When friends and family were unable to help, Mitcham received two months of inpatient treatment at an Arizona facility where the focus was on physical and psychological needs. Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are diseases still coming out of the closet, says Robin Kurtz, a psychologist at AU's Student Counseling Services. Experts used to say that any woman who did not get an eating disorder by 18 would not get one. There are important steps to take if someone thinks they may have an eating disorder, Kurtz said. This will tell you if you have any symptoms of eating disorder.
Counseling is usually the only way to recover.
Most people cannot do it on their own, Kurtz said. A counselor with a working knowledge in eating disorders will make the treatment a lot more meaningful. During treatment they try to identify boundaries, teach assertiveness training, work on self-esteem and explore interpersonal relationships. There is a least one counselor on each college campus and they can be found in the yellow pages or by checking with the community health center, Kurtz said. If someone has an eating disorder they should not be scared and give up, said Mitcham.