Treatment For Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are fatal - plain and simple. About 20 percent of people with anorexia will eventually die from the disease, according to the National Eating Disorders Association.
Don't let you or your loved one become another statistic because of an eating disorder. Find the right eating disorders treatment today by calling Treatment Solutions Network at 877-417-6237.

Are there professional treatments for eating disorders?

Yes. Eating disorders are recognized as a mental illness, and can be overcome through proper eating disorder treatment by trained professionals. Eating disorders affect both men and women, of all ages, though women are the most affected, and the typical onset is puberty. Still, some of the sharpest increases in eating disorder cases are now coming from those who don't fit the "typical" profile - such as children under 12 and adults over the age of 45. For middle-aged adults, an eating disorder might at first seem to outsiders like just a desire to "get in shape." But for those with anxiety or low self-esteem, this new commitment to fitness can go too far.

"A lot of middle-aged women are getting into running or extreme sports like triathlons, and they're not getting the right coaching," licensed dietician Lynn Victory told the Greenville (S.C.) News. For example, these women don't know about proper nutrition for athletes. "They're dieting and doing extreme sports, and there's your eating disorder."

Are eating disorders really serious? Don't models starve themselves all the time?

Eating disorders are the deadliest mental illness there is. Models DO suffer from eating disorders sometimes, and they also die tragic, early deaths because of it. When fashion model Hila Elmalich died in 2007 of heart failure, she weighed less than 60 pounds - the average weight of a seven-year-old child.

Eating Disorder = Emergency Room

Anorexia nervosa, a condition in which a person starves themselves, also starves the body of essential nutrients, potentially causing liver or kidney failure. Bulimia nervosa - which involves cycles of binging and purging - can cause severe damage to the mouth, stomach and esophagus. This leads to tooth decay, peptic ulcers or gastric and esophageal ruptures.

And the problem is growing.

Hospitalizations for complications from eating disorders increased by nearly 20 percent between 1999 and 2006, according to a report from the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

"I was given a death sentence when my eating disorder caused an infection that doctors couldn't initially identify," Toni Saiber, an anorexia survivor and founder of the Eating Disorder Foundation, told Marketwire. "I was lucky. Thousands of people every year are not. It's vital that people dealing with these terrible diseases seek the appropriate treatment for their situation as soon as they can."

Eating disorders can't be conquered alone.

Professional eating disorders treatment - whether in the form of inpatient, residential, or outpatient - is necessary to conquer this disease. The earlier that eating disorders are detected and treated, the higher the success rate in achieving long-term recovery. Treatment Solutions Network can refer you to the individualized care you or your loved one needs. Chances are, the eating disorder did not reach its current crisis level overnight, and treatment is also not a quick-fix, five-minute process. Some clients, once they have completed structured, residential care, may require ongoing treatment or counseling to avoid future relapses.

Loved ones have a crucial role to play.

One Washington University study has focused on a family-centered approach to treating eating disorders in teens. As part of the study, families were taught behavioral changes meant to encourage healthy eating patterns for their anorexic teens.

For example, parents can insist on buying whole milk and full-fat cheeses. Parents may also stay at the dinner table until their teenager cleans the plate.

Taking away a teen's favorite activities is another strategy - for example, no longer allowing a teen with an eating disorder to compete in high school sports.

"If their daughter dies from anorexia, it's going to be meaningless to see that trophy on the shelf," Dr. Robinson Welch, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Washington University, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

No matter your insurance, be it Cigna, Aetna, Humana, Blue Cross / Blue Shield (BCBS), Assurant, Unicare, United Health Care, Anthem, Carefirst, Asuris Northwest Health, Golden Rule, Celtic Insurance, Fortis, Health Net, Kaiser, Vista, Shelter, Wellpoint, Tri Care, Accordia or even Medicare, and state insurance - we can help you find Eating Disorder Treatment. We also offer many affordable self pay options as well as luxury drug rehab