Anorexia Nervosa - Facts, symptoms and treatment of the eating disorder Anorexia

Health care providers

 

Approaches include hospitalization, psychotherapy, specialised anorexia treatment centres, and family counseling. The prescription of psychotropic drugs such as antidepressants is also practiced. Support groups such as Overeaters Anonymous, which deals with eating disorders in general, can also be helpful.


Appropriate treatment of any present vitamin and dietary-mineral deficiencies, particularly in the common case of zinc deficiency, may be highly beneficial to the sufferer's mental and physical well-being.
Anorexia is notoriously hard to treat, with sufferers often either emphatically denying that they are ill or accepting that they have anorexia but seeing nothing wrong with their "lifestyle" choice. This latter view is evidenced by the growing number of "pro-ana" websites and discussion groups where self-identified "anorectics" come together to reinforce their beliefs and behaviours, creating a positive feedback loop.
Another difficulty in treating anorexia nervosa is the prevalence of relapse. For some people, anorexia may be a chronic disease. One study showed that, within two years of hospital discharge, 35% of former anorexics had relapsed into anorexia. The highest-risk time period for a relapse was between six and seventeen months after discharge.


Anorexia is one of the most expensive illnesses to treat, with adequate care for the disease costing well over $100,000. Because of the high mortality rate of the disease, this is seen as a cost effective solution. Unfortunately, lengthy hospitalization is required to treat the disease adequately, and many health care providers will not pay for adequate care. Hospitalization stays of 45 days are recommended for effective treatment, yet the usual stay that healthcare providers will pay for is 7 days, along with half the adequate amount of psychotherapy which is recommended.

 

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