The treatment of choice for first presentation Anorexia Nervosa in adolescents is Maudsley Family Therapy. Maudsley Family Therapy addresses the eating and restoring healthy weight within the family system. It also addresses maintaining factors surrounding Anorexia Nervosa and the individual and family develop techniques and skills for addressing these.
Individual treatment is conducted using strategy from several different treatment modalities such as CBT, DBT, ACT, MET, Psychotherapy which aim to restore a persons healthy weight and address unhelpful behaviour and maladaptive cognitions toward recovery where the individual is functioning well in life and is generally feeling more confident about their body shape and weight and feels positive around their future.
An individual may need in-patient hospitalisation due to medical instability secondary to weight loss or other compensatory behaviours that are medically problematic or where an individual is not improving in out-treatment and this will be assessed by either a General Practitioner, Psychiatrist, Paediatritian or psychologist involved in the out-patient treatment. Hospitalisation provides the necessary treatment for immediate medical stability, weight restoration and reduction of compensatory behaviours involved in the production and maintenance of an eating disorder.
At times an individual may benefit from attending a Day Program where they continue being supported and supervised in eating and where psychological treatment is provided.
Hospitals dedicated to the treatment of Eating Disorders in Sydney:
