Though OSFED is less well-known than other eating disorders, it can be just as serious and requires comprehensive treatment that addresses compulsive behaviors and underlying issues like trauma or co-occurring mental disorders. An OSFED treatment center can help you understand your issues and gain long-term coping skills that will help. Although anorexia and bulimia tend to get the most attention, OSFED (other specified feeding or eating disorder) makes up a larger percentage of eating disorder diagnoses in the United States. A person is diagnosed with OSFED if their behaviors around eating are disruptive to their life but do not fully meet the criteria for anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder.
Getting an Accurate Eating Disorder Diagnosis
Treatment for OSFED begins with a diagnosis. At The Ranch, you will meet with our healthcare professionals as well as our skilled mental health professionals. We’ll learn about the exact nature of your eating disorder so we can arrive at the correct diagnosis. There are often fine nuances that make a difference in understanding your condition. For example, one criterion for bulimia is binging and purging more than twice a week for at least three months. If someone binges and compensates less than twice a week, they may not meet the requirements for a bulimia diagnosis but could be diagnosed with OSFED. These issues will be discussed and explored fully so we can confirm the nature of your feeding or eating disorder. Then we’ll come up with an individual treatment plan for OSFED. Some examples of disordered eating behaviors that may be appropriate for an OSFED diagnosis include:
- Atypical anorexia nervosa – exhibits characteristics of anorexic behaviors like restricting, but may not meet the weight or other criteria for an anorexia diagnosis.
- Bulimia nervosa – exhibits the binging and compensatory behaviors like purging, excessive exercising, and laxative use of bulimia, but at a lower frequency or shorter amount of time.
- Purging disorder – exhibits compensatory behaviors like vomiting, laxative and diuretics abuse, and over-exercising that does not include a binging component.
- Night eating syndrome – recurring episodes of night eating that may include eating more after dinner than during it or awakening from sleep and feeling the need to eat in order to fall back asleep.
What to Expect in Eating Disorder Treatment
The behaviors and underlying issues associated with OSFED vary. That’s why it is important that treatment plans are tailored to your specific needs. Co-occurring disorders, such as sex and intimacy issues and drug abuse, are treated simultaneously. During residential treatment at our eating disorder treatment center, we address a range of eating habits and behaviors. Our treatment center will address your unique needs and preferences. The treatment plan for people with OSFED may include the following:
- Therapy to improve body image
- Evaluation of food intake and behaviors that follow
- Support related to excessive exercising
- Examination of causes for compulsive overeating or binge eating
- Education about healthy food and new methods of food preparation
- Help with healthy weight management as needed
Types of Therapies Offered
At The Ranch treatment center, we draw upon a number of proven eating disorder interventions including:
- Dialectical behavior therapy
- Individual counseling
- Nutrition education
- Trauma-focused therapies to address the problems that lie beneath disordered eating
- Group therapy
- Cognitive behavioral therapy to work on eating and purging behaviors
- Equine-assisted therapy to learn new ways to approach relationships
Eating disorder treatment includes a wide range of mental health treatment approaches that have been shown to be effective. Mental health counselors will determine the best therapies for you. Find out more about eating disorder treatment here.
Our Approach to Relapse Prevention
Our goal is to help you have a transformative eating disorder recovery experience. We will teach you coping skills and give you tools to take this healing back into your everyday life. You will have follow-up programs to attend as well as referrals to therapists, doctors and 12-step programs as needed. While in eating disorder recovery you will make new friends who are dealing with similar issues. They will become part of your sober support system.
Break Free From Your Eating Disorder
Disordered eating can consume your life and destroy your sense of self. At our OSFED treatment center, we’re here to help you rebuild your self-esteem and reclaim your life. Call The Ranch treatment centers today: 1.844.876.7680