Innovative Psychiatry
These articles about eating disorders are provided to improve public perception of these disorders and to dispel stigma about mental health issues. In addition, information about symptoms and treatment strive to help pave the path to a happier, more rewarding life.
Eating disorders are not the display of “just perfectionism” or a lack of personal discipline. Studies of twins, for example, have shown there are genetic factors influencing the development of some eating disorders. Furthermore, studies have also demonstrated social and cultural influences, along with psychological, and other biological factors that play a role in eating disorders.
These are profoundly complex disorders with intertwined causes. and the treatment can be, too.
The various types of eating disorders manifest with a variety of symptoms, but most have some things in common. For instance, most involve a harsh restriction of food intake, inappropriate binge eating and expulsion through vomiting as well as overly rigorous exercise. But not all. Pica, specifically, involves eating non-food items.
And there are a few others, such as purging disorder, night eating syndrome, and eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS).
Eating disorders treatment is complicated, as I mentioned. This disorder ravages the mind and the body of the sufferer. Treatment involves a complex and thorough process of nutritional counseling and psychotherapy. In addition, because of the physical and metabolic breakdown that you suffer, treatment requires medical monitoring, and close psychiatric monitoring and evaluation.
Sometimes in-patient recovery centers are required to help make the necessary changes in the way you see food…and the way you see yourself.
With that said, in our practice we’ve seen promising outcomes with IV ketamine treatment with anorexia, and in the symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTSD that we sometimes find in our patients with anorexia. We have been exploring a novel, sequenced treatment protocol for anorexia using a modified ketogenic diet followed by a series of ketamine infusions and published a case report about the first patient we treated with this protocol, whose anorexia went into complete and sustained remission. Still, we have much to learn through research about what ketamine can do in anorexia and other eating disorders.
As you read these articles about eating disorders, know that research is currently ongoing to find solutions for these disorders.
We’ve talked before about our work with Caroline to help her recover from anorexia nervosa, and the subsequent pilot study with 5 women who had suffered from anorexia for many years. In both cases, we used a combination of a nutritional intervention that created therapeutic nutritional ketosis without weight loss and IV ketamine infusions to […]
Halley put on her makeup and looked in the mirror. She abhorred her round face and the fat on her chest and arms. She quietly resolved that she’d swim more laps tomorrow, because the 30 laps she swam daily just wasn’t improving her appearance. It was hard, so hard, to go out in public because […]
This is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week — NEDAwareness Week People come in a wide variety, don’t they? No one more deserving than another. Whether there are differences in skin color, differences in gender, differences in sexual orientation, differences in religion…or differences in IDEAS. And no matter the differences, no matter the variety, every body […]
If you know someone with anorexia nervosa, you know how chronic… dangerous… and life-threatening it can be. I bet you didn’t know it could go into full remission. This is the story of a novel idea, a brand new course of treatment, an innovative treatment procedure, and a protocol that was born out of love. […]
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month Eating Disorders Are Psychiatric Disorders Surprised? Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder… The National Eating Disorder Association lists 10 conditions as eating disorders. And, it so happens that ketamine treatment can work wonders and restore your life. Too many people who don’t have a family member suffering with an […]
Your gut-brain axis is one of of the most effective systems you can use to transform your mood. Really? Really. We’ve been talking about that microbiome eco-system community that lives in your gut, and how it affects your mood, your wellness, and your mental health. The gut-brain axis is the pathway of communication between your […]
You Have The Power to Transform Your Life. To Find Out How – Keep Reading… If you struggle with depression or anxiety, you probably know that there’s a pretty good chance you’ve inherited that tendency from others in your family line. But you don’t have to feel helpless about that. There is so much you […]