Psychiatry Boot Camp 3.11 Eating Disorders
Jul 14, 2025
In this insightful discussion, Dr. Anne O'Melia, Chief Clinical Officer at ERC Pathlight, and Dr. Patricia Westmoreland, forensic psychiatry expert, explore the complexities of eating disorders. They address how to identify when disordered eating requires clinical attention, detailing anorexia, bulimia, and ARFID. The conversation covers prevalence rates, high-risk populations, and emphasizes the urgent need for compassionate care and empathy in treatment. Listeners gain valuable insights into navigating levels of care and the critical role of building therapeutic alliances.
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Eating Disorders Are Complex but Treatable
- Eating disorders exemplify the biopsychosocial model and involve medical, psychiatric, and psychological complexity.
- Despite their challenge, eating disorders are absolutely treatable with full recovery expected under good care.
Insight Deficits in Eating Disorders
- Patients with eating disorders often have high intelligence but a circumscribed capacity deficit related to food and nutrition.
- They understand concepts but cannot apply this understanding to themselves regarding their illness.
Recognize Functional Impairment
- Look for functional impairment to distinguish disordered eating from normal variations.
- When preoccupation dominates time, emotions, identity, or leads to physical/psychological harm, clinical attention is needed.