Treatment Resources

Treatment options in South Africa

• Therapists
• Treatment Centres
• Support Groups
• Other Options

When to get help

If you have an eating disorder, no matter how mild or severe it is, it's important to get help. Many people with eating disorders feel as if they don't deserve help and think that they're not sick enough or thin enough to really need help. Even if there are people who are worse off than you are, EVERYONE deserves help for their eating disorder.

Ineffective treatment in the past often prevents people from seeking help. However there have been changes in treatment and things are improving all the time. If you find out as much as you can about the various options, you'll have a better chance of picking out the treatment that's right for you.

Roles of treatment professionals/institutions

Who's who in the treatment zoo

• Psychologists help you work out the issues behind your eating disorder and assist you in coping with day-to-day problems. They are considered to be an essential part of getting effective treatment for your eating disorder.
• Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialise in mental illnesses and can prescribe anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication etc. They may provide some form of therapy, but this is not always the case.
• In-patient treatment centres involve living at the centre while you receive your treatment there. Treatment may be provided by psychiatric nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, dietitians etc. Treatment generally includes therapy, supervised meals and weight monitoring. If you are dangerously underweight, binging and purging to a dangerous degree, in a difficult situation at home or feel that things are just too chaotic, then you should consider this option.
• Out-patient treatment centres involve attending the centre for therapy and monitoring etc. but continuing to live at home. Treatment may be provided by psychiatric nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, dietitians etc. This option is not always available, but if you feel that you can continue living at home but need lots of assistance, this could work for you.
• Dietitians help to organise a meal plan for you and may monitor your weight. If you don't know what or how much to eat, then this could be helpful.
• Psychiatric nurses are generally found in treatment centres and are nurses with additional training for dealing with mental disorders. They may provide counselling.