Getting Help For Eating Disorders

Unlike alcohol and drug addiction, eating disorders can be more complicated because you cannot remove yourself from the substance. Because the human body requires food intake to live and function properly, individuals with eating disorders must learn how to consume food properly while eliminating the obsessive behaviors to allow for recovery. Millions of Americans suffer from anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and compulsive overeating. These behaviors with food and eating can create both physiological and psychological problems. Although it may seem like an endless battle with food, getting help for eating disorders is attainable.

Harmony Grove treatment center provides a stress-free environment where the patient can focus on the recovery of the body, spirit, and mind. Treating an eating disorder requires guidance from knowledgeable and well-trained counselors, as well as certified therapists that help coordinate goal specific treatment. Harmony Grove offers this in a group setting with other eating disorder patients, creating a support system to promote recovery. Harmony Grove can help treat anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and compulsive overeating.

• Anorexia nervosa – is a disorder, in which an individual tends to obsess about their weight. They will purposely starve themselves and/or over exercise to achieve or maintain a weight that is far below normal for their age and height. Excessive exercise and food restriction can have negative effects on the body such as fatigue, dizziness, irregular heart rhythms, low blood pressure, loss of menstruation in women, constipation, dehydration, and osteoporosis. An anorexic individual will generally skip meals, refuse to eat, adopt unusual eating habits and rituals, obsess about weight and other bodily flaws, and develop social withdrawal and irritability.
• Bulimia – is a disorder where an individual will eat excessive amounts of food, and then force themselves to vomit, commonly referred to as binging and purging. One who is bulimic tends to have a negative body image and will have little control over the amount of food that they eat. Bulimics will usually have unhealthy teeth and gums, abnormal bowel functioning, swollen salivary glands in the cheeks, and anxiety and/or depression. Bulimia can cause dehydration and irregular heart rhythms.
• Compulsive overeaters – are individuals that have an addiction to overeat, or binge eat. The overeater will eat shameful quantities of food and then continually promise themselves to have more control the next time, but many times will not follow through. Compulsive overeating can lead to diabetes and heart disease. Like other eating disorders, compulsive overeating is fueled by other emotional issues.

At Harmony Grove treatment facility

The patients are given a customized plan to work on their behaviors to overcome their disorders. Counseling, group sessions, and nutritional guidance are provided to aid the patient to develop a healthy relationship with the food that they consume, rather than using it as a weapon against themselves. They will learn the importance of healthy eating habits and will improve their self-esteem in an effort to eliminate their obsessive personalities and negative self-image.

Getting help for eating disorders is easier than you thought. Harmony Grove is ready to provide you with residential inpatient care, where patients will attend the day treatment program, intensive outpatient care, aftercare groups, or individual therapy.