Treatment for eating disorders can be overlooked as eating disorders are often viewed incorrectly as attention seeking tactics or gluttony. The truth is that this illness runs much deeper and is a serious psychiatric illness that requires professional treatment. Eating disorders are responsible for the highest number of deaths of all psychiatric illnesses. The most common eating disorders are Anorexia, Bulimia Nervosa and Compulsive Overeating.
The Power of Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are powered by secrecy, denial and shame. This makes it difficult for the suffers to admit the problem and ask for help. The Eating disorders Association (EDA) estimates that about 165,000 people in the UK are suffering from this killer illness, with an alarming 1 in 10 dying as a direct result. The reality is that this figure could be much higher, especially as those suffering from bulimia are usually within normal healthy weight range, making this illness more likely to go undetected and therefore unchallenged.
Secondary Illness to substance abuse
If you have a loved one that is suffering from an eating disorder you are likely to be familiar with feelings such as despair and hopelessness. Help on the NHS is slow and inadequate. The chances of a full recovery are slim. Many alcoholics and addicts also suffer with an eating disorder as a secondary illness; this may go completely undetected as their poor health and low BMI could be attributed to their substance addiction.
Help is available
For those who are in need of specialist and intensive help/treatment for their eating disorder, there are only a few treatment centres in the UK and abroad that can offer the treatment needed. The costs of these clinics vary from clinic to clinic, so for more information please call our Addiction Helper Helpline