Treatment

Treatment for eating disorders varies and depends on the severity of the case. If some one is seriously underweight the first priority will be to stabilise their weight and ensure they are in adequate physical health to begin tackling the causes of their eating disorder. Treatment is often split into psychological and medication. 

Psychological

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is often used to treat the psychological aspects of an eating disorder. Various other counselling and therapy services can also be used (for instance, alternative therapies such as dance and art). 

Medication

Treatment can also be in the form of medication, particularly for people who also suffer from symptoms of depression. Similar, anti-anxiety medication is sometimes used when the sufferer has neurotransmitter imbalances similar to anxiety disorders such as obsessive compulsive disorder. In this sense, medication is usually used to treat accompanying mental health issues as opposed to the eating disorder itself. 

Drugs which increase serotonin levels in the brain (ie. antidepressants) are often used to treat bulimia patients, similarly appetite suppressants (also working to increase serotonin levels) are often used to treat those suffering from binge eating disorder.

Image courtesy of Tom Varco under a creative commons license.