Treatment

The goals of treatment are to restore
· Restoring the person to a healthy weight;
· Treating the psychological issues related to the eating disorder; and
· Reducing or eliminating behaviors or thoughts that lead to disordered eating, and preventing relapse.

If individual is suffering from a severe weight loss that has impaired organ function, hospital treatment must initially focus on correction of malnutrition, and intravenous feeding may be required. A gain of between one to three pounds per week (.4-1.3kg) is a safe an attainable goal. Note that secondary complications like osteoporosis and heart problems should be treated before the initiation of treatment for anorexia nervosa.

If the individual is not in immediate crisis or suffering from medical complications from the disorder, individual psychotherapy is usually a good starting basis of treatment. Cognitive-oriented therapies, focusing on issues of self-image and self-evaluation, are likely to be the most beneficial to the client. The client should be instructed on how to recognize appropriate weight and body fat proportions of a normal body and relate that to theirs. Psycho educational materials and approaches may be helpful in some cases.

Another component of anorexia therapy is nutritional counseling. In nutritional counseling, a nutritionist or dietician teaches the patient about healthy eating, proper nutrition, and balanced meals. The nutritionist also helps the person develop and follow meal plans that include enough calories to reach or maintain a normal, healthy weight.

Often negative self-image is created by specific traumatic events or memories within the individual's developmental stages of childhood. Parents may play an important role in helping to inadvertently nurture a negative self-image in the individual. Family therapy is therefore sometimes beneficial in uncovering the support the individual is receiving from significant others in their lives to remain thin. Family therapy can also be very helpful in educating the family about the child's disorder and how to ensure the patient's compliance with treatment recommendations. An individual's prognosis for recovery from an eating disorder is increased if the person does not binge or purge and they have only had the disorder for less than 6 months.

Group therapy allows individuals with anorexia to talk with each other in a supervised setting. It helps to reduce the isolation many anorexics may feel. Group members can support each other through recovery and share their experiences and advice.

While no medications have been identified that can definitively reduce the compulsion to starve themselves, some of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant drugs have been shown to be helpful in weight maintenance after weight has been gained, and in controlling mood and anxiety symptoms that may be associated with the condition.

Hospitalization is rarely sufficient to cure anorexia nervosa. However, it may be required to:
- Interrupt steady weight loss or promote weight gain if there has been a failure to gain weight in outpatient care
- Interrupt bingeing and vomiting
- Control weight gain that is occurring too rapidly
- Evaluate and treat physical complications
- Address other serious psychological problems reflected by severe depression, suicidal behavior, self-destructive behavior, or substance abuse

One of the advantages of hospital treatment is that it provides a safe environment where food and weight can be carefully monitored while psychological concerns are explored.

Inpatient treatment is still the preferred treatment for patients who:
- Are seriously emaciated
- Require close medical monitoring
- Fail to progress in partial care
- Are at serious risk for self-harm.