Last Updated on September 2, 2024
Adolescents and teens with eating disorders have to overcome their negative self-perceptions and build strong self-esteem to successfully become and remain recovered. With low self-esteem in the way, it may be difficult for clients to overcome their eating disorder symptoms and achieve recovery.
An effective adolescent eating disorder treatment program can help clients build a strong sense of self-worth to overcome this barrier to recovery. The adolescent anorexia treatment process helps to build up clients’ confidence levels to prepare them for a lifetime of remaining recovered from eating disorders.
Link Between Eating Disorders in Teens and Low Self-Esteem
Low self-esteem can lead to eating disorders in teens and adolescents as these individuals look for ways to control how they look and feel. A negative perception of one’s self, coupled with a negative inner voice, can reinforce the disordered thought patterns that tend to worsen eating disorder symptoms.
In many cases, low self-esteem comes from a poor perception of body image. Anything from an offhand comment to bullying can result in a negative perception of self. The overall self-confidence levels of a person determine how they interact with the world and treat themselves. Without a healthy amount of self-esteem, poor care self-care practices may result and act as a barrier to becoming recovered from eating disorders.
Role of Great Self-Esteem in Eating Disorder Recovery
An effective adolescent eating disorder treatment program helps to rebuild self-esteem from the bottom up. By building up self-confidence, clients have the opportunity to challenge their disordered thoughts and behaviors. Without dissatisfaction driving their decisions, clients can focus on resisting the urge to restrict eating, control exercise and engage in other disordered behaviors.
People who are comfortable with their bodies have the ability to accept their thoughts and feelings without resorting to disordered behaviors to achieve a sense of control. These clients exhibit fewer avoidance behaviors in dealing with otherwise uncomfortable body sensations and thought patterns.
Therefore, providers at adolescent bulimia treatment centers make it their priority to build up their clients’ self-confidence levels through every stage of the treatment process. Their ability to help clients increase their self-esteem promotes the successful completion of goals as their clients work toward becoming recovered.
Ways to Build Self-Esteem While in Adolescent Eating Disorder Treatment
Individual, group and family therapy is the main tool used in building self-esteem while in adolescent eating disorder treatment. Teens and adolescents can work within the evidence-based therapy framework that best supports their needs in achieving recovery. Their care providers will help them find the therapy models that offer the best results in building self-esteem and minimizing eating disorder symptoms.
The types of therapy used to build self-esteem in adolescent anorexia treatment include cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness training. These therapy options improve the client’s ability to note their own disordered thoughts and feelings before they manifest as harmful behaviors.
Care providers may help clients challenge their thoughts to achieve a more compassionate outlook toward themselves. Adolescents and teens will learn how to forgive themselves for their mistakes and avoid the urge to utilize food and exercise as punishment mechanisms.
In many cases, having great self-esteem means that clients need to learn how to put themselves first with excellent self-care practices. While treating eating disorders in teens, providers will introduce healthy self-care practices that give clients the tools they need to remain recovered for life.
Benefits of Building Self-Esteem That Lasts a Lifetime
Building self-esteem that lasts a lifetime does not come easy to anyone, but it is well worth the time and effort. Eating disorders in teens can complicate matters, necessitating a multi-faceted approach to the treatment process. A great adolescent bulimia treatment program should build up the confidence of its clients while strategically eliminating eating disorder symptoms.
Clients should always receive the insight and feedback they need to make excellent self-care choices along the way. Teens and adolescents must learn to make a conscious effort to protect their self-esteem to achieve the best results. When self-esteem remains strong, teens and adolescents have the foundation they need to resist the pull of eating disorders to remain recovered for life.
Choosing the Best Eating Disorder Treatment Programs for Teens with Low Self-Esteem
Adolescents and teens with eating disorders can acquire the support they need from qualified providers at eating disorder treatment centers. The care providers will assess the needs of their clients to determine how to best support their journey toward recovery from eating disorders.
Clients in need of assistance in building self-esteem will receive insights and guidance required to establish positive self-perceptions. Care providers will always go above and beyond in ensuring their clients have the foundation needed to reach a full and lasting recovery.
Turn to a counselor who specializes in mindfulness. If typical counseling seems difficult, you can look at online options like www.BetterHelp.com.