Psychotherapy should be given its due importance in the process of treatment of anoretics. In the treatment process of anoretics, initial re-feeding and psychiatric medication without proper psychotherapy have negative effects on the afflicted.
         
The treatment process of patients suffering from the mental disorder anorexia nervosa consists of force-feeding and psychiatric medication; both have negative effects on the afflicted that may be cushioned through proper application of psychotherapy. 

 

 

A step in treatment of anorexia nervosa is the application of psychiatric medication.  Anti-depressants may be prescribed for control of dominating detrimental thoughts of the afflicted.  This application of psychiatric medication is seemingly delicate in its means of thwarting the existing strict mind-set pertaining to intake of the afflicted, since it is administered only through medicine.  It simply causes disarray of this existing mind-set by physically intervening through medication- not dealing with the person herself, her thoughts, feelings and what runs her eating disorder as an individual.  Psychiatric medication can unknowingly affect an anoretic’s mind-set by intervening with the actual chemical balances that have effects on her thoughts. Yes, psychiatric medication without proper psychotherapy may disarray the existing strict mind-set pertaining to intake of the afflicted but it does not make this disappear.  The pain that her detrimental thinking brings is only numbed for the time being in which psychiatric medication is applied.

An equally so, if not more important step in treatment of anorexia nervosa initially performed is the stabilization of the physical health of the afflicted through force-feeding.  Through force-feeding, the reintroduction of nourishment to the body does not nourish the mind of an anoretic, but brings forth chaos instead.  Food is literally shoved down her mouth at times or forced into her body through tubes in order to provide nourishment.  The overwhelming effect of this abrupt re-feeding can be startling and overcoming.  The force of re-feeding actually brings rebellion into the minds' of the afflicted.
Significantly, this is our dilemma.  How does one shelter those afflicted with anorexia nervosa from the cold that these steps in treatment bring about?
Psychotherapy is what may bring the afflicted comfort from the cold.  It should be given its due importance in the process of treatment of anoretics, because it can decrease the impact of these negative effects.  When psychotherapy is given its due importance, as the body is being physically nourished by the adjustment of intake, the mind will also be getting adequate attention and time through proper therapy, thus providing a shield from the negative effects these initial steps in treatment bring about. This is the way psychotherapy will bring an anoretic warmth from the negative effects of treatment.