Where are people sent off to to get treatment for anorexia?

There are many different places where people with anorexia can be treated. Most hospitals now have an area devoted to mental illness treatment, and some even have an eating disorder treatment ward. There are also other places that specialize in mental illness and/or eating disorder treatment.

There are different ways of treating anorexia. In hospitals, treatment is often focused on getting the person to a good weight, and hopefully getting them to eat. Usually this involves a nasogastric tube (a tube that runs to your stomach through your nose and throat). High calorie “food” goes through that straight into the stomach. There is also the eating side – often the more the person eats, the less they have through the tube, which can be reassuring. Many people with any kind of eating disorder can tell you the exact calorie content of any food, but they can’t control how much goes through the nasogastric tube.

In live-in clinics, the person with anorexia will often see a counselor to help them understand why they have anorexia and to hopefully get them to the point where they don’t need anorexia anymore. They will see a dietician who will monitor the food they eat, and sometimes a psychiatrist, who will diagnose them with any other mental illnesses they may have (like depression) and prescribe them medicine if it’s needed. Often they will see a doctor too, who will monitor they physical side of anorexia and any other illness they may have.