eating disorders 1
what is a eating disorder
anorexia
Are certain personality traits more common in individuals with eating disorders?
Women with eating disorders tend to be perfectionistic, eager to please others, sensitive to criticism, and self-doubting. They often have difficulty adapting to change and are future- oriented. A smaller group of patients with eating disorders have a more extroverted temperament and are often novelty-seeking and impulsive with difficulty maintaining stable relationships.
Does our program have published treatment outcomes?
Reference: Redgrave GW, Coughlin JW, Schreyer CC, Martin LM, Leonpacher AK, Seide M, Verdi AM, Pletch A, Guarda AS. Refeeding and weight restoration outcomes in anorexia nervosa: Challenging current guidelines. Int J Eat Disord. 2015;48(7):866-73. Pubmed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25625572
what does the words eating disorder mean
any of a range of psychological disorders characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits (such as anorexia nervosa).
What forms of treatment are effective for anorexia nervosa?
Treatment of anorexia nervosa involves behavioral monitoring and nutritional rehabilitation to normalize weight. Psychotherapy is aimed at correcting irrational preoccupations with weight and shape and preventing relapse. Interventions include monitoring weight gain, prescribing an adequate diet, and admitting patients who fail to gain weight to a specialty inpatient or partial hospitalization program. Specialty programs combining close behavioral monitoring with psychological therapy are generally very effective in achieving weight gain in patients unable to gain weight in outpatient settings. The fear of fatness and body dissatisfaction characteristic of the disorder tend to extinguish gradually over several months if target weight is maintained, and 50-75% of patients eventually recover. No medications have been shown to facilitate weight gain. In the case of patients under 18 years of age, family therapy has been found to be more effective than individual therapy alone.
What insurance does the hospital take?
If you are being admitted to the hospital programs, both inpatient and day hospital, our business office will verify your benefits beforehand, and the admissions coordinator will contact you with information about your coverage as it applies to our program. Admission to our program qualifies as a mental health admission through the Johns Hopkins Hospital Department of Psychiatry and will be authorized under the mental health portion of your insurance, not the medical portion. Please see the Admissions page for more information.
how common are eating disorders
2-3 percent in women
12-25 males
What forms of treatment are effective for bulimia nervosa?
Most uncomplicated cases of bulimia nervosa can be treated on an outpatient basis although inpatient treatment is occasionally indicated. The best psychological treatment is cognitive-behavioral therapy, which involves self-monitoring of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to the eating disorder. Therapy is focused on normalizing eating behavior and identifying environmental triggers and irrational thoughts or feeling states that precipitate bingeing or purging. Patients are taught to challenge irrational beliefs about weight and self-esteem. Antidepressants have also been shown to be effective in decreasing bingeing and purging behaviors in bulimia.
whats the difference between anorexia and bulimia
The main difference between diagnoses is that anorexia nervosa is a syndrome of self-starvation involving significant weight loss of 15 percent or more of ideal body weight, whereas patients with bulimia nervosa are, by definition, at normal weight or above.
Is there a biological basis to eating disorders?
Social pressure for thinness is known to influence dieting behavior. However, it does not sufficiently explain why less than five percent of women and girls develop a full-blown eating disorder because the majority of women in the United States diet at some time in their lives. Additional vulnerability factors must characterize the affected population. Family and twin studies suggest that genes predispose to an eating disorder and genetic studies are currently underway to attempt to isolate genes involved in the development of eating disorders. Abnormalities in the brain's serotonergic and dopaminergic systems are thought to play a role in the cause and or maintenance of eating disorders. Taken together these studies suggest that there may be an inborn genetic vulnerability to eating disorders in at-risk individuals, and that once dieting behavior starts it leads to biological changes that help sustain disordered eating behavior.
what causes eating disorders
combination of biological vulnerability, environmental, and social factors.
How do I know if I need inpatient treatment?
If you think you have an eating disorder, if your symptoms have persisted or worsened despite attempts at outpatient treatment, or if you feel constantly preoccupied by thoughts of food and weight, then a good place to start is with a comprehensive evaluation in our Consultation Clinic. You will be seen by a psychiatrist and undergo a thorough review of your history and symptoms, as well as medical tests when indicated. We ask that whenever possible you attend the consultation with a close family member or significant other, since we believe family support and involvement is very important when you are struggling with an eating disorder. The doctor will also be interested in any medical or psychiatric problems you may have besides the eating disorder.