Emerge Healing Center’s eating disorder treatment facility in Alpharetta, Georgia is here to help you change your relationship with food for the better. Regardless of the type of eating disorder you may be struggling with, Emerge can help you recover through our eating disorder treatment program.
Eating Disorder Treatment in Alpharetta, Georgia
Treatment for eating disorders requires specialized care and a comprehensive approach. Emerge ‘s eating disorder treatment center in Alpharetta provides a compassionate approach to eating disorder treatment, combining evidence-based therapies and holistic therapies alongside supportive care.
Our entire eating disorder treatment program, as well as our other programs, are all trauma resolution-based treatments. This has proven profoundly effective at treating a range of mental health disorders, including eating disorders. By addressing both the physical and psychological aspects of eating disorders, our Alpharetta eating disorder treatment center helps our clients achieve long-term recovery and improve their overall quality of life.
What Is An Eating Disorder?
An eating disorder is a serious mental health condition characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits, which can severely impact someone’s physical and mental health. Common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder (BED), and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). These disorders often stem from a combination of genetic, biological, behavioral, psychological, and social factors.
Eating disorders may seem like a minor issue to those who have not experienced them. This is not only false, but it can be dangerous to have this view of eating disorders. These are deeply-rooted psychological conditions that can lead to a wide range of problems in someone’s life. They can cause a range of social problems, health issues, and can even be fatal.
Different Types of Eating Disorders We Treat
At Emerge Healing Center, we recognize the significant impact eating disorders can have on someone’s life. Getting effective behavioral healthcare from trained medical professionals is often necessary for someone to recover from eating disorders.
Our eating disorder treatment center in Alpharetta begins by addressing the immediate medical and nutritional needs of our clients. This includes stabilizing vital signs, addressing malnutrition, and creating a balanced eating plan.
Just a few of the eating disorders that we treat at our eating disorder rehab center in Alpharetta include:
1. Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is characterized by severe food restriction, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted body image. Individuals with anorexia often perceive themselves as overweight even when they are significantly underweight.
Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa
- Extreme weight loss
- Preoccupation with food, dieting, and body size
- Refusal to eat certain foods or whole food groups
- Excessive exercise
- Denial of hunger or fatigue
Health Risks of Anorexia Nervosa
- Malnutrition
- Osteoporosis
- Heart problems
- Infertility
- Multisystemic organ failure
2. Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa involves cycles of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors such as vomiting, excessive exercise, or misuse of laxatives to prevent weight gain.
Symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa
- Frequent episodes of consuming large quantities of food in a short time
- Feeling out of control during binge episodes
- Self-induced vomiting or misuse of laxatives
- Fasting or excessive exercise following binges
- Preoccupation with body shape and weight
Health Risks of Bulimia Nervosa
- Electrolyte imbalances
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Severe dental issues
- Chronic sore throat
- Heart complications
3. Binge Eating Disorder (BED)
Binge eating disorder is characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food, often quickly and to the point of discomfort, without regular use of compensatory behaviors.
Symptoms of Binge Eating Disorder
- Eating large amounts of food in a short period
- Eating even when not physically hungry
- Eating until uncomfortably full
- Eating alone due to embarrassment
- Feeling distressed, ashamed, or guilty about eating
Health Risks of Binge Eating Disorder
- Obesity
- Cardiovascular disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Sleep apnea
- Gastrointestinal issues
4. Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)
ARFID involves a significant restriction of food intake due to a lack of interest in eating, sensory aversions, or fears of negative consequences of eating (such as choking or vomiting).
Symptoms of ARFID
- Avoidance of certain foods based on texture, smell, or appearance
- Eating very small amounts
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Dependence on supplements or tube feeding
- Significant weight loss or failure to gain weight
Health Risks of ARFID
- Malnutrition
- Growth delays in children and adolescents
- Developmental delays
- Social and emotional difficulties
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Who Needs An Eating Disorder Treatment Center?
Emerge’s eating disorder treatment center in Alpharetta GA provides specialized care for people struggling with various forms of eating disorders. Recognizing who may need this type of intensive treatment is crucial for timely intervention and effective treatment of eating disorders.
Some signs that someone may be in need of an eating disorder rehab center can include:
- Severe Symptoms: People with severe symptoms that significantly impact their physical health, such as extreme weight loss, malnutrition, or frequent purging behaviors, require comprehensive medical treatment and psychological intervention.
- Complexity of Disorders: Eating disorders often involve complex psychological issues that necessitate specialized therapeutic approaches and continuous support.
- Mental Health Disorders: Conditions such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) frequently co-occur with eating disorders.
- Substance Use Disorders: Some people may struggle with both an eating disorder and substance abuse, complicating their treatment needs. In these cases, getting effective treatment for co-occurring disorders is often necessary for achieving long-term recovery.
How Can An Eating Disorder Rehab Center Help?
Our eating disorder rehab center in Alpharetta provides a range of services that address the physical, psychological, and social aspects of eating disorders. We provide as many effective behavioral health therapies as possible to facilitate recovery and improve our client’s overall health and well-being.
Here’s how Emerge Healing Center’s Alpharetta eating disorder rehab center can help:
Comprehensive Medical and Nutritional Care
Medical stabilization is the first step in treating eating disorders. This involves a medical exam, medical supervision, and reintroducing a balanced diet.
- Initial Assessment: Upon admission, patients undergo thorough medical assessments to determine the severity of their condition and any associated health complications.
- Medical Supervision: Continuous medical monitoring to manage and stabilize vital signs, address malnutrition, and treat any co-occurring medical issues such as electrolyte imbalances, cardiovascular problems, and gastrointestinal complications.
- Nutritional Rehabilitation: Development of individualized meal plans and nutritional education by registered dietitians to restore healthy eating patterns and nutritional status.
Evidence-Based Psychological Therapies
The next step after medical stabilization is psychological intervention in the form of evidence-based therapies. These include the latest behavioral health therapies that have been proven effective in treating eating disorders.
Some of the most effective therapies for eating disorder treatment include:
1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns and behaviors related to food, eating, and body image.
CBT has proven highly effective in treating various eating disorders by helping our clients develop healthier eating habits, improve their self-esteem, and reduce disordered behaviors.
2. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical behavior therapy combines cognitive-behavioral techniques with mindfulness practices to help patients manage emotions and reduce self-destructive behaviors.
DBT is particularly beneficial for people with co-occurring disorders, such as borderline personality disorder and eating disorders, teaching skills for emotional regulation and distress tolerance.
3. Accelerated Resolution Therapy
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is a relatively new therapeutic approach that combines techniques from various evidence-based therapies to facilitate quick resolution of distressing memories and symptoms. One of the primary benefits of ART is its ability to produce rapid results, often within a few sessions.
Studies and clinical reports suggest that ART can be highly effective in treating conditions like PTSD, depression, and anxiety, which are often co-morbid with eating disorders. The reduction of these symptoms can lead to improved overall mental health and a reduction in disordered eating behaviors.
4. Rapid Resolution Therapy
Rapid Resolution Therapy (RRT) is a therapeutic approach designed to quickly and effectively address the emotional and psychological roots of distressing symptoms. It uses a combination of clinical hypnosis, guided imagery, and cognitive-behavioral techniques to reframe and resolve emotional conflicts.
Similar to ART, RRT can help treat the underlying causes of eating disorders and reduce the symptoms of most eating disorders.
5. EMDR Therapy
EMDR therapy involves a standardized eight-phase approach that includes the use of bilateral stimulation (such as guided eye movements) while the client recalls distressing memories. This process is thought to facilitate the reprocessing of traumatic memories, reducing their emotional impact and helping to integrate these memories more adaptively.
Over the past two decades, EMDR has gained recognition for its effectiveness in treating a variety of mental health conditions, including eating disorders.
6. Family-Based Treatment (FBT)
Our family treatment program involves the family in the eating disorder treatment process. This empowers the significant others and parents of our clients to support their recovery. This has proven to be an extremely helpful adjunct to more traditional behavioral health treatment methods.
Family-based treatment has proven to be especially effective in restoring healthy eating habits and weight among people struggling with anorexia nervosa.
Levels of Care At Our Eating Disorder Rehab
At Emerge Healing Center, we provide several different levels of care for eating disorder treatment. These provide differing levels of flexibility so that anyone who needs help with eating disorder treatment can get the help they need.
Our different eating disorder treatment programs in Alpharetta include:
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Call Our Eating Disorder Treatment Center in Alpharetta Today
Eating disorders are complex conditions that require comprehensive, multidisciplinary treatment approaches. Emerge Healing Center’s eating disorder treatment facility in Alpharetta offers a range of evidence-based therapies and holistic care to support you along your recovery journey. By addressing both the physical and psychological aspects of eating disorders, we help our clients achieve long-term recovery and improve their overall quality of life.
If you or a loved one is struggling with an eating disorder, call Emerge Healing Center today at 770-212-3791 to see how we can help you. Recovery from an eating disorder is possible, but it will require help. Call us today to begin your recovery journey and find a new life.
