Anorexia is an eating disorder in which a person becomes obsessed with her weight, and may starve herself or exercise excessively to stay thin. Eating disorders are caused by a variety of different factors such as genetics, social pressure, low self-esteem and life stress. Behavioral therapy is an effective treatment for anorexia. It involves a type of counseling that helps treat mental and emotional elements associated with anorexia in order to correct poor eating habits and prevent relapse.
Challenges
According to Mayo Clinic, one of the biggest challenges treating anorexic patients is getting them to accept their disorder and seek treatment. Often anorexic people feel their eating style is normal. Therefore, it can be difficult convincing an anorexic person to start behavioral therapy. While you cannot force anyone to seek behavioral treatment, if you are worried about someone who may be anorexic, express your concerns and suggest that he consult with a doctor.
How It Works
According to The American Institute for Cognitive Therapy, behavioral therapy is more effective than a variety of other therapies and is regarded as the first line of treatment for anorexic patients. It is an active type of counseling that helps target and fix the root cause of a patient's anorexia.
Typically, the patient will meet with a behavioral psychologist for hour-long sessions on a weekly basis. At the sessions, the patient and the therapist work together to change poor eating habits. For example, the therapist will teach the patient nutritional skills and proper meal planning. An anorexic patient needs to learn to eat more regularly, integrating a meal or snack every three to four hours into their daily routine, according to author Jeannette Curtis in an article on healthwise.org.
Behavioral therapy also works to correct negative thoughts or feelings that may trigger eating disorders. The therapist will help the patient master coping skills to prevent these moods and decrease the chance anorexia will continue to occur. In addition, the patient may learn breathing exercises to help the body relax in stressful situations that may trigger anorexia.
Relapse Prevention
Anorexia can be a lifelong problem for some people. While behavioral therapy can be an effective treatment, anorexic patients may still experience relapses during stressful situations. Typically, behavioral treatment last about 20 weeks, according to The American Institute for Cognitive Therapy. Toward the end of the treatment, therapists can teach patients relapse prevention strategies to help them maintain healthy eating habits. Periodical visits may also be required for several years in order to ensure a relapse does not occur.
Tags: anorexic patients, behavioral therapy, eating habits, American Institute, American Institute Cognitive, Behavioral therapy, behavioral treatment