This section of the book details what is known concerning the available treatments
for patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). The first four treatment chapters
include “mini-manuals,” so that the reader can study how the treatments are
actually administered in detail and see the specific techniques involved. The
remaining chapters cover additional treatment methods (pharmacotherapy),
treatment components (nutrition), and intensive multidisciplinary approaches
(inpatient and day hospital). This section also includes two chapters devoted to
special topics (compulsory treatment and understanding chronicity) that reflect
unique challenges posed by severely disturbed patients with AN.
Chapter 5, by Kathleen M. Pike, Jacqueline C. Carter, and Marion P. Olmsted,
describes in detail cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for patients with
AN. This approach was originally used in a randomized trial at Columbia University
to examine its effectiveness as a relapse prevention strategy, compared to
nutritional counseling, although some modifications have been made to it since
that time. CBT, adapted to varying degrees, is often used as a core component at
many specialized treatment centers for AN.