Oasis Counselling Centre offers an intensive in-patient eating disorder treatment programme. The rehab is an extended-primary care centre, which means that the programme runs for three or more months, instead of the usual 28 days of regular primary care facilities.
Oasis uses the Minnesota Model in its counselling methods. An eating disorder is classed as a disease that is progressive and incurable. It is characterised by obsessive and compulsive behaviours that invade the sufferer's life and the lives of their family.
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is an illness that causes the sufferers to starve themselves to lose weight. The restriction of food is often extreme, resulting in severe health complications. The anorexic individual achieves a skeletal appearance, the strain on their heart is immense, and their organs begin to fail. They develop hair growth all over their bodies, as their bodies react to the inability to generate and retain heat properly.
Bulimia nervosa
A bulimic binges on large quantities of food and then engages in compensatory behaviour, such as purging, using laxatives, over-exercising or starvation. Sufferers are as transfixed on calories and losing weight as anorexics are, but maintain a normal body weight due to small amounts of food being absorbed during bingeing. Their behaviour around food is a tremendous source of shame for them. They are highly skilled at hiding their issues and behaviour with food. Consequently, many families and friends are unaware that anything is wrong.
Compulsive overeating disorder
Compulsive over-eaters binge on large amounts of food but do not engage in any type of purging behaviour to rid themselves of food. As a result, they gain large amounts of weight and can become morbidly obese. Their shame about their body increases feelings of self-loathing, which they attempt to hide with bingeing. This then leads to further weight gain, more shame, and the destructive cycle continues.
Anorexia treatment and bulimia treatment
With eating disorders, the problem lies within the sufferer - anorexia, bulimia and compulsive overeating are fundamentally about the sufferer's behaviour and internal processes. Food is the medium used to achieve control of uncomfortable feelings - just as substances are used by a drug addict or alcoholic to avoid emotions.
The Minnesota Model combines the Twelve Steps (originally of Alcoholics Anonymous) with individual counselling and group therapy. When this programme is applied over an extended period of time, and accompanied by a healthy lifestyle and proper eating habits, the ability to remain abstinent from an eating disorder increases.
The number of eating disorder cases is on the rise each year. In western countries, up to 10% of the population may have an eating disorder. The most effective method of treatment known today is counselling, a Twelve Step programme of recovery and a healthy lifestyle - such as that offered by Oasis.
Find recovery from eating disorders at Oasis Counselling Centre.
