Treating Eating Disorders From a Holistic Perspective

By: Natasha Horsley Dye, MS, LPC

In our culture, eating disorders appear to be reaching epidemic proportions, hitting certain populations the hardest. Women are said to have as many as 95% of reported eating disorders. As many as one in five college females suffer from an eating disorder.

Initially, an eating disorder begins as a way of coping with life's problems, yet it ends up more an enemy than a friend. There can be devastating medical consequences, including early onset osteoporosis, heart problems, infertility, and even death. In fact, anorexia is said to claim more lives than any emotional disorder, including depression. Eating disorders can also have serious emotional, relational and spiritual consequences. At the TEMENOS Center we strongly believe that it is important to have a holistic approach to treatment, and we address each of these areas of concern.

Eating disorder symptoms can include bingeing and purging, self-starvation, over-eating, and/or over-exercising. Some women experience lots of different symptoms and others one or two. Similarly, there can be lots of reasons for these symptoms, or only a few. These reasons can include genetic, environmental, family and/or communication problems. The professionals at the TEMENOS Center initially provide a thorough evaluation of each woman's symptoms and the underlying reasons for those symptoms to develop the best recovery plan for each woman.

However, the first step begins with you. If you, or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, don't wait any longer. The long-term effects can be devastating, physically and emotionally. On the other hand, according to research, although recovery is neither quick nor easy, with commitment to treatment and a good therapist, it is indeed possible. The TEMENOS Center specializes in treating a number of problems in addition to eating disorders. At TEMENOS you will receive expert care.

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