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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Getting motivated to address eating issues via an online program

Many people who binge eat wish they could reduce the behavior, but have a hard time seeking help from a therapist or following through with therapy once they start. While there’s a lot of research on how to increase patients’ motivation once they are in therapy, a major barrier to treatment can be motivating someone to even begin therapy. A new research study released online last week describes a novel internet-based program designed to increase people’s motivation to change problematic eating attitudes and behaviors.

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Online treatments for binge eating and bulimia

In the moments when people are binge eating or purging, they are often alone with a computer nearby. Quick internet searches can lead to support in the form of online forums, blogs, and new research (like this site).  Can therapy, either individually or as part of a group, serve as an effective new tool that could be conveniently available online? A few new studies released online this month explore the current status of online treatments.

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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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Virtual reality to help treat eating disorders

Treatments for eating disorders are increasingly utilizing new technologies to go beyond traditional forms of therapy. Researchers have been incorporating virtual reality techniques to help adults with body image issues. A new study released online this month investigated how virtual reality can help patients long-term.

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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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Using mirrors in therapy to help treat eating disorders

The seemingly ordinary act of looking in a mirror everyday can lead many people to feelings of disgust, shame, and sadness. As a result, they may avoid mirrors or, conversely, have trouble resisting the urge to check out how they look in any reflective surface. Therapists have been using mirrors as part of the treatment for eating disorders for years, but the research to support this has been mixed. A new study just came out examining mirrors in therapy via a randomized controlled trial.

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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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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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