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Treatment can save the life of someone with an eating disorder and Anorexia or Bulimia are not exceptions. Friends, relatives, teachers, and physicians will often play an important role in helping the ill person start and stay with a treatment program. Encouragement, caring, and determination, as well as information about Anorexia or Bulimia and their dangers, are usually needed to convince the ill person to accept help.
Individuals with Bulimia or Anorexia must learn how to tolerate unpleasant feelings associated with less than ideal selfimage and appearance. They must also gain a sense of control and selfesteem in their life that is independent of their physical appearance. It is essential that their friends or caregivers set boundaries and not argue. Parents, friends and therapists must be supportive and respond to the individuals’ obsession with patience, compassion and confidence. In many cases, a student with Bulimia or Anorexia will prefer the sensation of starvation and the possibility of health problems and medical harm over the feeling of losing an argument or the belief that they are fat.
People with eating disorders often do not recognize or admit that they are ill. As a result, they may strongly resist getting and staying in treatment. Ongoing emotional support is necessary for the individual, as recovery can be a long process and relapse is common. Early diagnosis and treatment increases the treatment success rate.
Use of individual psychotherapy, family therapy, and cognitive-behavioral therapy - a form of psychotherapy that teaches patients how to change abnormal thoughts and behavior - is often the most productive. Cognitive-behavior therapists focus on changing eating behaviors usually by rewarding or modeling wanted behavior. These therapists also help patients work to change the distorted and rigid thinking patterns associated with eating disorders. The best results in Anorexia and Bulimia treatment are achieved in residential facilities, where all the possible support is provided and the environment is caring and attentive.
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