Overcome Your Eating Disorder with Proper Medication and Fulfilling Social Life

At one time, medical experts were skeptical about using psycho-pharmacological drugs-drugs prescribed to relieve the symptoms of mental illnesses-to help treat eating disorders. Today those drugs are an acceptable and often beneficial element in the recovery process. Patients now have many options and a psychiatrist with expertise in treating eating disorders can help determine the medication or combination of medications that will work best for them.

Depression is often a component of eating disorders. Therefore a psychiatrist may recommend an antidepressant, which in turn may also relieve the need to binge, purge, or starve. Tricyclics are a class of antidepressants that have been used for decades. They increase the level of neurotransmitters (chemical "messengers") in the brain. Side effects include sedation, tiredness, dry mouth, constipation, low blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, and confusion.

Sometimes food cravings have a physiological root. The neurotransmitter serotonin can affect both mood and the feeling that one is hungry or full. Low levels of serotonin may be responsible for not only the urge to binge or purge but also depression. There are several drugs that help increase the serotonin level. They're called selective

serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). One SSRI, Prozac (fluoxetine), is often prescribed in low doses to help overcome depression and in higher doses to relieve the urge to binge. It is the only drug licensed specifically for treating bulimia.

Anxiety-fear or uneasiness about an anticipated event-is another common problem for people with eating disorders. Anxiety may be part of the reason for the disorder or it may be a result of efforts to develop healthier eating habits. Benzodiazepines are a class of anti-anxiety medication that helps people feel calmer. Side effects include drowsiness, confusion, inability to think clearly, and forgetfulness. These drugs become less effective over time, as the body develops a tolerance to them.

All of these drugs require ongoing medical supervision to ensure effectiveness and to deal with troublesome side effects.

SOCIAL LIFE

Recovery does not happen in a vacuum. It has to take place in all aspects of a person's life. Developing a comfortable social life is an important step in the recovery process.

People with eating disorders rarely have much of a social life. Too often the eating disorder is used to avoid social situations, particularly if someone is troubled by a negative self-image. Or as an obsession with food and exercise mounts, the eating disorder can isolate a person from the social activities they once enjoyed.

Someone recovering from an eating disorder may find it helpful to ease their way into a social life by choosing activities that don't involve food. Eventually, however, establishing a healthy social life requires an ability and willingness to participate in all types of activities.