Overcoming Eating Disorders

There are a number of different types of disordered eating that can manifest themselves in different ways, but ultimately cause suffering to the victims. The most common types are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, bulimia and eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS).

What Is The Cause?
It appears that there a number of causes for disordered eating. It could be a genetically inherited problem, the result of the diet obsessed culture, pressure from others to be thin as well as a persons own depression and anxiety which gets expressed through an eating disorder.

Treatment Options for Recovery

The primary focus of treatment is to restore balance and health on a physical level. This means introducing healthy eating patterns, getting rid of negativity around food and improving self esteem around the sufferers' body image.

There are a number of different paths that an individual can take to get help for their specific eating problem and find a treatment path that works for them. We will examine several of the more common ones below:

The main methods used to treat and overcome disordered eating problems

Therapy
Therapy can be highly beneficial when trying to overcome disordered eating. Choosing the right therapist is important - you should look for someone who specialized in eating disorder treatment and has a good understanding of the disease. A preliminary session would give you a good feel of whether the therapist is right for you.

Therapy is a great way to address the primary disordered eating problem but can also lead to improved emotional health and greater happiness in other areas of your life, with the guidance of the right therapist.

Cognitive behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a commonly used treatment for disordered eating and the whole philosophy behind CBT is to break down problems into smaller parts that can be effectively managed.

CBT is based on the idea that thoughts and actions are closely related and it allows the eating disorder patient to contemplate the connection between their thoughts, feelings and actions. In doing so they can identify how their thoughts lead to certain behaviors. Thus by altering certain negative thoughts and feelings about their disordered eating that are destructive, this can lead to changes in behavior and a healthier relationship with food and the patients' body. Therapy can also be used to focus on the underlying issues and triggers of the disorder, such as low self esteem, ineffective coping skills, dealing with interpersonal relationships and learning to set boundaries.

Support Groups
Support groups are another effective way to overcome eating problems and are generally free. They can be specific to a particular type of disorder or more general. The main benefits are that you are able to share your feelings and emotions in a safe environment with people who relate and understand. You can receive important information and advice from others, and most of all there is relief in the acceptance of being part of a group with similar issues and difficulties.

Self Help tools
Practicing some personal self help tools can also be highly beneficial. This could include journal writing, meditation, a spiritual practice, stress relief techniques and moderate exercise.

Do you want complete recovery and freedom from all eating disorders? It is possible to be completely rid of the obsession with food and weight that is controlling your life. Get more eating disorder recovery tips and learn from someone who has been achieved complete Eating Disorder Recovery.

Find out more about Overcoming Eating Disorders and learn some effective Eating Disorder Treatment strategies.