It is possible to beat food addiction, but it can take months or even years for you to make a progress.
Relapse, setbacks, and slips happen more frequently than you’d believe.
Returning to a regular diet and adequate stress management may take some time, as well as a lot of encouragement from doctors, family members, and friends.
Even though development is slow, it is still vital.
In addition to addressing any underlying mental health issues (such as depression, anxiety, or trauma), an individual with an eating disorder needs to develop a plan to prevent relapsing as well as cope with the physical manifestations of their illness. Keep on reading to understand more about it.
How to know if you have it?
Those who suffer from anorexia nervosa often severely restrict their calorie intake, sometimes to as little as 100 calories per day.
They may feel this way generally, but there are many valid reasons to try to lose weight.
Anorexia nervosa symptoms often develop gradually over time.
Here are several potential red flags that you should watch out for:
- Consumption of food is limited or controlled
- Extreme weight loss from starvation results from repeatedly skipping meals.
- Abnormally large meals eaten in one sitting
If you have a suspicion that you fall in any of these categories or you know someone who does make sure that you act up on time.
Source: helpguide.org
What is recovery?
It is important to define “recovery” before exploring the elements that contribute to it.
It can be difficult to pin down exactly what it is that marks “healing” from an eating disorder due to the wide range of symptoms and effects associated with these conditions.
“Partial recovery” is defined in this study as “some progress, but symptomatic in at least one area: physical health, eating disorder beliefs and behaviors, social functioning, or mood.”
With this clarification, it becomes clear why it is impossible to provide a precise definition of what constitutes recovery.
When a person’s physical health, behavioral patterns, and emotional state have all normalized after struggling with an eating disorder, they are considered to be in a stable recovery phase.
Three boards to follow & understand
- The healing of the body – This approach includes regaining a healthy weight, restoring normal hormone and electrolyte levels, restoring regular menstrual cycles (if applicable), and treating any other physical effects of an eating disorder.
Sufferers with long-term issues might not be able to fully reverse all detrimental health impacts, but they can focus on other areas.
- Behavior modification – The following habits need to be given up or significantly decreased as part of the recovery process: binge eating, purging, excessive exercise, and/or food restriction.
- Restoration of mental wellness – Obsession with a poor body image, perfectionism, and rigid food and weight standards must be addressed as part of psychological recovery.
In some instances, managing co-occurring issues including mood and anxiety disorders may be necessary to maintain long-term sobriety.
Source: santecenter.com
Brain activity changes
There is a complex interplay between the size/shape of the brain and cognitive ability.
Those suffering from Anorexia can have gradual brain tissue recovery.
It has been shown that the brain still hasn’t healed even six months after successful weight restoration.
The brain makes a complete recovery during the period of healthy weight.
Brain function returns to normal in the vast majority of patients three years after weight loss, according to studies.
Returning to a healthy weight might not restore normal brain function.
Cognitive recovery in women may be mediated by menstrual function and be better predicted by it than by weight if it is not restored for at least six months.
Therefore, the onset of menstruation represents a time of recovery.
Anorexia parents say “brain repair” takes between two to six years.
How long does it take to recover?
There is no predetermined schedule for recovery from an eating problem, nor is there a deadline by which recovery must be completed.
Numerous studies detail the length of time it can take to recover from an eating problem using various treatment methods and coping strategies, but in fact, no two cases are alike and it often takes much longer.
Certain people may not respond at all to recuperation strategies that are beneficial for others.
Since many diseases tend to run in families, genetics may have a significant impact on the pathophysiology and treatment challenges of the disease.
Some individuals may require the assistance of an expert.
Eating disorders have long-lasting physical and psychological effects, as do the many healing stages.
Source: prestigeer.org
Access to care is important
Here we have the meeting point of the medical, psychological, and social sciences.
It is not common knowledge that prompt and effective treatment for eating disorders is readily available.
This may be an indication of lengthier wait times for therapy, but it may also reflect the fact that many people who could benefit from it are prevented from accessing it due to financial constraints imposed by their insurance providers.
Furthermore, insurance may cover some but not all aspects of care.
Patients with eating disorders have the best chance of recovery when they are able to complete all stages of therapy within the time frames recommended by their teams.
However, insurance companies often refuse to cover a higher level of care or end coverage for therapy sooner than the treatment team recommends.
Relapse and the subsequent requirement for readmission to a higher level of care might further delay a person’s route to long-term recovery if they are unable to complete the full course of treatment.
Do you need help with your eating disorder?
After reading the article, do you or someone else you know and love may be in need of help? Monte Nido & Affiliates is an eating disorder treatment program located in St. Louis, Missouri, and it is a residential treatment program exclusively for adolescents of all genders. You can get online treatment & group therapy, and residential treatment and have all of your questions answered. Just know that you are in safe hands and that you will get your answers. For more details about eating disorders, please look at this site here.
