Alternative Treatments For Eating Disorders

Did you know that the percentage of people being diagnosed with eating disorders has increased by 4% just in one last year? There are so many people struggling with eating disorders today and the number is increasing day by day.
In the recent years we have seen people incline towards more naturally therapeutic treatment options for various physical and mental health conditions.

People with eating disorders, being one of the most diagnosed disorders usually among the young people, have started experimenting with their existing treatment for eating disorders.

There is no denying the fact that treatment strategies for eating disorders have changed over the years. But not many people know about these different types of treatment for eating disorders. In this blog we plan to explore all the different treatment approaches for eating disorders.

Shall we begin? But first, let’s look at a brief description of what eating disorders look like…

What Are Eating Disorders?

Eating disorders are a mental health condition that affects the way you think about your weight and body. Eating disorders make you develop disorganized eating patterns. There are intrusive thoughts about your weight, body image, your size, the food you eat, etc.

Anybody can develop eating disorders but it is more prominent in young people. Let’s look at the different types of eating disorders;

• Anorexia nervosa
• Bulimia
• Binge eating disorder
• Pica eating disorder
• Avoidant food eating disorder
• Rumination disorder

Now that we have recollected what eating disorders look like, let’s talk about the different types of treatment for eating disorders…

Some Of The Most Common Treatment For Eating Disorders

Since treatment for eating disorders vary depending on the type of eating disorder you have been living with, there are various commonly used treatment approaches for eating disorders. Let’s have a look at the most common treatment options for eating disorders;

1. Outpatient care:

outpatient care is for those people with eating disorders who require professional monitoring in equal intervals. Outpatient services are used as the most common treatment for eating disorders. In outpatient care you get to return home after your treatment sessions.

2. Residential care:

residential care is more focused on treatment for eating disorders. It is for those people who suffer from eating disorders and require constant monitoring. Residential care is given in specific facility centers that specifically aim at helping people with eating disorders.

3. Hospitalization:

hospitalization works in two ways, you can either get a partial hospitalization or you can also go for complete hospitalization (inpatient care). This type of treatment for eating disorders is usually for people who show severe symptoms which need immediate professional attention most of the time.

4. Drug treatment:

different eating disorders need different kinds of medicines. In the case of Anorexia, doctors do not generally prescribe any drug treatment but for bulimia and binge eating disorder medicines like antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and anti-seizure are used.

Alternative Treatment For Eating Disorder

5. Yoga:

Yoga has been around for a long time and we already know about the many benefits of yoga for our mental and physical health. According to some recent studies exploring the effect of yoga on eating disorders, it was proven that yoga can help people with eating disorders. Yoga provides good vibes, promotes mental wellbeing, decreases self-objectification and improves body image.

6. Biofeedback therapy:

biofeedback treatment for eating disorders has from the very beginning proven to be effective. In fact in the initial studies itself biofeedback has proven its worth. Biofeedback basically trains your brain and helps your brain functions work in a more adaptive and effective manner.

7. Body awareness therapy:

like the name suggests, this treatment approach for eating disorders hits the bull’s eye. It targets the very base of this disorder. In body awareness therapy you are made to become aware of your body and each movement that you make. It particularly helps people with binge eating disorder.

8. Relaxation Therapy:

relaxing your body and mind might seem like a leisure activity but let me tell you it’s as important as working hard to lead a comfortable life. A relaxed body produces a good amount of serotonin and dopamine while helping in improving mood and decreasing depression, stress and anxiety related to your disorganized eating patterns. In Fact many people with anorexia in a 2001 study claimed to have benefits from relaxation therapy.

9. Acupuncture:

a 2014 study states that people with anorexia who received acupuncture therapy 2 times a week for 21 days showed improvement in their condition with decreasing the intensity of eating disorder symptoms. Acupuncture decreases sense of perfectionism, and anxiety, and improves overall health and quality of life.

That’s All folks!

I hope you found this blog about alternative treatments for eating disorders helpful, interesting and informative. Eating disorders have deeply impacted the mental health of the current youth.

Share this blog with your friends and family so that we are all aware of the many ways and approaches of treatment for eating disorders.

Thanks for reading.

Take care and stay safe.