Are you aware that anorexia is a mental, as well as a physical disorder? If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with anorexia, it is important to seek help in treating it. With a proper treatment plan, it can be overcome and the person who has it can live a healthier life. Here are some of the people who can provide treatment for this eating disorder.
Work with Doctors
Considering various physical consequences of having anorexia, it is important to work with your primary doctor and any specialist to whom you’re referred. A diagnosis of anorexia is based on behaviors and weight.
People who have it usually have a BMI of 17.5 or less. Your BMI can be measured by knowing your height and weight and plugging the numbers into this Anorexic BMI calculator.
Some of the physical symptoms that result from anorexia include:
- Low Body Weight
- Brittle Nails
- Thinning Hair
- Intolerance of Cold
- Dry Skin
- No Menstrual Cycle
- Constipation
- Low Blood Pressure
Find a Mental Health Professional
To help treat the mental aspect of an eating disorder, you need to seek help from an experienced mental health professional. If you need medication management, then seek out a psychiatrist.
A psychologist with experience in treating eating disorders can also help if your primary care doctor is prescribing antidepressants or other medications.
Therapy can help people with anorexia address the underlying issues causing their eating disorder, find better ways to deal with stress and improve their perception of themselves.
Work with a Dietitian
A registered dietitian can also help someone with an eating disorder address their problem. They can help people learn about the disorder and develop healthier eating habits. Some of the goals of working with a dietician may include:
- Correct health programs due to malnutrition.
- Working towards achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.
- Learning about nutrition and how eating disorders can cause nutritional and physical problems.
- Establishing regular eating habits.
- Learning how to avoid dieting and binging.
Develop Self-Help Strategies
As you learn the causes of your eating disorder, learn the triggers so you can avoid them. By knowing what they are, you can develop plans to deal with them and prevent falling back into bad habits.
If you know that stress is one of your triggers, you can find other ways of dealing with it which may include meditation, calling a friend or family member or taking your dog for a walk.
To overcome your eating disorder, you will need to develop a strong support system and be actively involved in your treatment plan. Try to avoid people with negative attitudes and find friends or family members that will provide encouragement.
It can be hard work, but with the right support from loved ones, going to therapy, and learning about nutrition, you can definitely overcome your eating disorder.
Be sure to follow your therapist’s and doctor’s advice and develop strategies for dealing with stress so you can handle it in a healthy, constructive manner and avoid bad habits.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
