With three percent of adolescents between the age of 13 and 18 developing an eating disorder, you might worry that your teen is at risk. While both male and female teenagers can suffer from eating disorders, 75 percent of teens suffering from anorexia and 80 percent with bulimia are female. Eating orders can cause long-term health problems and sometimes, in severe cases death. If you suspect that your teen has an eating disorder, the time to seek help and treatment is now. This step can be scary, and the more information you have the easier it is for you to seek treatment for your teen.
Almost every teenager is insecure about the way that they look and their weight. You’re always looking for tips for parents dealing with a teenage eating disorder. This makes it challenging to determine if your teen has an eating disorder or normal body issues. There are three most common eating disorders that affect adolescents, including:
For many teens with an eating disorder, there is an underlying cause that leaves them susceptible to an eating disorder. In many cases, a dual diagnosis is a mental health issue. It can also be a control issue. While they can’t control everything in their lives, they can control the food that they eat except in the case of binging.
To successfully treat the eating disorder, you must also treat the underlying cause. Fairwinds Treatment Centers understands the need to treat both the cause and the disorder. The most common underlying causes are:
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Eating disorders take a toll on the body, and this is especially true of teenagers who are still growing and developing. Symptoms of eating disorders can vary, depending on which disorder your teen has, but here are some of the most common:
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If your teen is suffering from an eating disorder, they may try to hide the signs of it from you. You may need to pay a little more attention to their daily habits and appearance. This is especially true around mealtimes when they’re trying to hide how much or how little they are eating from you. Here are a few of the signs that your teen might be battling an eating disorder:
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Eating disorders are like most other medical conditions. There are levels of advancement — how far along the illness has progressed, — and this directly affects the level of care that your teen needs to help cope and overcome their eating disorder. At Fairwinds Treatment Centers, we will run an initial assessment to help determine the level of care your teen needs. There are five levels of care at our eating disorder treatment center, including:
No matter the level of care prescribed, your son or daughter will encounter and work with a variety of professionals. Each member of our staff at Fairwinds has your teen’s best interest at heart. They’re dedicated to helping your teen recover and use empathy and compassion to help your adolescent rediscover their self-esteem. Here are some of the professionals who will help your teen recover:
One of the most stressful times for a teen with an eating disorder is mealtime. Our staff of nutritionists spends their time creating meals that are appealing while providing all the nutrition that your teen needs. During mealtimes, there are always staff members on hand to help your teen make wise decisions and work through any stress that they experience and keeps them from eating. We also track how much your adolescent eats during mealtime to help measure their recovery.
Our goal is to help your child return home with a healthy relationship with food so that they can live a wonderful life. We understand that once they return home there will be stressors that they don’t encounter at the treatment center. During their treatment, we’ll take the time to explore these especially stressful situations and how to deal with them. These situations include:
While your teen is seeking treatment for an eating disorder, they’ll attend one-on-one therapy sessions to help explore their unique relationship with food and its root causes. During these sessions, your child and the therapist will find and treat your teens underlying causes for their eating disorder. They will learn new ways of dealing with body issues and learn how to rebuild their self-esteem.
Your teen and their therapist will devise a schedule for their visits. You should expect only a single visit per day and several days per week.
There’s nothing quite like seeing your not the only one suffering from a disorder to help you overcome it. At least once a day and more than likely a couple of times a day, your teen will attend a group therapy session during their recovery. This is their chance to discuss what led to their disorder and ways that they’re coping with their recovery. The group will discuss things that work for one member and not for another to give your teen treatment options and coping methods that work for them.
During group therapy, there is a counselor who leads the group and keeps the teens on task. If the talk is moving in a positive direction, the leader steps back and lets the teens do the work. However, if the group gets off-topic, the leader will gently lead the discussion back on to a positive track. During group therapy, your teen may work with others on exercises to improve communication and ways to deal with daily, stressful situations. Like with all other therapy, the goal is for your teen to return home with self-esteem and coping methods to help them effectively deal with their disorder.
Only 1 in 10 men and women with eating disorders seek treatment. If your teenager is suffering from an eating disorder, it’s crucial they receive professional help immediately. At Fairwinds Treatment Center, our team emphasizes comprehensive healing by using clinical treatment and therapeutic counseling to help our patients achieve lasting and sustainable wellness.
At Fairwinds Treatment Centers, we understand how scary a diagnosed eating disorder is, and we’re here to help. We work with the entire family to help your teen overcome their eating disorder. Contact us today for more information.
Eating Disorder treatment programs at Fairwinds Treatment Center are customized to fit each individual’s needs. We understand the special requirements of adolescent patients and work to ensure these needs are met so treatment can be administered.
Adolescent patients in school are provided with ample time for school work. We also work with the Pinellas County School Board to assist with current education needs and can facilitate online coursework if needed.
Family support is crucial to successfully treat an adolescent eating disorder. We encourge family visits and invite family members to participate in family therapy.
Adolescnt patients at Fairwinds Treatment Center are supervised 24/7. We understand our young patients require additional care and ensure they are safe and secure while admitted to Fairwinds.
At Fairwinds Treatment Center in Clearwater, Florida, we provide a unique and effective treatment approach that combines psychological and emotional support with nutritional guidance.
Our medical professionals know that every patient is fighting their own intensely personal battle. With that in mind, our Eating Disorder programs are tailored to the needs of each individual and their family.
We operate a small, comfortable residential treatment center where you or your loved one can take the time necessary to truly heal.
Contact Fairwinds Treatment Center here for more information.
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