Eating Disorder Treatment

It is a myth that eating disorders are a female disease. In fact new research shows that men are as likely to develop some type of physical or mental compulsion for unhealthy eating based on an a variety of factors like distorted body image. Eating Disorders are compulsions much like drug addiction and problem gambling, therefore they must be treated as seriously.

At Treatment Alternatives of Florida we provide a healthy, stable environment where effective treatment can take place and healthy relationships with food and body image take root.

Those suffering from an eating disorder can learn to understand the depth and route the breath of their illness. Our counselors use tried and true techniques that breaks the cycle of eating disorder addiction and blends them with innovative new techniques to help you develop a strong resistance to relapse.

• Yoga
• Meditation
• EMDR
• Massage Therapy
• Group and Private Therapy
• Comfortable Housing
• Family Programs
• Outpatient Drug Rehab Programs
• Dual Diagnosis and Treatment for Co-occurring disorders like depression and anxiety
• Extended Care and Graduate programs including long-term housing

Types of Eating Disorders That Can Be Treated

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is intentional weight loss driven by a paranoia of distorted body image. It is not to be confused with anorexia, which is the symptomatic loss of appetite or disinterest in food. Many anorexics develop the disease as adolescents, with 76% reporting of the disorder between the ages of 11 and 20. The mortality rate for those diagnosed with anorexia nervosa is approximately 6%, the highest of any mental illness, with about half of those due to suicide.

A lot of anorexics are perfectionists, with the drive to succeed, yet they set unrealistic standards of performance for themselves. When they fail to meet these standards, they search for a part of their lives they can control, food and weight become that control for them. Low self esteem and incessant self criticism cause anorexics to fear losing control, and consuming even a small amount of food could be considered a loss of control.

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia Nervosa is a recurring pattern of binge eating followed by guilt and destructive behavior such as over exercising and purging to compensate for the excessive caloric intake.

Bulimics often have a small cache of junk food or “binge food” readily at hand, which they consume during binges. Some report feeling a physical “high” while bingeing or numbing out, losing all control, entering an auto pilot mode, feeling immediate comfort, and so on. The cause or trigger behind a binge is different for every person.

After a binge, bulimics feel guilt, shame, embarrassment, and complete failure. They try to regain control of their situation by purging all the food they consumed during the binge, to make up for their mistake. This leads to them feeling famished and empty again, and therefore open to another binge, followed by feeling powerless, and the vicious binge/purge cycle continues.

Bulimics exhibit extreme eating and exercising habits, instead of demonstrating moderation. This compulsive behavior is often echoed in similar destructive behavior such as sexual promiscuity, pathological lying, and shoplifting. Many bulimics struggle not only with an eating disorder, but other harmful behaviors as well.

Compulsive Exercising

Compulsive Exercising is also considered an eating disorder. Someone who suffers from compulsive exercising engages in vigorous physical activity to the point that it is no longer healthy and is actually unsafe. It is sometimes referred to as obligatory exercise or anorexia athletic. The individual starts to feel compelled to exercise and experiences guilt and anxiety if he or she does not complete their exercise routines. A compulsive exerciser will force themselves to work out even if they are sick or injured. It is common for them to calculate how much they have eaten and try to exercise off every last calorie they consume. One of the biggest problems is that praise is often given to compulsive exercisers for how in shape that they look, which only gives them more of a drive to continue working out in their compulsive manner.

Orthorexia Nervosa

Orthorexia Nervosa is a recently discovered disease because it was thought to be Anorexia in its early stages. The main symptom of this disorder is an obsession with eating only healthy types of foods. This disease starts when people are so driven to become thin to the point that they become obsessed with everything that they consume. Someone who struggles with Orthorexia Nervosa will do things like plan their meals for an entire week at a time. They have a strict planned schedule of breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They limit the amount of food they are eating in order to maintain a certain weight. Many times people with Orthorexia Nervosa will be critical of what others are eating and often isolate themselves from others while eating.

Binge Eating

Binge eating is one of the most common eating disorders. It involves the consumption of very large amounts of food in a short period of time. About 3 percent of adults in the United States struggle with binge eating. People can develop this disorder at any age, but it is seen most in adults ranging from age 46 to 55. Clinical studies have repeatedly found that obese binge eaters have much higher levels of depression than obese persons not suffering from binge eating disorder.

People that suffer from binge eating disorder are usually very ashamed of it and they become extraordinarily good at hiding the fact that they have it. They become so good at covering it up that even the people closest to them, family or friends, do not realize what they are going through.

Some of the statistics and descriptions on this page are provided in part or whole by Wikipedia.org.