Therapies of eating disorders

As soon as eating disorder has been diagnosed the most crucial strategy is to find a useful therapy for the sufferers. Naturally patients are expected to cooperate. The first step is to extinguish the pathological eating habits. It means that anorexia sufferers’ appetite should be increased and patients with bulimia should be made to stop using purging mechanisms. Professionals’ task is to reveal the psychic and environmental reasons for the dysfunctional disorders. In this process families and friends can greatly support these patients to recover (Sherman and Thopson, 1990).

One of the forms of treatment is prescribing medicines for these patients. Nowadays substances increasing appetite are suggested. It has already been proved that this stuff is not useful as patients refused to eat appropriate quality and quantity of foods. Psychotherapy is the first step to help patients with anorexia nervosa. If sufferers are still anxious to eat then, for example, benzodiazepines are prescribed. After trying out the effect of these medicaments antidepressants can be suggested (Németh and Túry, 2008). In certain occasions calcium and D vitamin are prescribed to prevent osteoporosis. Besides all these multivitamin containing Zink may significantly enhance patients’ recovery (APA, 2006).

Table 9 shows the effectiveness of medicines in cases of anorexia.

Groups of medicines	The effectiveness of treatments
Anti.-psychosis drugs	Problematic, necessary: in case of  acute psychosis
Anti-depressions	Favourable, necessary: after the phase of gaining weight
Appetite stimulating drugs	Negative, enhancing resistance
Anxiety reducing drugs	Good, necessary: to overcome anxiety in connection with eating
Stomach medications	Good, necessary: patients with abdominal complaints

Table 9 Treatments of patients with anorexia by using drugs (Túry, 2001, p. 67)

Bulimia sufferers are needed to be helped with anti-depressions to be able to give up binge eating (Németh ad Túry, 2008). These drugs are advised to use for 9-12 months (APA, 2006). The so called seasonal bulimia nervosa is known especially in winter. Light therapy may help (Braun and et al, 1999).

It can be stated that all these drugs may help decrease the symptoms but we can talk about recovery if patients are treated with psychological methods.

Psychotherapy: the use of these techniques and methods cannot be avoided in cases of eating disorders. The aims of psychotherapy are to strengthen self-esteem and self-evaluation. It helps patients accepting their health problems. Within these therapies the interactive approaches are applied nowadays (Túry, 2001).

Psychodynamic therapy:  its primary focus is to reveal the unconscious content of clients’ psyche in an effort to alleviate psychic problems. Creative methods, such as psychodrama is often used as a method. The effects of these methods can be felt months or years later (Túry, 2001).

Behaviour and cognitive therapy: it is based on the Pavlovian conditioned reflex. Originally it was used to reward and punish. Patients were isolated and were awarded or punished. As soon as they put on enough kilograms they were allowed to walk, phone and watch TV. But it may happen that these patients start developing bulimia (Tölgyes and et al, 2008, Túry and Szabó, 200).

Interpersonal psychotherapy: this method has been used only in the past 20 years. Its aim is to change interpersonal relationships. The four-five day long program has three phases. In the first phase patients are informed about the process and they are interviewed about their individual problems, especially about their relationships. In the second phase the appropriate methods are tried out. The aim of the third phase is to conclude the outcomes and decrease risk factors. In professionals’ views these problems are provoked by bad relationships (Túry, 2001).

Family therapy: it is an effective method in case of anorexia nervosa. Throughout the treatment the whole family is involved aiming to find the roots of conflicts. Patients are helped to separate their feelings from their family members’ attitudes (Strober and Yager).

Body-oriented exercise therapy: these methods are also very important as patients suffering from eating disorders also struggle with body image disorders. Activities are done in groups and teams. Three symptoms are tried to be treated, that is, body image disorders, hyper-activity and loss of self control. Treatments contain dances, massage and breathing exercises. It is aimed to tech patients to express their feelings and enjoy their own body (Túry, 2001).

Hypnosis as a therapy: it is a state of human consciousness involving reduced attention. During hypnosis patients are said to have heightened concentration. This method was also used in the earlier centuries but because of quacksalvers it became discredited. Nowadays it has become an accepted technique to help patients with anorexia and bulimia (Túry, 2001).

Psycho-education involves methods which are applied in education. Patients with a mental health condition and their families are offered education to deal with their condition in an optimal way. If individuals’ motivation change they may start co-operating and understanding their disorders as well the treatment they participate in (Túry, 2001).

Combination of methods of various therapies

These methods are applied in order to reveal and diagnose health and eating problems and the methods are adjusted to individuals’ needs. The outcomes have been backed up by empirical studies (Túry, 2001).