VIDEO
Do people with anorexia get better?
The good news is that for the majority of people with anorexia, the answer is yes! It takes time, support, and often a great deal of effort, but recovery is possible.
Most studies suggest that the majority of people with anorexia achieve some degree of recovery (75-80%), although the length of treatment will vary for each individual. However, anorexia can be difficult to treat, and while most people do recover, not everyone does. Of those who seek treatment, about half recover completely, about 25–30% make significant progress, and about 20% have chronic symptoms of the illness. Yet studies indicate that even individuals with long-standing anorexia can show improvement. Outcomes are significantly better with early treatment, so seeking help early in the course of anorexia is always advised.
Studies indicate that adolescents may recover more quickly than older adults, and patients who have been hospitalized have a better recovery outcome if they reach a normal weight prior to discharge. Some key factors that have been negatively associated with recovery are chronic low weight, the presence of certain coexisting psychiatric conditions, lack of support for treatment within a patient’s family, and lack of follow-up treatment.
Recovery can be very hard and is often not a smooth or easy path. Even so, it is very much achievable, and the work, learning, and accomplishments in recovery benefit every aspect of your life. You can come out of recovery with the tools to meet life challenges in ways that you would never have had otherwise. The team of professionals often needed for that recovery process can be very expensive, but it will be the best investment, with the greatest returns, that you may ever make.
Sarah shares:
Recovering from anorexia was without a doubt the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life. But looking back at how far I have come since I received treatment in 2004, I know that I’ll never go back to my eating disorder again. Depending on my stress level and other outside factors, it’s not uncommon for eating disordered thoughts to enter my head; I’ve just learned to ignore them when they do come up.
I think of it as the “Beautiful Mind” analogy: Even years after John Nash “recovered” from his schizophrenia and although he is a distinguished scholar who received the Nobel Prize, he stills sees the imaginary roommate and girl that were once his best friends. They are always there, but he has to realize that they are only in his imagination, and he learns to ignore them.
