Anorexia Nervosa Treatment
Anorexia Nervosa Treatment in Greenwich, Darien, Westport, Westchester, and Surrounding Areas in Connecticut and New York.
What is anorexia nervosa?
What is anorexia nervosa? Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by weight loss, difficulties maintaining appropriate body weight, fear of weight gain, restricting how much or when one eats, and often distorted body image. Some people with the disorder also binge eat and/or engage in compensatory behaviors (e.g, vomiting, laxatives). Many people with anorexia also exercise excessively and/or compulsively.
What are the symptoms of anorexia nervosa?
Symptoms of anorexia nervosa include weight loss, preoccupation with weight/shape/dieting/calories, refusing to eat certain foods/calories, making frequent comments about being "fat", cold intolerance, food rituals, cooking for others without eating, excessive/rigid exercise routines, withdrawal from friends and activities, limited social spontaneity, concerns eating in public, strong need for control, inflexible thinking, and overly restrained emotional expression.
What are the health consequences of anorexia nervosa?
Health consequences include loss of menstrual period, osteoporosis/osteopenia, GI complaints, sleep problems, fainting, and abnormal laboratory finding. dizziness, dental problems, and impaired immune functioning.
How do you treat anorexia nervosa?
We use Dr. Fairburn's Enhanced Cognitive Behavioral Treatment to treat anorexia nervosa in late adolescents and adults. We will work with you to implement behavioral strategies including the establishment of a regular pattern of eating, systematic exposure to forbidden foods, create motivation for change, and challenge disturbance in the experience of shape and weight as well as the tie between personal identity and the illness. We also integrate mindfulness and acceptance techniques to help you regulate emotions and disengage from eating-disordered thoughts.
What kind of training do you have in treating anorexia?
Dr. Sala has extensive training in treating anorexia nervosa, including experience at inpatient eating disorder units and a decade-long research career working with leaders in the field. Dr. Sala is the Director of the Mindfulness, Eating Disorders, and Acceptance Lab (MEAL) at Yeshiva University, where she conducts eating disorder treatment research. She received training in Family-Based Treatment for eating disorders from Stanford University and utilizes it in her work with children and adolescents.