Dimensions of the Anorexia Treatment

Treatment for anorexia has many different dimensions, mostly because programs have to address all the underlying mental and emotional health issues in addition to the physical manifestations of the disorder. Moreover, there are issues that date as far back as the patient's childhood, which greatly affects his or her self perception and image.

Anorexia is more than just an eating disorder—it is a preoccupation to achieve a certain physical state or appearance. It takes over more than just a person's eating habits—it also dominates their thoughts and their life. The desire to lose weight and stay thin becomes the most important goal in an anorexic's life, even more important than his or her health and well-being. Anorexia is a very serious eating disorder and it can affect men and women across all ages. It is a health-damaging condition that can threaten your life through malnutrition and development of many other diseases because of the physical abuse that the body receives.

Fortunately, there is a way to beat this condition. Most of the time, treatment for anorexia does not require hospitalization (except for cases where the client is extremely underweight or has developed severe medical problems). Once he or she has regained a healthy weight and disposition, real treatment for the condition can start. Most anorexia treatments are threefold and include (1) medical treatment, (2) behavioural counselling, and (3) nutritional counselling.

Medical treatment addresses malnutrition and other medical conditions that might have been caused by the suppression of nutrients and physical abuse to the body, like osteoporosis, immune system and metabolic problems, heart diseases, and others. Nutritional counselling involves talking with a dietician or a qualified professional to determine safe ways to regain weight and take charge of your eating patterns. Behavioural counselling involves therapies that address your behavioural and psychological issues that may have been contributing to the eating disorder.