How to Recover From Anorexia

Anorexia is an eating disorder experienced by millions of people each year. It affects both men and women and is marked by a distorted body image. Those suffering from anorexia starve themselves in search of perfection. The goal of an anorexic person is to attain a certain body shape, weight, image, musculature or body-fat percentage. Such issues often consume the anorexic individual to the point of preoccupation and obsession. Once the disorder has been identified, treatment is necessary to put a sufferer on the road to recovery.

Things You'll Need

• Medications
• Treatment facility

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Instructions

Recover at Home From Anorexia

• 1

  Remove stresses from your home environment. If your household is noisy, disruptive or stressful, consider staying with family members or friends while you work on your recovery from anorexia.

• 2

  Isolate yourself from negativity. This includes avoiding media that promotes weight loss or thin bodies, such as fashion magazines or television. If you have anorexic friends who are not seeking treatment, stay away from them during your recovery effort.

• 3

  Work to develop a healthy relationship with food and exercise. Notice when you become overly preoccupied with either and seek help before your focus spirals out of control.

• 4

  Take prescribed medications. They may include antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications that are designed to help you alleviate emotional stress.

Recover in a Treatment Facility for Anorexia

• 5

  Notify all necessary parties. This includes your employer, teachers, friends and family members. By law, you do not have to disclose the nature of your absence publicly, but documentation of hospitalization may be required to secure your job when you are ready to return.

• 6

  Know what to expect from a treatment facility. Treatment facilities often have around-the-clock monitoring of patients who are there to recover from anorexia. Additionally, staff may search your belongings or confine you to your room in an effort to protect you.

• 7

  Ask about visits from friends and family members. Visits may be monitored by the hospital or treatment-center staff. If your recovery team feels that you are not ready to deal with visitors, you may need to wait until you begin to make progress.

• 8

  Expect a stay of undetermined length. The length of your stay will depend upon the nature of your symptoms, your risk for relapse and your attitude toward treatment.