The good news are: Eating
disorders can be treated. However, the longer abnormal eating habits last, the
more difficult it can be to successfully deal with your disorder and its effetcs
on the body. Early treatment is vital. As either disorder becomes more entrenched,
its damage becomes less reversible.
That you are searching
on the internet for information about "getting help" is definiteley
the first right step in the right direction towards your road to recovery.
"I
finally broke down and admitted to myself that I had a problem and I needed help.
Being anorexic is mentally and physically exhausting. My body was starving and
eating itself. Anorexia was overtaking my life and I hated it."
The
simple things in life are much better now. Like realising that you don't
think about food all day.
"Yesterday was christmas,
and for the first time in five years I enjoyed eating my christmas cookies."
You can be proud
of yourself that you are here on this site, looking for help. The internet
is definitely a good media to start with and a great place to be in order to get
help, support and advice. You can find lots of useful information and answers
for any of your questions on eating disorders. In support-forums you have the
possibility to anonymously exchange your thoughts with other silent sufferers
with an eating disorder who can understand you and know how you feel because they
go through exactly the same as you are right now.
But...
the internet is not enough!! It is strongly recommended for sufferers
of an eating disorder to get professional help from a qualified specialist to
overcome their battle with their eating disorder.
The internet
is loaded with lots of information and for some it might be difficult to find
their way around. If you are having problems finding useful websites on the internet,
feel free to go to the "Helpful Links" section
on this website and check out my favourite websites on eating disorders and related
topics. If you have any questions at all and want to get in touch with me, feel
free to do so and send
me a message. I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Eating disorders don't
go away on their own. They have no plans to leave unless something changes. In
order for sufferers to get their eating problem under control, it takes help from
another person. This person might be a highly trusted person like a family member,
friend, doctor, counsellor or any other specialist who is trained to help people
struggling with an eating disorder. By the way, not all specialists are the same
so don't make the mistake I made and judge all of them by the one you met.
Myself,
I thought for quite a while that I can get out of it on my own. That I can make
my bulimia go away when I just try hard enough, then I don't have to tell anyone
and everything will be good again. It took me quite some time to realize that
I was not able to successfully deal with my problem on my own without any help.
I went to see a therapist and I wasn't very happy with how it went. My expectations
were high and I thought when I just go to someone who is trained to help people
like me, my eating disorder will go away. Of course it takes a lot of time and
effort for bulimia to go away but I didn't think about that. Unfortunatley, I
made the mistake of only going to one therapist and I didn't get along very well
with her so I never went to see any other specialist. I had this thought in my
head that they are all the same. How I eventually got my bulimia under control
was with opening up to my husband. He had no idea about what was going on with
me and he was quite surprised about what I had to say. He didn't know too much
about bulimia but constantley educated himself about my eating problem. He helped
and supported me so much on my road to recovery and I am really very grateful
for everything he has done for me.
The Internet: There is a lot of useful
information online and you can easily find answers for any of your questions.
Online Support Forums: In online forums you can anonymously talk
to other people who understand and know how you are feeling because they are going
through exactly the same as you are.
Talk to a friend or family member:
Talk to someone you can trust and are comfortable talking with. Together with
this person you can figure out a way on how to get your eating disorder under
control.
Self-Help and Support Groups: You are not alone! There
are many other men and women in your community who also struggle with an eating
disorder. Find out if there are any local self help or support groups in your
area. Or, if you are not comfortable with visiting a group in your community,
find out when there is a meeting for an eating disorder support group in a city
nearby where you live.
The Thelephone Book: Open the telephone
book and look for someone who is professionally trained to help people struggling
with an eating disorder. This might be a therapist or psychologist.
Books:
Educate yourself about your eating problem and find out as much as you can about
your disorder.
Eating disorders can be treated and a healthy weight restored.
The sooner these disorders are diagnosed and treated, the better the outcomes
are likely to be. Because of their complexity, eating disorders require a comprehensive
treatment plan involving medical care and monitoring, psychosocial interventions,
nutritional counseling and, when appropriate, medication management. At the time
of diagnosis, the clinician must determine whether the person is in immediate
danger and requires hospitalization.
Treatment of anorexia calls for
a specific program that involves three main phases: (1) restoring weight lost
to severe dieting and purging; (2) treating psychological disturbances such as
distortion of body image, low self-esteem, and interpersonal conflicts; and (3)
achieving long-term remission and rehabilitation, or full recovery. Early diagnosis
and treatment increases the treatment success rate. Use of psychotropic medication
in people with anorexia should be considered only after weight gain has been established.
Certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been shown to be
helpful for weight maintenance and for resolving mood and anxiety symptoms associated
with anorexia.
The acute management of severe weight loss is usually provided
in an inpatient hospital setting, where feeding plans address the person's medical
and nutritional needs. In some cases, intravenous feeding is recommended. Once
malnutrition has been corrected and weight gain has begun, psychotherapy (often
cognitive-behavioral or interpersonal psychotherapy) can help people with anorexia
overcome low self-esteem and address distorted thought and behavior patterns.
Families are sometimes included in the therapeutic process.
The primary
goal of treatment for bulimia is to reduce or eliminate binge eating and purging
behavior. To this end, nutritional rehabilitation, psychosocial intervention,
and medication management strategies are often employed. Establishment of a pattern
of regular, non-binge meals, improvement of attitudes related to the eating disorder,
encouragement of healthy but not excessive exercise, and resolution of co-occurring
conditions such as mood or anxiety disorders are among the specific aims of these
strategies. Individual psychotherapy (especially cognitive-behavioral or interpersonal
psychotherapy), group psychotherapy that uses a cognitive-behavioral approach,
and family or marital therapy have been reported to be effective. Psychotropic
medications, primarily antidepressants such as the selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors (SSRIs), have been found helpful for people with bulimia, particularly
those with significant symptoms of depression or anxiety, or those who have not
responded adequately to psychosocial treatment alone. These medications also may
help prevent relapse.
The treatment goals and strategies for binge-eating
disorder are similar to those for bulimia, and studies are currently evaluating
the effectiveness of various interventions.
Usually, the family is asked
to help in the treatment, which may include a psychotherapy, nutrition counseling,
behavior modification, and self-help groups. Therapy often lasts a year or more
-- on an outpatient basis unless life-threatening physical symptoms or severe
psychological problems require hospitalization. If there is deterioration or no
response to therapy, the patient (or parent or other advocate) may want to talk
to the health professional about the plan of treatment.
There are no drugs
approved specifically for bulimia or anorexia, but several, including some antidepressants,
are being investigated for this use.
People with eating disorders often
do not recognize or admit that they are ill. As a result, they may strongly resist
getting and staying in treatment. Family members or other trusted individuals
can be helpful in ensuring that the person with an eating disorder receives needed
care and rehabilitation. For some people, treatment may be long term.
Treatment and
Recovery Centers in The United States:
Harmony
Grove is a non-clinical transitional living house for women overcoming
disordered eating, based in San Diego, California. We work with women overcoming
anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, compulsive eating, and all variations
of eating disorders. It is a recovery based place to stay while learning new eating
and self-care behaviors. Many of our staff members are recovered as well, so we
do understand this challenge.
Rader
Programs - It's not your fault. You are not alone. We can help. Willpower
alone does not work because it's a disease. - The treatment staff at Rader Programs
has been providing the highest quality eating disorders treatment for over 20
years. Our staff of caring and experienced professionals, many who are recovering
themselves, assist the affected individual and their family in developing a life
long program for recovery. Calabasas, California.
Mercy
Ministries - Valuing Every Young Woman's Future - Mercy Ministries exists
to provide opportunities for young women to experience God's love, forgiveness
and life-transforming power. Mercy Ministries is a non-profit organization designed
to assist and meet the needs of young women who face life-controlling problems
such as drug and alcohol abuse, addictions, depression, eating disorders and unplanned
pregnancy. Mercy Ministries locations: Nashville, Tennessee; Monroe, Luisiana;
St. Louis, Montana.
treatment of anorexia, bulimia and related issues. All program components
are blended with a Biblically-based, non-dominational Christian perspective. Each
resident is treated by a team of professionals including a psychiatric and primary
care provider, registered dietitian, Master's trained therapist, psychologist
and registered nurse. The professional staff equips each resident with the right
tools to live a healthy, productive life. Wickenburg, Arizona.
Milestones
Program provides residential as well as day treatment programs for individuals
suffering with Compulsive Overeating, Bulimia, Anorexia, and related disorders.
We are a therapeutic community whose mission is to offer a supportive environment
from which to begin a new way of life... a life way we refer to as "recovery."
Milestones is located in Cooper City, Florida.
Treatment and Recovery Centers
in Canada:
Hopewell Eating
Disorder Support Centre in Ottawa, Ontario - Hopewell offers direct support
services and ongoing programs while working closley with hospital programs, therapists,
and
other agencies that assist people with eating disorders. Hopewell's
mission is to offer support, and information to people affected by an eating disorder
and to heighten the public's awareness of eating disorders.
provides teritiarty and quaternary services for adults (17 years
and older) for the province of British Columbia. Its mandate includes clinical
services, education, research, and outreach activities supporting a network of
services spanning all regions of the province.
Mercy Ministries
- Mercy Ministries exists to provide opportunities for young women to experience
God's love, forgiveness and life-transforming power. Our goal is to create a home
where young women encounter unconditional love, hope for a better life, and
God's merciful kindness — sometimes for the very first time. Located in Surrey,
British Columbia.
Westwind -
We provide counselling & treatment for individuals suffering from anorexia,
bulimia and related disorders in
a home-like atmosphere, significantly different from the institutional
format of traditional hospitals and clinics. Treatment is collaborative rather
than imposed, uses various interactive techniques and is individualized and personal.
Located in Brandon, Manitoba.
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assistance and support to overcome. If you think you have an eating disorder it
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