How Treatment Breaks The Cycle Of Abuse Caused By Eating Disorders
The difficulties of being a teenager are often overwhelming and may cause a myriad of issues that can be hard to predict and manage. For example, many teenagers may develop eating disorders that put them in a very dangerous position. As a result, it is critical for parents in this situation to find a treatment method that keeps them safe and healthy.
Eating Disorders Usually Get Worse Before Improving
The desire to be perfect as a teenager often drives many unfortunate young people to starve themselves or deny themselves proper nutrition via eating disorders. The scary thing about these disorders is that they are often self-fulling prophesies: as a girl or boy gets skinnier, they may feel better about themself and believe that the eating disorder is a good thing, forcing them to worsen their behavior and create a frightening cycle of abuse.
And as their disorder worsens and deepens, they are going to suffer from physical and nutritional health issues. Some teens may end up losing some hair and teeth due to poor nutrition or even experiencing lifelong heart health issues. Therefore, it is essential for parents to take immediate steps to get treatment to walk their child back from the brink of a dangerous lifelong problem.
Treatment Is Critical
Treatment for eating disorders must take on many different facets to be successful. First of all, it must focus on a teen's physical health by boosting their nutritional intake and strengthening their body. This step requires adjusting their diet and ensuring that they eat healthy foods — often the most challenging part of the process at first because they may react poorly against it.
Just as importantly, psychological and behavioral therapy options provide many benefits that a teen needs to be healthy. For example, psychological care that helps them understand that they are not fat or ugly makes it easier to resist their disorder. And cognitive behavioral therapy breaks the patterns of behavior that reward their eating disorder to make it easier to handle.
Thankfully, treatment options can also be adjusted to meet the needs of a teen, such as tweaking cognitive behavioral therapy to better suit their emotional troubles. And this type of care can also be integrated into various types of nutritional care to ensure that they remain focused on their recovery and capable of avoiding relapse as they age into an adult.
To learn more about the treatment options for eating disorders, contact a medical professional near you.
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