Five months of CBT vs two years of psychoanalytic therapy for bulimia

It’s hard enough to reach out for therapy when suffering from bulimia, but figuring out what kind of therapy to get can be even more overwhelming.  Different therapists have different kinds of training and allegiances when it comes to the therapy they practice.  A new study came out last week in which researchers directly compared two different types of therapy, psychoanalytic and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), for the treatment of bulimia. Interestingly, the lead authors, who practice psychoanalytic therapy, found that CBT was superior.

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Why are therapists neglecting to use treatments supported by research?

When seeking help for binge eating and bulimia, much like with other mental health issues, we assume that licensed professionals will provide treatment that’s based on the latest research. Yet, that’s often not the case. New research released online yesterday sought to explain why there is such a divide between scientific research and the practice of therapy in the field of eating disorders.

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Who is likely to do better or worse in eating disorder treatment?

While we have promising treatments available for binge eating and bulimia, not everyone responds to them. Some people respond quickly and are able to reduce their binge eating and purging within a couple months while others are in treatment much longer or instead drop out. Two new studies looked at women who were either in weekly outpatient therapy or in a hospital day program to see what factors predicted who responded quickly or who dropped out.

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Therapy for both OCD and eating disorders

For many with eating disorders, anxiety is a common emotional experience. Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a specific form of anxiety that tends to occur along with eating disorders. A new study examines how one type of therapy can address symptoms of both OCD and eating disorders.

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Comparing treatments for binge eating

Many programs claim they can help you reduce binge eating and lose weight, but they often don't have any research to back up that claim. Researchers in the United States and Switzerland just released two independent studies comparing different treatments for binge eating disorder.  They examined how well therapy and/or medication helped reduce binge eating, not just in the first few weeks, but months and years after treatment ends.

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Mindfulness: A tool you can use at home to help reduce binge eating

When people describe binge eating, they often say that time passes by in a haze and they are barely aware of the actual act of eating. We all know it’s helpful to eat slowly, and many popular programs encourage eating “mindfully” such that we fully engage in the experience of each bite. New research released online this month offers support for the practice of mindful meditation as an important tool that can help reduce binge eating.

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Using text messages as part of treatment for bulimia and binge eating

Attending an inpatient program when your eating disorder symptoms escalate is often an intense experience. While the program may help reduce symptoms, it can be hard to maintain healthier habits after leaving and suddenly losing a tremendous amount of support. In a study just released online, researchers in Germany added a novel text messaging component in their plan for patients leaving the hospital.

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Cognitive behavioral therapy reduces binge eating in teens and adults

People struggling with binge eating often have a complicated relationship with food throughout their life. They may begin dieting or overeating as a teen and experiences ups and downs in emotional eating for years to follow. Two new research studies that were released online last week show that cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) can help both teens and adults to improve their eating.

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Online therapy can reduce symptoms of binge eating and bulimia

As video conferencing technology has improved, an increasing number of people are seeking psychotherapy online. However, the research is just beginning to catch up with the demand, especially in relation to online therapy for eating disorders. Two studies published/released online this month offer support for the use of online cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for reducing binge eating and bulimic symptoms; though it remains unclear how online CBT compares to other treatments.

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Can group therapy help reduce binge eating years after therapy ends?

Many people have begun to seek out psychotherapy to help reduce their binge eating. While certain forms of therapy have been shown to help them lose weight and reduce binging, one of the biggest challenges they face is relapsing. Can the effects of thearpy help people reduce binge eating episodes and maintain weight loss years later? In a study released online last week, researchers investigated the long-term effects of group therapy for binge eating disorder.

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