Treatment and Recovery
Part of having an eating disorder is denial that there is a problem at all for the sufferer. There is considerable evidence to show that the earlier treatment begins, the more successful it will be, but the first signs of an eating disorder are subtle and are often meticulously concealed by the sufferer. Parents, carers and friends may notice changes in behaviour and these should not be ignored. Parents should take their child to the GP with their concerns.
In the first instance you GP should take these concerns seriously and will refer you to your local CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental health Team). You can find the address of your local team in the contact us page. The CAMHS team consist of mult-disciplinary clinicians (Psychiatrist, Psychologist, nurse therapists, family therapists, occupational therapists and dieticans) who work with a range of mental health difficulties that young people may experience.
It is important to mention that eating disorders do not tend to resolve after a period of time if left alone. The longer an individual lives in secret with their illness, the higher the chance it will continue in adulthood.
Outpatient Treatment
A young person and their family will be invited to attend for an initial assessment, sometimes called a ‘choice’ appointment. This will be your chance to meet members of the team and to explain some difficulties. The initial assessment phase usually takes 2-3 visits and may include important physical health checks. You will decide together what treatment is best and a plan will be made after the intial assessment phase.
Research or the ‘evidence base’ tells us that the family is the best resource for recovery a young person suffering from an eating disorder has, therfore it is expected that families will be included in the treatment process.
Recovery from an eating disorder takes time but when someone does recover it is quite liberating to be free from it. Recovery involves not only a physical recovery but a psychological one also. Setbacks are common but recovery is achievable.
There are a range of therapeutic approaches used in the field of eating disorder treatment, however for adolescents the therapies that directly help the family as a whole manage the eating disorder have proved most useful. In Glasgowand Clydewe are working on this approach. Individual therapy may be offered to a young person so that they may be able to reflect clearly on their thoughts, emotions, and state of mind and help them cope with their feelings in a less destructive way.
If outpatient treatment is proving unsuccessful, or if a greater level of support is needed, someone with anorexia nervosa may be admitted to hospital.