Can you prevent eating disorder relapse? Dr. Stromberg's (UCLA) latest book supports research saying that women that receive treatment have a high relapse rate. Each treatment program has done their own...
Each treatment program has done their own research and they have their own statistics, but I will tell you the statistics that are out there for eating disorder treatment. Dr. Stromberg's (UCLA) latest book supports research saying that women that receive treatment have a high relapse rate. I will just say that relapse is a part of recovery for these women. Of the women who receive treatment, 60% go on to have full recovery where they are not even thinking about an eating disorder. 20% go on to struggle, but they live with an eating disorder. They are similar to a functional alcoholic. Everybody knows this person has an eating disorder, but she is a working a full time job and she is functioning with her eating disorder. Then the remaining 20% die. That's a huge statistic and out of all the psychiatric illnesses in the DSM, eating disorders have the highest death rate; higher than depression, higher than Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or anything.
I have seen 45-year-olds who are living with an eating disorder, and they've had it for 25 years. But I have also seen an 18 year old die from an eating disorder and she only had it for three years. So it's just really hard to say how it will affect your body.
