food and body image disorders are often misunderstood and carry undue societal shame.
Appreciative talk therapy can be incredibly useful in shedding light on the connections between these seemingly distinct components.
Seeking professional help for your eating disorder is the first brave step towards finding balance and recovery in your life again. Read on to find out how Recovery Direct can help you in South Africa’s most advanced ED treatment programme.
Eating Disorders Johannesburg Treatment Centre 
Complete continuum of care for severe eating disorder recovery.
Eating Disorder Causes
The causes of Eating Disorders often differ between the various categories of eating disorders, such as Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and so forth. However, these disorders are seen as a mental illness that can result in serious physical side effects for the individual.
The causes of Eating Disorders often differ between the various categories of eating disorders, such as Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and so forth. However, these disorders are seen as a mental illness that can result in serious physical side effects for the individual.
There is also no universal cause that leads to the development of an eating disorder in all individuals. Instead, individual personality traits, the environment in which an individual lives, trauma, genetic factors and culture-related factors may all be contributing factors to the development of these disorders.
Eating Disorder Recovery Centre
“Eating Disorder” (ED) is a collective term used for range of psychological disorders that are related to food. The best-known eating disorders are Anorexia (Anorexia nervosa), Bulimia (Bulimia Nervosa) and Overeating / Binge Eating Disorders (BED).
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa: A person with anorexia restricts their conscious food intake to extremely small portions. Anorexics typically have a poorly developed sense of “body self image” which means that they do not see themselves as underweight, but rather the overweight, in spite of objective sources telling them that they are underweight. Anorexics often develop a deep understanding of food nutrition and the energy content of many foods. Often anorexics experience deep anxieties associated with eating. Read more bout anorexia here.
Bulimia Nervosa
People with bulimia are preoccupied with food and have periods of binge eating followed by purging to get the food out again. The most common ways to get food out are self-induced vomiting or excessive use of laxatives.
Bulimics experience guilt and shame after eating or binge eating and the purging process through vomiting is experienced as a “cleansing process” after-which they feel “better”.
Read more about bulimia here.
Read more about bulimia here.
“Muscle Dysmorphia”
Muscle dysmorphia sometimes referred to as “bigorexia” is a disorder characterised by obsessive preoccupation with the physical body image. Bigorexia is a relatively newly identified mental disorder that hinges on the obsession to have a muscular body. This disorder can take two forms: extreme sport activity or binge eating to gain weight in order to stop the perception of being ‘too thin’. Although men are primarily affected by muscle dysmorphia, it is a disorder that can also affect women. These people devote an inordinate amount of time, attention and money on vigorous exercise, stringent diets, and other nutritional supplements to enhance their bodies and get “bigger” and/or more muscular. FAQ about “bigorexia” here.
Overeating
Binge-Eating Disorder, also known as overeating or binge eating is an eating disorder which is the opposite of anorexia, with the result of sufferers gaining excessive weight. Over eaters often recognise that the eating pattern is not problematic and feel guilty for the lack of control. However they continue with the self-destructive eating behaviour knowing that it will cause harm to their body and health.
Complete list
Of eating disorders and further explanations to the conditions, please see here for more info.
Specialised Treatment in Johannesburg
Johannesburg is the ideal location to disconnect from the pressures and stresses of day to day life and focus on clearing ones mind for reflection. Our unique treatment programme for eating disorders deals with the underlying fears, concerns and behaviours that have caused the self-defeating condition. Rebuilding a new self and body image based on positive personal objectives, enables patients to finally break free from the cycles that perpetuate their eating disorders. The treatment centre works on both residential inpatient and outpatient models of treatment for entrenched eating disorders.
Recovery Direct’s Model For Eating Disorder Treatment
We help you to counteract disordered thoughts that trigger your problematic responses. We follow up on your daily challenges to create awareness of the things that trigger your reactions and how to handle them. Using a structured cognitive process, we create a holistic solution for you. We respect the fact that your thoughts and feelings are reflected in your relationship with food. We treat obsessive behaviours such as fasting, over-regulation (dieting and calorie counting), binge eating, regurgitation and purgation, all aimed at controlling body weight, but resulting in severe health problems. At the therapeutic level there are many effective and successful treatments, either those that hinge on cognitive behavioural therapy or of systemic orientation. The latter can be found in the literature on clinical psychology and psychotherapy. Systemic therapy has three models that have specialised in evidence based treatment for eating disorders.
- Psychological treatment: Aimed at achieving lasting changes in the distorted thoughts and negative emotions related to weight and body image or self image; involves working towards establishing an identity that helps the person feel good about themselves. Psychological treatment helps the individual avoid having to resort to food in the face of life’s challenges and problems. This treatment can take the place of individual and group sessions with other people who share the same problems and in some cases with family members (parents, siblings, partners).
- Nutritional treatment: The main function is to advise the individual on healthy eating habits and warn them about the danger of unnecessary diets and diets that are not prescribed and controlled by a competent health professional.
- Pharmacological treatment: Aimed at those affected who require medication in combination with psychological treatment, especially in cases of BN and binge eating disorder, or to resolve associated symptoms such as depression, anxiety or impulsive behaviour.
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Why Choose Recovery Direct
The rehab Johannesburg is a specialised refuge designed specifically around a care model that caters for both eating disorders and substance addictions simultaneously. Each clients journey is absolutely unique as is their treatment programme that is based off evidence led therapeutic principals. Our team are well versed in the intricacies of addictions and related behaviours and helping clients find a new balance in their lives. The centre in Johannesburg ensures that they are well looked after, treated like an adult and with the utmost care, confidentiality and respect at all stages of treatment.