An eating disorder is a mental health condition that causes disturbances to your diet and the way you view food.
There are several types of eating disorders. Some examples include:
People that have an eating disorder may eat too much food, too little food, or become preoccupied with their body shape or weight. Without treatment, an eating disorder may become serious and potentially life-threatening.
However, recovery from an eating disorder is possible with treatment. This often involves a team of health professionals that work together to help you on your way to recovery.
One part of your treatment plan will involve therapy.
Below, well explore the different types of therapy for eating disorders, how effective they are, and ways to seek help for yourself or a loved one.
There are many levels of care that are available for the treatment of eating disorders.
Outpatient means that you return home following a treatment session. This level of care is often used for individuals who:
Outpatient programs may vary in intensity depending on an individuals needs. Some may have sessions once or twice per week, while more intensive programs often involve sessions that are longer and more frequent.
You may also see these referred to as day hospital programs. Theyre more intensive than an outpatient program and may be recommended for someone who:
A partial hospitalization program typically involves sessions that can last several hours and occur most days out of the week.
People in a residential treatment program temporarily live in a facility thats specifically aimed at addressing eating disorders. These facilities offer their residents monitoring and care around the clock.
This type of program is often recommended for people that:
The length of time that a person spends in a residential program depends on the severity of their condition as well as the individual facility.
This level of care involves a stay at a hospital. Its used for individuals with an eating disorder who are experiencing a medical emergency, such as:
Hospitalization aims to stabilize your condition. When youre discharged, an outpatient, partial hospitalization, or residential program will be recommended based off your individual situation.
Various types of therapy can be used in the treatment of eating disorders. Below, well explore each type of therapy in more detail.
CBT aims to identify the thought patterns and beliefs that contribute to your eating disorder.
These could include thoughts or beliefs that are associated with things such as:
Once these thoughts and beliefs are identified, youre then taught strategies to modify them and to help manage them.
CBT is used for a variety of mental health conditions, and people receiving CBT for eating disorders experience improvements in other related symptoms like depression and anxiety.
CBT-E (enhanced) is a type of CBT thats intended for use in all types of eating disorders.
IPT is a type of therapy thats used to treat eating disorders like binge eating disorder or bulimia. In IPT, your eating disorder is explored in the context of social and interpersonal relationships.
Four different problem areas are used in IPT. These include:
Your doctor will work with you to explore how issues in each of these problem areas contribute to your eating disorder. Theyll then help you develop strategies to improve your communication and interpersonal skills to help reduce your symptoms.
You may also see this type of therapy referred to as the Maudsley Method. Its often used for children or adolescents that have an eating disorder.
In FBT, your family members are vital parts of your recovery process. Theyre involved in helping you do things like:
DBT focuses on managing difficult emotions. With DBT, youll learn skills to change the behaviors associated with your eating disorder.
Some specific skills that DBT aims to build include:
DBT has been studied in the treatment of binge eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, and bulimia nervosa.
ACT asks you to focus on changing your actions as opposed to your thoughts or feelings.
A principle of ACT is that the behaviors associated with mental health conditions come from responses to unpleasant feelings like anxiety or pain.
People undergoing ACT are asked to examine for themselves what their core values are. Theyre then asked to develop goals that help them better satisfy these values.
The aim is to accept all feelings including the unpleasant ones and to commit to changing your actions so they better align with your core values. Through this, its believed that you can lead a better life and begin to feel better.
ACT is a viable treatment for eating disorders, but more research is needed to see if its effective as a standalone therapy.
CRT focuses on promoting big-picture thinking and mental flexibility. Its currently used in the treatment of anorexia nervosa.
In CRT, a variety of exercises and tasks are used to help address the rigid thinking patterns that are often associated with anorexia nervosa. Some examples of such tasks include:
The overall goal of psychodynamic psychotherapy is to help you understand the underlying cause of your eating disorder. This involves diving deep into things such as your internal conflicts and motives.
Providers of this type of therapy believe that your symptoms are the result of unresolved wants and needs. As such, understanding the root cause of your disorder can address your symptoms and reduce your risk of relapse.
You may be wondering which types of therapy are most effective for the treatment of eating disorders. The answer to this question can depend on the type of eating disorder you have.
Additionally, different types of therapy work best for different individuals. Because of this, you may need to try a few different approaches before you find one that works for you.
Some types of therapy for eating disorders are more established than others.
A 2013 review of different therapy types for eating disorders found the following:
Researchers continue to investigate the efficacy of other therapies that we discussed above. Below is a snapshot of some of the results:
As we discuss the effectiveness of these therapies, its important to be cautious when using the word cure in the context of eating disorders. A more accurate term to use is recovery.
Therapy for eating disorders aims to equip you with skills and strategies you can implement into your everyday life to address your condition. In this way, you can achieve recovery, during which you experience little to no symptoms.
Its possible for someone who has recovered from an eating disorder to relapse. This is not uncommon with many eating disorders.
You can help manage a relapse by:
If you believe that you or a loved one has an eating disorder, its important to remember that help is always available. Recovery from an eating disorder is possible by seeking treatment.
There are numerous resources available to help you find treatment. In the sections below, well discuss where to find help and how to talk with a doctor.
You can use the resources below to find help thats available in your area.
Your primary care doctor can be an important initial resource for getting help with an eating disorder. They can help evaluate your symptoms and eating patterns, and can refer you to a treatment specialist close to you.
NEDA is a nonprofit organization that works to support those that have an eating disorder. Their website contains a wealth of information about eating disorders, treatment, and support.
Additional resources from NEDA that you may find helpful include:
ANAD is a nonprofit organization that aims to help people with eating disorders get care and support.
They have several resources that you can use, such as:
NAMI aims to offer education, support, and public awareness of mental health issues.
Some NAMI resources you may find useful are:
SAMHSA is a government agency that addresses mental health and substance use concerns throughout the country. Their website has a treatment locator that you can use to find a treatment facility in your area.
Additionally, the SAMHSA National Helpline (1-800-662-4357) is available 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. You can call this number to receive a referral for a treatment facility near you. All information is kept confidential.
Getting help for an eating disorder may initially seem challenging or scary. These feelings are normal discussing concerns about our bodies or our mental health can require us to be more vulnerable than were used to.
Remember: Seeking help is a big first step on your recovery journey.
If you think you may have an eating disorder, make an appointment with your doctor to discuss your concerns. You can choose to see your primary care doctor or a mental health professional.
Try to be as open as possible with your doctor about your thought patterns, eating habits, and concerns. Also, dont hesitate to ask questions if you have them.
If youre nervous, it may be helpful to bring a family member or friend along with you for support.
A friend or family member that has an eating disorder may not believe they need to seek treatment. They may also be defensive about topics like their diet and weight.
If youre worried that someone close to you has an eating disorder, speak with them openly and compassionately about your concerns.
Encourage them to seek treatment. If theyre scared or unsure, offering to go with them may be helpful.
Treating an eating disorder often involves some form of therapy. The specific therapy method thats used can depend on the eating disorder you have, as well as which approach is most effective for you personally.
Overall, therapy helps you learn strategies that can help change the thought patterns or behaviors associated with your eating disorder. By using these in your daily life, you can reach recovery.
If you have an eating disorder, its always important to know that help is available and that there are many resources that can aid you in finding help.
Remember that seeking care is an important initial step in your recovery journey.
Read more:
Therapy for Eating Disorders: Types, Efficacy, and Recovery - Healthline
