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How does eating disorder treatment work?

I am going to start seeing an eating disorder specialist next week and eventually do a partial hospitalization program possibly. How hard is it to recover from anorexia or an eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS)? Does the therapy really help? What exactly happens in treatment that helps? Do they make you force yourself to eat?

Public Comments

1. they have you put on an i.v. then feed you with fluids from the i.v.

2. There is no such thing as an eating disorder...
GOD, just eat some damn food.
Enjoy life the way you were meant to.
I personally love food, and I have suicidal thoughts all the time.
Just enjoy the life you were given.

3. Yes, eating disorder treament does work!
I used to be bulimic, but I had to go through treatment... it REALLY helped. But you have to get in the right mindset, you know? You need to want to get better.

They don't force you to eat. They explore why you aren't eating, and encourage you to find other ways to deal with stress.
And um no, they don't "guilt" you.

4. I think the basic idea is to guilt the kid into at least pretending they are better so that the parents aren't shelling cash out for their self-induced disease.

For me, it is a state of mind. I'll never be thin enough, sugar will always be the devil, etc. To find a 'cure,' you will have to rewire how you think about things.

5. Sure, it works. You need to prepare yourself that you are going to improve a lot by going through treatment plan. I like to add here from a source site " Speculation and scientific research all try to understand and explain the causes of eating disorders – it is unknown what exactly triggers or causes something like anorexia for example, but possible explanations that are offered include: 1. feeling stressed out or upset about something in your life, or 2. feeling like you need to be "in control." 3. Society also puts a lot of pressure on people to be thin.
Although it is important for healthy eating habits and a balanced lifestyle to watch what we eat and to exercise, over-exaggerating, manipulating and/ or distorting our eating patterns and worrying about it anytime and all the time, is obsessive behaviour and leads to self-destructive choices and habits where, as an anorexic, you in fact do harmful things to your body because of this sick obsession about your weight – it envelopes you and your whole like and becomes an all-consuming activity and distorted thought process that can lead to a myriad of health problems not limited to : Stomach problems , Heart problems, Irregular periods or no periods in girls, Fine hair all over the body, including the face and dry, scaly skin.
Various treatment options exist, but the main priority on the road to recovery for anorexia patients are: (i) taking the first step in getting back to a normal weight. (ii) hospitalization and re-hydration (iii) physicians might recommend dietary counseling to learn how to pick healthy foods and eat at regular times. (iv) For both anorexics and bulimics, family and individual counseling and talking about your feelings about your weight and problems in your life is advisable and helpful.
http://www.bingeeating.net/eating-disorders-treatment.html

6. I think all eating disorder treatment programs are different, but almost all are very sucessfull.

I'm SO sorry you're having to suffer with an eating disorder.

There IS hope! I have just almost recovered from anorexia, you just have ti trust your docs etc. I was worried that they were going to make me fat, but as they said they DON'T want you to get fat as if you did you would just go back to the anorexia! So they want to help you get healthy and maintain a healthy weight, and, most importantly, get your life back!

There are SO many more important things than food and weight! I found recovery relativly easy once I truly decided I wanted to change. The part I find more difficult is preventing re-lapse, it is something I battle everyday, but I would like you to know recovery IS possible, and the closer you get to a healthy weight the better!

Also, I would like to encourage you to try to recover ASAP as it would be wonderful if you could avoid lots of long term health problems!

Thinking of you and wishing you strength :-)