Anorexia Treatment Options
Common Anorexia Treatment Methods
At Eating Recovery Center, treatment for anorexia begins with medical and psychiatric stabilization, including nutrition, rest, medication and management of co-occurring conditions as needed to restore stability and sufficient awareness to engage in therapeutic treatment.
How to treat anorexia
For patients with severe cases of anorexia nervosa, treatment initially focuses on weight restoration and medical and/or psychiatric stabilization, including around-the-clock nursing supervision, direct psychiatric care and medication management. Nourishing meals and psycho-social support prepare our patients to step down to lower levels of care.
It is important to note that, while our Inpatient and Residential programs offer 24/7 medical support to address the physical and psychiatric complications of anorexia, our patients are not confined to a hospital bed or room. To the extent that they are physically able, patients participate in therapeutic programming and interact with the supportive treatment community of patients and staff.
We firmly believe that a beautiful, serene environment is essential to healing. All of our centers are carefully designed with that in mind. They are restful, spacious facilities that support our therapeutic process.
Anorexia Treatment Stages
Patients who are entering into ERC's anorexia treatment program begin their journey with our Clinical Assessment team, staffed with compassionate, Master’s-level clinicians. We assess each patient’s treatment history, current status and personal needs in order to determine one’s appropriateness for care. From there, a customized anorexia program will begin, which consists of three stages to set up each patient for lasting recovery.
Goals of Anorexia Treatment
At ERC, we believe lasting recovery from anorexia nervosa is possible, and we are here to light every patient’s path forward. Lasting recovery from anorexia is the ultimate goal, but we acknowledge that many patients need to first achieve medical stability and a healthy weight.
Specialized Treatment for Anorexia
Our medically stable patients may step down to a lower level of care where the focus shifts towards helping them understand the factors that maintain anorexia symptoms and towards learning recovery skills. Individual, family and group therapy, including art, psychodrama, relaxation, movement and yoga, are important parts of our treatment approach.
As treatment progresses, our patients have opportunities to test recovery in real-world situations, including meal and activity outings as well as day and weekend passes. Together with their treatment teams, these exercises help to identify recovery challenges and determine readiness for entry into a lower level of care with more autonomy.
Eating Recovery Center is the nation's only health care system dedicated to the treatment of anorexia nervosa at all levels of care, including inpatient treatment, residential treatment, partial hospitalization treatment and intensive outpatient treatment.
Levels of Care for Anorexia Treatment
Our anorexia treatment is available in Inpatient, Residential, Partial Hospitalization and Intensive Outpatient levels of care. We also offer virtual care for patients who are eligible. ERC is the nation's only health care system dedicated to the treatment of eating disorders at all levels of care.
Inpatient Treatment
Inpatient treatment for anorexia is customized to support adults and adolescents that are acutely ill, experiencing medical and mood instability due to their condition.
Residential Treatment
The residential program offers medically stable patients a highly structured and supportive 24-hour environment for care.
Partial Hospitalization Treatment
Our PHP anorexia treatment program offers the same treatment found in our residential program, while allowing patients to practice recovery outside the controlled environment after hours at home or a peer-supported apartment.
Intensive Outpatient Treatment
The IOP anorexia treatment program is a flexible option for those who work, go to school or care for loved ones during the day.
Know When to Seek Help for Anorexia
If you or someone you know is struggling with anorexia symptoms, professional treatment may be warranted. Please call us at 877-825-8584 to schedule a free confidential consultation with an Eating Recovery Center Masters-level clinician and to learn more about our treatment program.
Anorexia FAQ/More Information
What is anorexia nervosa?
Although research about anorexia nervosa is ongoing, there is a lot you can learn about this eating disorder to understand how to get help or help a loved one. Learn more about anorexia, including the causes, symptoms and available treatment options.
What causes anorexia?
As with other eating disorders, anorexia has no singular cause. However, the evolving scientific literature suggests that this pattern of disordered eating develops from a complex interplay between genetic, psychological and sociocultural factors.
What are the health risks associated with anorexia?
There are many health risks associated with anorexia nervosa. Learn about the short-term and long-term risks to understand the effects of this disorder.
How is anorexia treated?
Anorexia treatment is unique to each patient’s needs. Medical stabilization, psychiatric stabilization, nutritional rehabilitation and weight restoration (when appropriate) are considered when determining a patient’s treatment plan.
Learn about anorexia facts and statistics.
There are many misconceptions about anorexia, including the fact that it is simply being too thin.
Do I have anorexia? Take our Anorexia Quiz.
If you or a loved one struggle with some of the symptoms described here, it may be worth speaking with a clinician and considering treatment options.
