Making a diagnosis

When an eating disorder is suspected, many doctors begin with a series of questions developed by mental health professionals on attitudes and behavior regarding food. Questions like:

- What is your weight right now?

- Do you think you re to fat or that other parts of your body are to fat?

- Over the past few months has your weight increased, decreased, or remained the same?

- How much do you exercise?

- Are you dieting or other means of losing weight?

- Have you ever felt that you re eating out of control?

- What would you consider your perfect weight?

- How would a weight increase or decrease of 5 lbs affect you?

The doctor further explores the patients eating habits such as eating alone, insisting on a certain plate, eating food in a particular order, and eating only certain kinds of food.

Sometimes getting someone to the doctor can be difficult, as most people will deny that anything is wrong. The person s thinking has to change before the behavior can.

Team Approach

Experts agree that a team approach is the best way to change thinking and behavior. The team consists of:

- Family doctor- monitor physical health

- Nutritionist- to teach normal eating habits

- Psychiatrist- to explore reasons behind the eating disorder and to help overcome the destructive eating habits.

The team will start with:

Doctor- through medical examinations they check blood chemistry, blood pressure and heart rate. They look for swollen salivary glands, Damaged teeth enamel and calluses on the hands from rubbing on teeth to induce vomiting.

Nutritionist-They take a diet history and try to learn the patients calorie intake.

Psychiatrist- They explore moods, sleeping patterns, thoughts of suicide, childhood and family background to see if a history of depression, substance abuse or other problems.

Types Of Therapy

Treatment involves using both individual and group therapy.

Group Therapy-A therapist helps guide the discussion. A group can help to get to the heart of a persons problem. Teenagers can talk freely to other teens concerning their feelings about food and how they are trying to get well. Being in a group makes it harder to say as they might to a therapist you just don t understand .

A support group is essential because it s a disorder of with drawl. They withdraw from family, friends, and other social contacts. A group program gets them talking with others again, however group therapy is not enough.

Individual Therapy- This is needed to help people learn what is really happening with their eating disorder. It helps them understand what triggers their binges and to find ways of handling their feelings. This helps them develop a sense of self-worth.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy- Most think this is the most effective individual treatment. The word cognitive refers to mental processes and what we know or believe. Cognitive-Behavioral therapy then tried to change a person s way of thinking. People with eating disorders have distorted thinking. Negative thoughts have to become positive.

The therapist works with the patient to change their distorted thinking about weight and food. One way is by keeping a journal, for example If I gain weight, no one will want to hang around with me Then the therapist can discuss weather this is really true.

Medication

Antidepressant medication can lessen the number of binges for a short term. They lessen depression and feelings of hopelessness. They make a person feel happier and more energetic. But they are not magic pills they don t cure.

Summing it up, treatment for eating disorders is a long process, and relapses are common after treatment and a person should have access to their therapist. Not everyone succeeds, but experts agree that the earlier treatment begins, the greater chance of full recovery!