While reading about treatment guidelines for eating disorders, I ran into this fairly recent study on the duration until recovery from eating disorders. Try to take a breath before you read this next part, the quote from an article, Clinical Approach to Eating Disorders: An Update, by Hay and published in 2020.
EXCERPT
“Research supports cautious optimism for recovery from an eating disorder, albeit it may be slow. A recent, large 22‐year follow‐up study of 228 women with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa treated in a specialist centre found the majority (around two‐thirds) recovered, and that most with bulimia nervosa achieved this within 9 years, but only about half of those with anorexia nervosa achieved recovery within 9 years.24 This is consistent with the body of outcome literature.6 Less is known about long‐term outcomes for BED and other eating disorders, but treatment is important as spontaneous remission appears to be low and early symptom change is the best predictor of outcome across all eating disorders.25″
PAUSE, PLEASE. INHALE–&–EXHALE.
Notice if your mind had a response to 9 years. If it did, I get it. For some, this amount of time will feel daunting. What I hope you’ll see in it is instead: HOPE.
I often see people get impatient with the pace of recovery. They may criticize self. They may feel impatient with their loved one who has the eating disorder. They may want to fire treatment team members they feel aren’t moving things fast enough. All of these are understandable reactions. And instead, I invite dialogue among parties.
- Is the person with the eating disorder safe?
- Are their brain and body getting enough nourishment?
- Are positive changes occurring, and if so, what are they?
Recovery may be a long road ahead. And heck, people often don’t want full recovery–they just want LESS of the eating disorder’s pressure on their minds or bodies.
Slow and steady with bursts of unsteadiness can lead to recovery. Keep going. There is always HOPE.
References
6. Smink FR, Van Hoeken D, Hoek HW. Epidemiology of eating disorders: incidence, prevalence and mortality rates. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2012; 14: 406–14.
24. Eddy KT, Tabri N, Thomas JJ, Murray HB, Keshaviah A, Hastings E et al Recovery from anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa at 22‐year follow‐up. J Clin Psychiatry 2017; 78: 184–9.
25. Vall E, Wade TD. Predictors of treatment outcome in individuals with eating disorders: a systematic review and meta‐analysis. Int J Eat Disord 2015; 48: 946–71.
