More than 10 million people in the United States suffer from eating disorders. Because of the complex causes of these diseases, they are challenging to overcome and difficult for professionals to treat. Individuals with eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, typically are treated with psychotherapy, medication and behavorial therapy. Unfortunately, a consistently effective and successful therapeutic approach has not been identified. Therefore, many people fight their disorders for years. Thankfully, a new residential treatment approach is showing promise. The Anna Westin House was born through the teamwork of many institutions, including The Anna Westin Foundation, Eating Disorders Institute at Methodist Hospital, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Mayo Clinic, the University of Minnesota (U of M) Department of Psychiatry, Emily Program, and the U of M Center for Spirituality and Healing. Anna Westin is a new residential treatment center in Chaska, Minnesota, that treats the whole person – mind, body, and spirit. Interdisciplinary caregivers call upon a wide range of skills and knowledge to facilitate healing for the residents, women ranging from 14 to 50 (females make up the vast majority of people with eating disorders). In addition to the standard care for people with eating disorders – nutritional counseling, nursing, medical, and psychiatric services – residents at Anna Westin see a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, benefit from massage, practice yoga, participate in art and dance therapies, and receive both individual and group spiritual counseling. Twice a week, residents see a traditional Chinese medicine specialist, who uses acupuncture and acupressure to correct energy imbalances that may be underlying factors in patients’ eating disorders. The specialist also teaches residents how to use self-acupressure to help with nausea or to decrease anxiety. Patients report such practices help relieve anxiety, sleeping troubles, upset stomachs and constipation. Similarly, Anna Westin residents learn exercise routines and breathing techniques during yoga classes to relax their bodies. If someone is having trouble sleeping or feeling anxious, she can use relaxing yoga postures or breathing techniques to fall asleep instead of taking sleeping pills. Residents also use massage and dance therapies to help regain an accurate sense of their bodies. People with eating disorders believe they’re obese when, in reality, they are starving to death. They don’t have a healthy sense of their body. Massage teaches those with eating disorders to start feeling their bodies again, to learn what feels good, and to listen to their body cues. The therapist also teaches patients how to use self-massage for reducing anxiety, how to articulate their own physical sensations and how to set healthy and safe boundaries for touch. Dance allows residents to rediscover their bodies through self-directed movement and exploration of spatial relationships. We believe that by approaching individuals challenged with eating disorders from a holistic point of view and by empowering them to use non-drug tools and behaviors, individuals can begin to heal from the inside out. Karen Lawson, M.D., DABHM, is director of Integrative Clinical Services at the Center for Spirituality and Healing at the U of M This column is an educational service and advice presented should not take the place of an examination by a health-care professional. To ask a health-care expert at the U a question or for more health-related information, go to www.healthtalk andyou.com.
