Eating disorders are generally long-term mental disorders which can affect troubled teenagers and in turn call for long-term solutions. Depression, anxiety disorders (like obsessive-compulsive disorder) and substance abuse may also accompany an eating disorder. Complete recovery may be achieved if you catch the signs of a developing eating disorder in your teenager and decide upon proper treatment as early as possible.
Who may develop an eating disorder?
Studies have revealed that females from the age of 12 to 25 make up the majority (greater than 90 percent) of those afflicted with an eating disorder (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, 2003). But also in the present years, a great number of males have also become afflicted with the disorder (U.S. DHHS Office on Women’s Health, 2000).These facts show how your troubled teenager, male or female, may be at risk of this type of mental disorder. General Indications of an Eating Disorder
There are several types of eating disorders, but there are 3 major kinds: Anorexia nervosa, Bulimia nervosa, and Binge-eating disorder. - Anorexia nervosa- Those afflicted with anorexia may appear quite strange with their food. They may cut and chew their food in tiny amounts or chronically pass up entire meals. Generally, obsessive calorie-counting and excessive exercise may be distinct characteristics of the disorder.
- Bulimia nervosa- Those afflicted with bulimia typically binge a large amount of food at a single time and then purge by self-induced vomiting or laxative/diuretic abuse in order to make up for the amount of calories consumed. This disorder is often called the “binge-purge cycle.”
An irrational fear of gaining weight accompanies both disorders. - Binge-eating disorder- Although not as popular as the first two mentioned disorders, binge-eating disorder is a newly documented disorder wherein compulsive binging episodes occur without the purging experienced in bulimia nervosa (NIMH 2002). Characteristic of this disorder are the fast binges which are done by the afflicted alone. Feelings of satiety or hunger are confused within the mind of the afflicted and intense guilt normally follows a binge. This type of eating disorder has more equal statistics of occurrence between the sexes.
Treatment of Eating Disorders
- Anorexia Nervosa- Generally, the initial aim of treatment for this disorder is stabilizing the patient’s health by reaching a healthy weight. Force-feeding through hospitalization may be needed. After the patient’s health is stabilized the emotional aspect of the disorder may be addressed through one-on-one psychotherapy and sessions with the immediate family. As a parent, you may have direct involvement in your child’s treatment, helping them to re-learn healthy eating. Different types of therapy may be utilized for the benefit of the wellness of the afflicted. Support groups may be established as well as the implementation of behavioral therapy in order to support one-on-one counseling.
- Bulimia Nervosa- Like anorexia, the physical health of the afflicted is addressed first (prolonged substance abuse may cause a number of physical problems). As soon as one’s physical health is considered stable, the binge- purge cycle is then tackled. Here, behavioral therapy has an important role. Research has shown that psychotherapy plays a key role in stopping the vicious cycle that exists in bulimia. It attacks the foundation of the eating disorder which is composed of mental/emotional issues. Medication may also be considered for this disorder. There has been success for bulimia patients on antidepressants.
- Binge-eating disorder- Like bulimia, the treatment of binge-eating disorder is of a similar fashion. But because this disorder has only been newly documented, more studies are on-going concerning methods of treatment.
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