Eating disorder treatment facilities in South Africa

March 25, 2011 - PRLog -- Eating disorders are extremely serious problems with severe health consequences. However, with the right professional treatment, eating disorders can be managed. The most effective eating disorder treatment facilities in South Africa offer an effective, holistic programme of treatment that addresses the root causes of eating disorders, with proven long-term results.

Oasis Counselling Centre, situated in breathtaking Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, is a dedicated treatment facility providing expert care and rehabilitation for people suffering from eating disorders and other compulsive behaviours.

The Oasis treatment team encompasses a broad range of skills in order to provide balanced, fully expert treatment.

The director of Oasis, psychotherapist Anstice Wright, points out that “Oasis offers a rigorous evidence-based programme of treatment, based on the latest research. We believe that a balanced and holistic approach to treatment is also important, and provides a means to attain a healthier lifestyle and general well-being.”

Holistic treatment for eating disorders

In addition to counsellors and medical practitioners, the Oasis team includes carers who provide services such as yoga and horse riding, which are designed to complement the counselling process.

The Oasis team will also compile a balanced diet plan. A healthy diet is an important part of general well-being and, particularly in the case of eating disorders, can be an important aspect of physical recuperation.

Oasis Counselling Centre’s picturesque location lends itself to working through the therapy process without everyday distractions and stresses.  

Self-image and eating disorders

Why are dedicated treatment facilities so important for the treatment of eating disorders? Can’t people with eating disorders simply change their eating habits? The fact is that it is not so simple. There is a fundamental difference, for example, between someone who occasionally cheats on his diet and a person suffering from compulsive overeating.

Compulsive overeating is not a consequence of poor willpower. Rather, it is the result of underlying emotional problems that need to be addressed through professional treatment. Similarly, disorders such as anorexia nervosa cannot be cured simply by changing dietary habits. Anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders are the result of serious emotional difficulties, frequently linked with a distorted self-image and feelings of anxiety, depression and worthlessness.

These serious disorders cannot be cured overnight, but they can be successfully managed over time, with professional care.
Oasis Counselling Centre provides the expert counselling needed to address the root causes of compulsive behaviours. The Oasis philosophy is focused not only on finding a short-term solution, but also on devising long-term coping strategies to help patients flourish in their daily lives, without resorting to compulsive behaviour.

The caring staff also emphasise that patients are not weak and are not failures. Rather, they are suffering from a debilitating disorder – a disorder that can be overcome.

“We remind patients that they are not failures. They are suffering from a disorder that needs treatment,” says Anstice Wright. “We use the methods that have been shown, both in our experience and according to international studies, to have the highest long-term success rates.”

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Our aim at Oasis is to help struggling addicts find recovery with the use of addiction recovery therapists and addiction recovery programmes.