Rich, poor, male, female, young and old - eating disorders affect all races, both in our community and throughout the world. The fact is eating disorders are an insidious mental health condition that, inadequately treated, kills more people than all of the other mental health conditions combined.
It is esimated that 9 million Americans struggle with anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder. That's why diagnosis and treatment are so important. Unfortunately, more than one half of all cases are undetected and therefore, untreated.
Eating disorders are not due to a failure of will or behavior. They are real, treatable medical and mental health illnesses that take on a life of their own. Eating disorders often develop during adolescence or early adulthood, but they are increasingly common among young children and in middle-aged and older adults.
The prognosis for patients who have eating disorders is variable. The general consensus is that 50 percent of patients with anorexia have good outcomes, 30 percent have intermediate outcomes, and 20 percent have poor outcomes. The percentages are similar in bulimic patients, with 45 percent having good outcomes, 18 percent having intermediate outcomes, and 21 percent having poor outcomes.
To increase the chance for improved outcomes, individuals need early diagnosis, full treatment, family support, and healthy relationships with friends and therapists. Even if the individual has all of these factors in place, they may still have one more barrier to conquer: insurance coverage.
A Chance to Heal is dedicated to assisting individuals in receiving the care they need by providing financial assistance when insurance coverage and personal finances are inadequate.
Click here for Guidelines for Assistance.
