EATING DISORDER PROGRAMMES
Eating disorders are often misunderstood and underestimated. They are a serious mental illness; they are not a lifestyle choice, or a diet gone too far. Eating disorders, such as bulimia, binge eating disorder, and anorexia, are mental illnesses that involve extreme emotions, attitudes and behaviours surrounding food, exercise and body image. Even though there is undoubtedly comfort in the routine, rituals and rules – the daily torture of living with an eating disorder takes its toll. In fact, eating disorders are one of the deadliest of mental illnesses – with over 20 percent of sufferers ending their own life as a way of ending their pain.
It is crucial to understand that eating disorders serve important functions. Uncovering those functions and emotional needs and finding healthier ways to fulfill them is crucial to successful treatment and healing.
There are four eating disorders that are recognised by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which are Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorders (OSFED), Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder and Anorexia Nervosa. However, eating disorders defy classification solely as mental illnesses as they not only involve considerable psychological impairment and distress, but they are also associated with wide ranging and serious medical complications, which can affect every major organ in the body.
When working with our eating disorder clients, one of the most important aspects of treatment is the initial assessment. Due to the complexity of this illness, the damage and consequences that our clients often face, both physically and emotionally.We need to make sure that we are the best fit and most suitable treatment for the client.