Treatment varies according to type and severity of eating disorder, and often more than one treatment option is utilized. Various forms of cognitive behavioral therapy have been developed for eating disorders and found to be useful, and other forms of psychotherapies can also be useful. Family doctors play an important role in early treatment of people with eating disorders by encouraging those who are also reluctant to see a psychiatrist. Treatment can take place in a variety of different settings such as community programs, hospitals, day programs, and groups. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) recommends a team approach to treatment of eating disorders. The members of the team are usually a psychiatrist, therapist, and registered dietitian, but other clinicians may be included. That said, some treatment methods are: * Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which postulates that an individual's feelings and behaviors are caused by their own thoughts instead of external stimuli such as other people, situations or events; the idea is to change how a person thinks and reacts to a situation even if the situation itself does not change. See Cognitive behavioral treatment of eating disorders. *Acceptance and commitment therapy: a type of CBT *Cognitive behavioral therapy enhanched (CBT-E): the most widespread cognitive behavioral psychotherapy specific for eating disorders * Cognitive remediation therapy (CRT), a set of cognitive drills or compensatory interventions designed to enhance cognitive functioning. * The Maudsley anorexia nervosa treatment for adults (MANTRA), which focuses on addressing rigid information processing styles, emotional avoidance, pro-anorectic beliefs, and difficulties with interpersonal relationships. These four targets of treatment are proposed to be core maintenance factors within the Cognitive-Interpersonal Maintenance Model of anorexia nervosa. * Dialectical behavior therapy * Family therapy including "conjoint family therapy" (CFT), "separated family therapy" (SFT) and Maudsley Family Therapy. * Behavioral therapy: focuses on gaining control and changing unwanted behaviors. * Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) * Cognitive Emotional Behaviour Therapy (CEBT) * Art therapy * Nutrition counseling and Medical nutrition therapy * Self-help and guided self-help have been shown to be helpful in AN, BN and BED; this includes support groups and self-help groups such as Eating Disorders Anonymous and Overeaters Anonymous. * psychoanalytic psychotherapy * Inpatient care There are few studies on the cost-effectiveness of the various treatments. Treatment can be expensive; due to limitations in health care coverage, people hospitalized with anorexia nervosa may be discharged while still underweight, resulting in relapse and rehospitalization. For children with anorexia, the only well-established treatment is the family treatment-behavior. For other eating disorders in children, however, there is no well-established treatments, though family treatment-behavior has been used in treating bulimia. A 2019 Cochrane review examined studies comparing the effectiveness of inpatient versus outpatient models of care for eating disorders. Four trials including 511 participants were studied but the review was unable to draw any definitive conclusions as to the superiority of one model over another. Barriers to Treatment A variety of barriers to eating disorder treatment have been identified, typically grouped into individual and systemic barriers. Individual barriers include shame, fear of stigma, cultural perceptions, minimizing the seriousness of the problem, unfamiliarity with mental health services, and a lack of trust in mental health professionals. Systemic barriers include language differences, financial limitations, lack of insurance coverage, inaccessible health care facilities, time conflicts, long waits, lack of transportation, and lack of child care. These barriers may be particularly exacerbated for those who identify outside of the skinny, white, affluent girl stereotype that dominates in the field of eating disorders, such that those who do not identify with this stereotype are much less likely to seek treatment. Conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic may increase the difficulties experienced by those with eating disorders, and the risk that otherwise healthy individuals may develop eating disorders. The pandemic has been a stressful life event for everyone, increasing anxiety and isolation, disrupting normal routines, creating economic strain and food insecurity, and making it more difficult and stressful to obtain needed resources including food and medical treatment. The COVID-19 pandemic in England exposed a dramatic rise in demand for eating disorder services which the English NHS struggled to meet. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and NHS England both advised that services should not impose thresholds using body mass index or duration of illness to determine whether treatment for eating disorders should be offered, but there were continuing reports that these recommendations were not followed. In terms of access to treatment, therapy sessions have generally switched from in-person to video calls. This may actually help people who previously had difficulty finding a therapist with experience in treating eating disorders, for example, those who live in rural areas. Studies suggest that virtual (telehealth) CBT can be as effective as face-to-face CBT for bulimia and other mental illnesses. To help patients cope with conditions during the pandemic, therapists may have to particularly emphasize strategies to create structure where little is present, build interpersonal connections, and identify and avoid triggers. Medication Orlistat is used in obesity treatment. Olanzapine seems to promote weight gain as well as the ability to ameliorate obsessional behaviors concerning weight gain. zinc supplements have been shown to be helpful, and cortisol is also being investigated. Two pharmaceuticals, Prozac and Vyvanse, have been approved by the FDA to treat bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder, respectively. Olanzapine has also been used off-label to treat anorexia nervosa. Studies are also underway to explore psychedelic and psychedelic-adjacent medicines such as MDMA, psilocybin and ketamine for anorexia nervosa and binge-eating disorder.
complications of Body image disturbance
treatment of Gender dysphoria
treatment of Body image disturbance
treatment of Eating disorder
risks of Erectile dysfunction
risks of Somatization disorder
complications of Eating disorder
symptom of Chronic fatigue syndrome