How NEDA helped me to treat my Purging Disorder?

I am a university student and I often felt symptoms of the purging disorder but I never took it seriously. Then, my friend once told me that it is a serious disorder that can be life-threatening.

She told me that 20 million women and 10 million men normally suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their lives in the USA.

 Eating disorders such as purging disorders are serious but easily treatable mental and physical illnesses. No one is saved from these disorders as they affect people of all genders, ages, races, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations, body shapes, and weights. Actually, eating disorders is the second biggest cause of death in the country. Only opioid addiction kills more people than these types of illnesses.

Eating disorders are widely misunderstood illnesses and support options are often inaccessible. Consequently, lots of patients feel helpless, hopeless, and frightened.

My friend told me that I can take help from NEDA which is a renowned eating disorder treatment place for patients.

The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is the biggest non-profit organization in the United States of America. It is devoted to support individuals and families affected by various eating disorders.

It helps patients through its effective programs and services. In addition, it also raises awareness, builds communities of support and recovery. Moreover, it also funds research and puts vital resources into the hands of those who require them.

NEDA supports individuals and families affected by eating disorders and serves as a catalyst for prevention, cures and access to quality care.

NEDA provides a very effective screening tool that can be used to identify your particular eating disorders. It really helped me to recognize and treat my purging disorder

Programs and Services

NEDA’s programs and services are especially created to help you search out the support you require to recover from your present condition. We should remember that recovery is quite possible as guidance is freely available through this institution. You can easily contact its care centre to get immediate help.

How did NEDA help me to treat my purging disorder?

NEDA follows a specific procedure to identify and treat a particular eating disorder.

I contacted its helpline and asked for an online screening. Its online eating disorders screening evaluates the warning signs of an eating disorder and helps you determine is it the right time to seek professional help. However, we must remember that we can’t consider this screening an alternative to clinical evaluation.

Early identification, initial assessment, and effective treatment are important actions that can help patients recover from an eating disorder quickly. These actions also prevent the disorder from progressing to a more severe or chronic state. Here are some assessments that are recommended to determine the level of care required. Receiving appropriate treatment is the first step towards recovery. You can contact the treatment centres listed by NEDA to get assessments and proper medical care.

Treatment centres listed by NEDA

NEDA has listed resources for our reference only and however, they are not recommendations. It has listed resources based on data provided to it by each resource. It doesn’t take responsibility for the accuracy of the information given to us by any resource.

Patients should remember that NEDA is a nonprofit organization and does not approve or recommend any particular treatment centre. In addition, nor do it makes any judgment about the quality of care given by any medical institution. Therefore, NEDA is not responsible for any damages caused by the conduct of any resource given on the website.

This list is continuously updated as new facilities are opened in the region.

Recommended Assessments

Following are important assessments that are needed by purging disorder patients

Patient assessment

This is the second important step when a clinician asks questions in order to diagnose an eating disorder Moreover,it also helps him/her to provide the best course of action. the patient and (if applicable) their loved ones the following types of questions:

• Patient history, including screening questions about eating patterns
• Determination of medical, nutritional, psychological and social functioning (if possible, an eating disorder expert should assess the mental health of your child)
• Attitudes towards eating, exercise, and appearance
• Family history of eating disorder or other psychiatric disorder, including alcohol and substance use disorders
• Family history of obesity
• Assessment of other mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety

Medical exam

Eating disorders are often accompanied by numerous medical problems that can result from over-exercise,self-starvation, binge eating, and/or purging. An experienced doctor can only identify these issues and then recommend a suitable course of action. A physician would typically evaluate the following:

Physical examination including height, growth chart assessment for children and adolescents, weight, body mass index (BMI)cardiovascular and peripheral vascular function, evidence of self-injurious behaviors , skin health, hair loss, dental examination, measurement of body temperature and pulse, Orthostatic blood pressure  and Laboratory tests (see below)

Laboratory testing

Numerous laboratory tests and blood work are required to identify the correct eating disorder diagnosis and measure the appropriate level of care for the patient.

The laboratory tests will evaluate the following types of factors:

• Blood sugar levels
• Electrolyte levels to measure the presence and severity of dehydration especially if somebody is purging
• Chemicals in the urine
• Liver and kidney functioning
• Electrocardiogram (ECG), ensures the heart is beating properly

In addition, it is also important to carry out the following additional testing

Complete Blood Count (CBC)

This studies the three main kinds of blood cells flowing in your blood and can identify anaemia and infection

Electrocardiogram

This test utilizes electrical signs from the heart to measure how well it’s beating and if there are any arrhythmias

Urinalysis

Urinalysis can determine the existence of ketones and the urine specific gravity, which can evaluate dehydration and fluid intake.

We should remember that getting a diagnosis is only the first step towards recovery from an eating disorder. Treatment an eating disorder is a long term process and it involves mixture of psychological and nutritional counselling along with medical and psychiatric monitoring.

Medical experts have to ensure that recovery program has to address the eating disorder symptoms and medical consequences. Moreover, it should provide a solution of psychological, biological, interpersonal, and cultural forces that further the eating disorder.