Eating disorders are serious and can affect a person’s behavior. This can include things like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and unspecified or other types of eating disorders. Finding out how they are related to addiction is important to understanding how eating disorders work and impact a person’s life.
Relation to Addiction
Physical causes of addiction include biochemical or biological causes of eating disorders. Certain chemicals in the brain that control hunger, appetite or digestion have found to be imbalanced. Current research indicates there are significant genetic contributions to eating disorders that often run in families. Other causes include:
- Psychological causes that include eating disorders in an attempt to manage overwhelming feelings and emotions. Behavioral control of diet can be a way of coping with painful emotions and to feel in control of a person’s life.
- Spiritual causes like eating disorders are the result of a disconnection with a greater power including finding purpose and meaning in life.
Treating Eating Disorders
Appropriate and necessary treatment for an eating disorder is complex. It usually includes a combination of medical treatment and psychiatric treatment. The first goal for treatment of an eating disorder is to ensure physical health by restoring healthy weight. The next goal of treatment is to reduce or eliminate a person’s eating behavior. Behavioral therapy can help a person return to healthy eating habits. Supportive group therapy may help including self-help groups within communities.
Eating Disorder Cure
The only way to really cure behavioral addiction is total abstinence from the substance or behavior. Eating disorders are very complex and are not ever curable in the traditional sense that it goes away. It always remains within a person’s life to some extent as temptations and triggers are all around to start up again. The goal is to find physical and psychological ways to build strength and fortify a person’s inner life so it does not have the same impact or be tempting to start up again when stress and life circumstances come up.
Cypress Lakes believes you are unique and deserve an individualized plan. It is not easy to admit the need for help but if you are struggling with food or other addictions, we are here to support your journey to recovery. Call us to find out how our programs and staff can help you find your way again: 877-938-1577