How to Treat Anorexia With Natural Medicine

Anorexia nervosa is a serious medical condition in which sufferers intentionally starve themselves to the point of emaciation but continue believing they are overweight. Anorexia is an emotional disorder that leads to severe physical conditions such as heart failure, electrolyte imbalance or even death by starvation. While many doctors treat both the psychological and physical symptoms of anorexia with prescription medication, natural medicine can be as effective without an excess of unwanted side effects.

Instructions

• 1

  Seek therapy with a cognitive-behavioral therapist to uncover and treat the underlying psychological causes of anorexia. Some therapists will use mind-body medicine, hypnosis, biofeedback or other methods to help reverse body image obsessions, increase appetite and address deeper psychological issues. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is the most important step to treating anorexia and preventing relapse. Your therapist may suggest that family members are included in part of the therapy, as your family interaction is important when uncovering the causes, for emotional support and relapse prevention.

• 2

  Change your lifestyle completely, with the guidance of your therapist and natural medicine practitioner. People who are suffering from anorexia must carefully begin to gain weight without shocking their bodies. For this reason it is important to establish a diet particularly designed for you, cut back on excessive exercise and maintain regular therapy sessions to help you change your old habits with as little emotional or physical stress as possible.

• 3

  Restore your body's balance by including vitamin and mineral supplements in your new diet to help replenish deficiencies caused by anorexia. Ask your naturopath for guidance and suggestions before beginning any supplement regimens. Supplements your doctor may recommend include antioxidant vitamins, trace minerals, omega 3 fatty acids, coenzymes, creatine and L-glutamine.

• 4

  Maintain a healthy diet rich in protein, such as meat, eggs and vegetable protein shakes to help you gain muscle mass. Eliminate stimulants such as coffee, alcohol and tobacco as well as refined sugars from your diet, as they further shock the body system. Drink plenty of water; however, do not use water to make you feel full.

• 5

  Use natural herbal medicine as a safe way to strengthen your body's weakened systems. Ashwagandha may be used to relieve stress, fenugreek can stimulate appetite, cayenne can simulate digestion, milk thistle helps detoxify the body systems and fermented wheat germ extract can boost the immune system and aid in muscle gain. Your naturopath can help you determine which herbs are best for you and what dosages you should take.