Professionals vary in their opinions about the best psychological treatment approach, treatment modality, and treatment setting for the patient diagnosed with AN. Traditionally, the treatment of AN has taken place in the in-patient setting with the main treatment goal focusing on weight restoration. The in-patient hospital setting is quite conducive to helping the anorexic successfully achieve this goal. After discharge, the individual with AN is encouraged to work with a team of professionals, including a medical doctor, nutritionist, and psychotherapist, who will provide supportive and consistent outpatient services to monitor for health and mental health gains. Unfortunately, many individuals with AN are not able to maintain success in the out-patient setting and need to return to the hospital for inpatient care.
The good news is that there is hope. Individuals can and do recover from this illness with the proper medical and mental health care. Psychotherapy is considered vital in helping the person with her recovery and should be sought as soon as possible. However, as parents you should expect resistance from your child to enter into therapy. Often the individual with AN does not think there is a problem. After all for the past several months, all she/he has been hearing is how great she/he looks.
We live in a society where weight loss is desired and body image ideals are those of models and movie stars. AN causes the person to think unclearly. There is intense fear over gaining any weight—even half a pound. Therefore, your child will not be motivated to change her/his behavior since change represents getting better and getting better means getting fat, which is what the individual with AN is trying desperately to avoid. Nonetheless, the sooner the person starts treatment, the higher the rates of success.
AN is a very aggressive illness and should be treated aggressively from the start. Follow your instincts as a parent. If you think your child is in trouble, seek professional consultation. Do not assume that your child is going through a phase or that significant weight loss in a relatively short period of time is simply willpower and a good diet. If your child is in trouble, he or she needs your quick response to assure safety and mental health. I cannot tell you how many parents come to my office seeking consultation and are shocked to find that upon my referral to a medical doctor, their child is immediately sent to the hospital for medical monitoring because the child’s vital signs are unstable. The surprise comes from the fact that you cannot visibly see problems with blood pressure, heart rate, or temperature. Therefore, seeking medical assistance is imperative to assess the severity of the problem.
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