An Eating Disorder is a condition when a person experiences an unhealthy attitude towards food, weight and body image. It can involve eating too much or too little, or feeling obsessed with weight and body shape. An Eating Disorder is not simply concerned with wanting to be ‘skinny’, but rather is indicative of more complex underlying psychological and emotional difficulties.
The most common Eating Disorders are:
- Anorexia Nervosa – This is when a person tries to keep their weight as low as possible by severely limiting food, exercising too much, or both.
- Bulimia – This is an eating disorder in which people have cycles of binge eating in a short space of time. This often leads to feelings of shame or guilt, and the person finding ways of getting rid of the food through vomiting, taking laxatives, excessive exercise, fasting or a combination of all of these.
- Binge Eating Disorder – This eating disorder is distinct from Bulimia. People with Binge Eating Disorder usually do not purge by vomiting, using laxatives or excessive exercise after an episode of bingeing.
Treatment for Eating Disorders
Eating disorders almost always require a multidisciplinary approach and including psychiatrists, specialist clinical psychologists, dieticians, nurses and family therapists.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Eating Disorders (CBT-ED) is the recommended therapy of choice, which is comprised of three stages:
- ‘Preparation for Change’
- ‘Making Change’
- ‘Stepping-Out’
Dietetic support is a further crucial element of this treatment package to support individuals and their families or carers to understand and better meet an individual’s nutritional needs.
Due to the extensive support and multidisciplinary requirements for successful and safe treatment of Eating Disorders, we are unable to offer this service here at Sanctum, however if you feel you need support with an Eating Disorder, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will endeavour to help you find suitable care and support.
