Independent medical expert answers
on psychiatry and psychology

Psychotherapy for Eating Disorders and Drug Abuse

Written by: Gunborg Palme, certified psychologist and certified psychotherapist, teacher and tutor in psychotherapy.
First version: 22 Jul 2008. Latest version: 01 Jan 2009.

Abstract:

How is psychotherapy as a treatment of eating disorders and addiction done?

Question:

How is psychotherapy as a treatment of eating disorders and addiction done?

Answer:

The aim of psychotherapeutic treatment is to teach patients to recognise their own feelings and body signals and to manage the real problems. In order to do this the psychotherapist must understand that these patients are unable to recognise their bodily needs and that people with eating disorders have learned to interpret the wrong signals as a need to eat.

The therapy must be directed towards getting the patients to experience how various feelings are expressed in compulsive eating, hunger or craving. Food abusers need to learn to recognise real hunger and separate it from other feelings. More. They also need to understand, and be aware of, how they function in order to manage their eating in a better way.

More information:
Sources, references: http://web4health.info/en/answers/source/ed-treat-therapy-goal.htm
http://web4health.info/en/answers/ed-treat-therapy-goal.htm separator Copyright 2003-2015 Web4Health