Anorexia nervosa is a fear of getting fat.

Anorexia appears in the brain like a phobia, in this case fear of fat. As with diseases like asthma and depression, the tendency for anorexia always remains in the brain as a predisposition.

Cause:

Anorexia nervosa is usually a genetic disease (multiple genes) that are activated following weight loss. It effects the brain like a phobia, particularly the parts of the brain involved in weight and shape.

Treatment:

LORETA reduces the fear of fat. It improves your chances of recovery by treating concurrent disorders such as anxiety, depression, and obsessive compulsive disorder. No treatment can make it disappear entirely. What LORETA treatment can do, however, is reduce the “loudness” of anorexia so you can make your own choices in life without anorexia’s overbearing “second voice.” 

LORETA Neurofeedback is individualized to those parts of your brain that are most affected, such as:

• Body image distortion (responds rapidly to treatment)
• The anorexic voice (responds in a few sessions, but needs treatment on and off until you are renourished)
• Obsessiveness (responds each session)

Specifics:

LORETA neurofeedback treats the affected areas of the brain, along with any associated anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, and other concurrent disorders. These conditions, particularly obsessive compulsive disorder, worsen the anorexia nervosa and make it very difficult to treat unless they are treated too. Patients with anorexia who binge and purge also require treatment of the addiction-related parts of the brain.

Preparation:

Please read the section on “how to prepare for your session”. Your hair must be clean and dry. You must remove everything you can from your head and neck and preferably clothes and other parts of your body.

Dr. Birmingham provides Anorexia Treatment at his Vancouver, BC clinic

For more information or to make an appointment