After Inpatient Anorexia Treatment Outcomes

Anorexia nervosa is a potentially fatal eating disorder [1]. Anorexia is an eating disorder characterized by the intense fear of gaining weight that leads people to engage in disordered behaviors to lose weight.

Another key symptom of anorexia is that there also tends to be a distorted view of their body. This means that people dealing with this eating disorder may believe that they are overweight when they aren’t.

Dangers of Anorexia

The desire to be thin becomes compulsive, and there usually isn’t a weight that people with anorexia feel comfortable at. This means that they never feel that they are thin enough, even if they are less than normal weight.

This compulsion to be thin can lead to disordered and dangerous behaviors. These behaviors can include severe food restriction, purging, or compulsive exercise.

These behaviors will result in someone being underweight. This is what makes anorexia so dangerous and one of the deadliest mental illnesses.

In fact, this disorder is one of the most common chronic conditions for American teenagers [2]. Anorexia can cause medical complications that lead people to be hospitalized.

Someone is hospitalized for eating disorder treatment when the disordered behaviors have caused medical complications. Severe medical issues that can lead to hospitalization include:

• Irregular heartbeats

• Loss of bone mass

• Organ damage

• Anemia

• Infertility

• Electrolyte imbalances

• Cardiac arrest [2]

While these are severe, these aren’t the only medical complications. There are other physical symptoms that show that someone’s body is being negatively impacted by anorexic behavior. These include:

• Ongoing exhaustion

• Dizziness

• Headaches

• Dehydration

• Difficulty breathing

• Cold hands and feet

• Gastrointestinal issues such as bloating or constipation

• Hair loss

• Loss of menstrual period or irregular periods

• Low testosterone in males

• Lanugo (a fine hair that coats the body) [2]

After Anorexia Treatment Through Inpatient

After someone has been hospitalized for anorexia nervosa, ongoing treatment is strongly recommended. However, this isn’t the path that some individuals choose to take.

Researchers have been looking into people’s recovery process after being hospitalized for this eating disorder [1]. While weight is not the only way to measure whether someone has recovered, given the medical impact of severe weight loss, it is crucial.

Research shows that there are certain signs that someone will be less likely to maintain a healthy weight once they leave the hospital [1]. This would put them at increased risk for needing future hospital admissions, medical complications, or death.

Research is showing that people who have struggled with anorexia for longer amounts of time are more likely to relapse after being discharged from the hospital [1]. Similarly, people with lower BMIs were also more likely to continue to lose weight after inpatient treatment [1].

Being aware of the risk factors gives medical professionals and mental health clinicians working in inpatient eating disorder settings an opportunity to provide additional support for these individuals.

For example, treatment professionals could recommend longer stays in inpatient treatment for these individuals or recommend more intensive treatment upon hospital discharge. Making appropriate referrals depending on risk level can help someone maintain their progress.

Options for Treatment

Treatment after hospitalization can look a few different ways. Some possible treatment options include residential treatment, intensive day programs, or outpatient treatment.

Gradually decreasing the amount of support someone receives can be helpful in preventing relapse. For example, if someone is in the hospital, it can be helpful to step-down to a residential treatment program that still provides 24-hour care but without constant medical supervision.

This is typically recommended to maintain progress and support continued healing. Recovering from anorexia is necessary for someone to continue living and to live a fulfilling life. Everyone deserves that.

---

Resources:

[1] Glasofer, D.R., Muratore, A.F., Attia, E., Wu, P., Wang, Y., Minkoff, H., Rufin, T., Walsh, B.T., Steinglass, J.E. (2020). Predictors of illness course and health maintenance following inpatient treatment among patients with anorexia nervosa. Journal of Eating Disorders, 8(69), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-020-00348-7

[2] McCallum Place Eating Disorder Center. (2021). Anorexia health risks, medical complications, and statistics. https://www.mccallumplace.com/anorexia/risks-factors-stats/

---

About the Author:

Samantha Bothwell, LMFT, is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, writer, explorer, and lipstick aficionado. She became a therapist after doing her own healing work so she could become whole after spending many years living with her mind and body disconnected. She has focused her clinical work to support the healing process of survivors of sexual violence and eating disorders. She is passionate about guiding people in their return to their truest Self so they can live their most authentic, peaceful life.

---

The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective on eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer a discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.

We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.

Published January 28, 2021, on EatingDisorderHope.com
Reviewed & Approved on January 28, 2021, by Jacquelyn Ekern MS, LPC