Anorexia Nervosa

In 1981, a researcher named Fairburn conducted the first study applying cognitive-behavioral therapy to the treatment of bulimia nervosa. In a recently published report by D. L. Spangler (1999), CBT is touted as “a well-developed, theoretically grounded treatment for bulimia nervosa with the strongest empirical support for its efficacy of any form of treatment for bulimia nervosa.” Today cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy commonly used to treat patients with bulimia nervosa (BN).

In this paper, I will discuss how cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be utilized in the management of eating disorders. More specifically I will identify Anorexia Nervosa and provide statistics that relate to the disease. Etiologies will be discussed as well as symptoms. Various techniques of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy will be described as well as the rationale as it relates to the clinical issue.

Cognitive remediation therapy is a certain type of therapy that tries to strengthen and improve the mind in hopes that by strengthening the mind the disorder/disease the patient is suffering from would become easier to combat. In this article the researchers are looking to see if and how effective this treatment is. To do so the researchers analyzed and reviewed the work of other scientists/researchers to form one collective article on how efficient cognitive remediation therapy is when regarding anorexia

Prescription antidepressants and antipsychotics have not had much success in the treatment of anorexia nervosa. Eating disorder expert Walter Kaye, MD said, “we have not understood the pathogenesis and physiology of these illnesses (anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa). Until we do that, it is hard to come up with effective treatments.” He said this in regards to finding more effective treatment options (Kaplan).

Anorexia nervosa is a debilitating disorder that affects the lives of many adolescents and can serious if not fatal consequences if not treated properly (Hurst & Zimmer-Gembeck, 2015; Wilson, Grilo, & Vitousek, 2007; Westwood & Kendal, 2012; Grave, Calugi, Ghoch, Conti & Fairburn, 2014). Two interventions that are often used in the treatment of AN are cognitive behavior therapy and family based treatment. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and family based treatment (FBT) can either be used separately or in conjunction depending on the patient’s response and the degree of the disorder (Doyle, Le Grange, Loeb, Doyle, & Crosby, 2012; Lock et al., 2015; Madden et al., 2015). CBT aims to decease the symptoms of anorexia nervosa by changing the

The three nationally recognized eating disorders are identified as Bulimia Nervosa, Anorexia Nervosa, and Binge-Eating Disorder. Eating disorders, although stereotypically viewed as a lifestyle choice, is a serious and often fatal illness that not only cause severe eating disturbances, but adverse psychological and physiological environments for the individual (National Institute of Mental Health, 2006). These disorders typically develop in the mid-to-late teen years and often carry out into early adulthood albeit also existing in late adulthood (Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley, 2004). Treatment for this class of disorder can range from various perspectives, current methodologies for binge-eating disorder point to cognitive therapies and pharmacotherapy (Reas & Grilo, 2014).

The first step in the treatment of anorexia is to aid the client in adapting a more standardized eating pattern. A dietitian may intervene at this point to assist the affected person to adopt more healthy eating behaviors. The counselor's role is to gradually help the client begin to adopt a more normal eating style (Shekter-Wolfson et al 13). In all cases, however, there are six goals of any treatment process:

Anorexia Nervosa is a DSM-5 psychological disorder characterized by energy restriction, weight loss and psychological comorbidities. The treatment of anorexia nervosa involves mainly medical and psychological interventions, and new treatments are being researched every day. Re-feeding is known to be the cornerstone, initial treatment. However, the specifics of treatment are not currently defined. Most therapeutic programs resort to a multidisciplinary treatment approach based off of clinical judgment and expertise. Treatment for anorexia nervosa is an ongoing challenge due to feeding complications and extremely high relapse rates. Future research is necessary to establish a gold standard initial treatment plan for anorexia nervosa and to continue finding new, more effective treatments.

The brain is a changing part of the body. During a lifetime, many think that their bodies are not the way society says they should be. Because of the disfigured views of their bodies, people begin to develop eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa. According to Mental Health by Jennifer Hurley, symptoms of anorexia include an unhealthy and unnatural fear of gaining weight, even if the person affected is at a stable body weight. The book continues on by saying that this eating disorder is a mental disorder that may be caused by academic, social, and family problems (Hurley 33). Anorexia nervosa can be treated by therapy.

The advice and support of trained eating disorder professionals can help one regain one’s health, learn to eat normally again, and develop healthier attitudes about food and one’s body (Smith). The treatment of choice for bulimia is cognitive-behavioral therapy (Smith). The initial goal of cognitive-behavioral therapy is to restore control over dietary intake. Cognitive-behavioral therapy principally involves a systematic series of interventions aimed at addressing the cognitive aspects of bulimia nervosa (Matthews 71). Breaking the binge-and-purge cycle is the first phase of bulimia treatment and restoring normal eating patterns. One learn to monitor one’s eating habits, avoid situations that trigger binges, cope with stress in ways that do not involve food, eat regularly to reduce food cravings, and fight the urge to purge. Changing unhealthy thoughts and patterns is the second phase of bulimia treatment that focuses on identifying and changing dysfunctional beliefs about weight, dieting, and body shape. Solving emotional issues is the final phase of bulimia treatment that involves targeting emotional issues that caused the eating disorder in the first

Maintenance treatment for anorexia nervosa: A comparison of cognitive behavior therapy and treatment as usual. By: Jacqueline C. Carter, Traci L. McFarlane, Carmen Bewell, Marion P. Olmstead, D. Blake Woodside, Allan S. Kaplan, and Ross D. Crosby.

Oftentimes, Anorexia Nervosa is classified as a psychological disorder and is not viewed as an instigator of communication disorders. Besides the obvious negative consequences of eating disorders, anorexia can cause an onset of dysphagia. Anorexia is a terrible disease and the annual death rate is approximately 12 times higher than the death rate of all causes of death among females ages 15 to 24 (Holmes, Gudridge, Gaudiani, & Mehler, 2012). Severe anorexia Nervosa encompasses a plethora of medical complications that affects each body system and causes severe weakness (Holmes, Gudridge, Gaudiani, & Mehler, 2012). At this time, Speech Language Pathology (SLP) is not well versed in treatment and management of anorexia conditions. Veldee

CRT focuses on exercising the brain, improving cognitive strategies, and thinking skills through practice (Tchanturia K; et al. 2014). A study found two key reasons why this therapy might work for Anorexia adolescent suffer (Tchanturia K; et al. 2014).

The first step to treat anorexia is to bring awareness to the problem before the condition is too severe (nytimes.com). As with many other illnesses and diseases, like alcoholism, the victim must recognize that she is a victim of the disease. The victims cannot deny their true state of suffering and must accept that help is an option for recovery. One method of treatment is nutritional rehabilitation alongside behavioral monitoring. Nutritional rehabilitation aims to reestablish the weight of the subject. Unfortunately, nutritional rehabilitation poses risks like “the refeeding syndrome, a problem of electrolyte and fluid shifts, can cause permanent disability or even death” (Mehler, Winkelman, Andersen, & Gaudiani, 2010, p. 1). Therefore, the patients’ behaviors must be monitored in order to avoid this complication (Mehler, Winkelman, Andersen, & Gaudiani, 2010, p.

Finally, we will look at possible treatments for anorexia. People that suffer can get better and gradually learn to eat normally again. Anorexia involves both mind and body. Therapy or counseling is a critical part of treating eating disorders. In many cases family therapy is one of the keys to eating healthily again. Parents and other family members are important in helping the person see that his or her