Anorexia Treatment

 

If your obsession with losing weight has led you to actively deprive yourself of the nourishment you need to survive, you may suffer from the eating disorder anorexia nervosa.

Some degree of body-consciousness is only natural, among both men and women. After all, magazines, films and TV shows all seem to convey one image of beauty, and it is often a rail-thin one. However, if your obsession with losing weight has led you to actively deprive yourself of the nourishment you need to survive, you may suffer from an eating disorder called anorexia nervosa.

 

What is Anorexia Nervosa?

Anorexia nervosa is one of the most common and widely known eating disorders, and is characterized by deliberate starvation. The Mayo Clinic defines it as a condition that “causes people to obsess about their weight and the food they eat.” This fixation leads sufferers to maintain a body weight that is substantially and often dangerously lower than the healthy requirement for their age and height, typically through calculated starvation or extreme amounts of exercise. In contrast to people who suffer from bulimia nervosa, which entails a consistent pattern of binging and purging, those who are battling anorexia nervosa may not fully realize how harmful their habits have become.

Though it is most common among adolescent and adult females, there is increasing evidence that instances of anorexia are on the rise among males as well. The average age of onset is 19 years old, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, but it isn’t uncommon for boys and girls as young as 12 or 13 to exhibit signs of this condition - often in response to increasing pressure to subscribe to one ideal of physical perfection. Yet anorexia is not simply an adolescent phase. It is a serious and life-threatening medical condition that can affect individuals of all ages and walks of life.

Our Vision on treating anorexia nervosa- We will strive to facilitate clients in doing the following:

  • Accepting the body the way it is regardless of shape or size

  • Living in the moment without being a constant judge of food, eating, and weight

  • Integrating therapeutic,experiential, nutritional, and mindful experiences to improve quality of life

  • Living without comparison to others, and engaging families to support loved ones in their quest to live life without disordered eating.

 

Why choose Fairwinds Treatment Center for anorexia care

At Fairwinds Treatment Center in Clearwater, Florida, we specialize in anorexia treatment in an environment that is close-knit and comfortable. We know that while there may be sweeping trends in this field, each instance of anorexia is unique, and should be treated as such. We are one of the most well-respected eating disorder treatment centers in Florida thanks in part to the extensive expertise of Fairwinds Treatment Center’s founder Dr. Khal El-Yousef and eating disorder specialist Dr. Pauline Powers.

Dr. Pauline Powers is an internationally recognized leader in anorexia treatment with more than 40 years of experience in this complex and widely misunderstood field. She is a published author, researcher and educator in eating disorder intervention methods, as well as the founding President of the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED), past President of the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), a founding member of the Eating Disorders Research Society and currently sits on the Editorial Board of the Eating Disorders Review.

In 2006, Dr. Powers received a lifetime achievement award from NEDA for her contributions to eating disorder research and treatment, and was also recognized by the Academy for Eating Disorders as the Outstanding Clinician in 2000. In short, her expertise regarding both the physical and psychological components of anorexia is unparalleled, and as a patient at Fairwinds Treatment Center, you will benefit from this knowledge directly.

 

The history of Fairwinds Treatment Center

Fairwinds Treatment Center was founded by Dr. Khal El-Yousef in 1989, and we offer a treatment model that combines the benefits of therapy with a more clinical approach to eating disorders, addiction and the underlying psychological conditions that can spur these self-destructive behaviors. We believe that addressing all of the factors that contribute to an eating disorder is the only way to facilitate a full recovery. As such, we are one of the only dually licensed psychiatric and substance abuse treatment facilities in the nation to earn accreditation by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), which empowers us to address any chemical dependencies or behavioral issues that may contribute to an eating disorder.