Many people long believed that eating disorders were old news, that no one currently had an eating disorder. They were wrong. Research showed that thirty million people in the United States alone suffer from eating disorders (National Association for Anorexia Nervosa And Associated Disorders [NAANAD]). Understanding the causes and treatments is vital to understanding eating disorders and how to assist a person who suffers from an eating disorder.
Understanding the causes and treatment are key because this helps someone identify if they or someone around them are at a high risk for an eating disorder and how to prevent one from forming. Being educated helps an individual grasp the warning signs of an eating disorder, therefore they would be …show more content…
Most people think that a person with an eating disorder can just stop what they are doing and start eating normally again. It is true the end goal is for a patient to begin eating substantial meals on daily bases, begin to gain back lost weight and to break the vicious cycle they are in (Morris, 2016). Although this is the main goal there are many people who have eating disorders that do not realize it. A person with anorexia nervosa may not realize they have an issue, or they might fear the amount of weight they would gain in recovery (APS). A person with bulimia nervosa might be scared that they are not treatable, or they may fear the stigma attached to their disorder (APS). A way to get the person with an eating disorder to recognize their issue is through an intervention. An intervention is helpful because it helps eliminate the negative thoughts the person has about themselves. (APS). It is vital that treatment begins as soon as possible because the longer the illness continues the worse it gets, and the treatment path becomes difficult (Brownell, Hotelling, Lowe & Rayfield, 2011; APS). Each patient will have a different treatment path that conforms to their specific issues and causes to their eating disorders (National Eating Disorders [NED]). It is important to understand that treatment is not short term, rather a virgous journey to recovery (Brownell, Hotelling, Lowe & Rayfield, 2011). It is also key to recognize the chances of relapse and knowing how to prevent a relapse from occurring (APS). Those are the beginning steps to treating an eating
Understanding the causes and treatment are key because this helps someone identify if they or someone around them are at a high risk for an eating disorder and how to prevent one from forming. Being educated helps an individual grasp the warning signs of an eating disorder, therefore they would be …show more content…
Most people think that a person with an eating disorder can just stop what they are doing and start eating normally again. It is true the end goal is for a patient to begin eating substantial meals on daily bases, begin to gain back lost weight and to break the vicious cycle they are in (Morris, 2016). Although this is the main goal there are many people who have eating disorders that do not realize it. A person with anorexia nervosa may not realize they have an issue, or they might fear the amount of weight they would gain in recovery (APS). A person with bulimia nervosa might be scared that they are not treatable, or they may fear the stigma attached to their disorder (APS). A way to get the person with an eating disorder to recognize their issue is through an intervention. An intervention is helpful because it helps eliminate the negative thoughts the person has about themselves. (APS). It is vital that treatment begins as soon as possible because the longer the illness continues the worse it gets, and the treatment path becomes difficult (Brownell, Hotelling, Lowe & Rayfield, 2011; APS). Each patient will have a different treatment path that conforms to their specific issues and causes to their eating disorders (National Eating Disorders [NED]). It is important to understand that treatment is not short term, rather a virgous journey to recovery (Brownell, Hotelling, Lowe & Rayfield, 2011). It is also key to recognize the chances of relapse and knowing how to prevent a relapse from occurring (APS). Those are the beginning steps to treating an eating