lead to physical problems if they are not treated. Here are some common medications used to treat eating disorders.
Many eating disorders are linked to depression and body image issues. Antidepressants, such as SSRIs or SNRIs, can reduce feelings of depression and help you feel better about yourself, which can sometimes resolve an eating disorder.
Antipsychotics, such as clozapine and quetiapine, are used to treat eating disorders linked to depression. Antipsychotics block dopamine receptors in the brain, which are often responsible for feelings of depression and negative thoughts. By blocking these receptors, you are less likely to feel depressed and give in to your eating disorder.
Eating disorders, such as bulimia and anorexia, are often linked to body image issues and wrongly thinking that you are overweight. As a result, people essentially starve themselves in order to look the way they think they should. However, they often do not realize that this is an eating disorder and can result in serious health problems leading to hospitalization and even death.
Therefore, by educating victims of eating disorders that over or undereating can cause serious health problems, they may be convinced to cease their disorder. Patient education should be combined with an eating plan from a dietician, as well as psychotherapy.
Because they can lead to serious health complications, hospitalization, and even death, eating disorders should not be taken lightly. They should be diagnosed and treated as early in life as possible before the disorder causes irreversible damage.