Are eating disorders curable?

I am doing a college project on eating disorders, and need to know as much information as possible....e.g:

Signs/symptoms to look out for
treatment available-counceling etc

And most importantly, are they a curable condition, or is it something that an individual has to live with?

if they have to live with it, how do they do this?

Thanks!

i wouldn't sat they are curable.
It's like an alcoholic, you are always tempted to go back to your old ways.
Warning signs: not wanting to eat in front of people, wearing baggy clothes(for anorexia), not sleeping, mood swings, always cold, always checking your weight, laxatives in large quantities.
At least these were my symptoms
Still have the occasional lapse but 2yrs on i have gained 22lbs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eating_diso...
Follow links.

i am a proud survivor of bolemia (or however u spell it) it is curable! although i do have urges sometimes, especially after a binge eating session, i didnt have any proffesional help, i just had a very supportive family who treated my illness like an addiction to drugs, they watched me constantly and made me eat. There are signs, weight loss, pale skin, bags under eyes etc...

my gf had an e.d and was talkin tablets until recently, she has since put on weight and am proud to say she has seen the light and worked out that starving herself isnt the way to go about bng healthy and maintaining a healthy weight. So in answer to your question - yes it is curable in some people.

As someone in recovery for the last 4 years, I hope I can answer your question. Signs/symptons for myself were the gradual weight loss which escalated into a very fast weight loss. The start of rituals/obsessions usually occurs, normally with food and how/when it is eaten. Withdrawing from friends and family also does occur. Bulemics usually spend alot of time in the bathroom, normally right after a meal is eaten. Bingeing and purging is very common with bulimia.
As far as is it curable.... Well, the only cure is taking one day at a time. Like an addiction, it's common to have relapses and falling back to old behaviors. There are certain triggers for myself that make me resort my old thinking patterns/behaviors. It is a change of lifestyle and a change of thinking/behavior. Of course, you need support from family and friends in order to make this condition curable/surivable.
Counseling is always great and I believe I benefited from therapy.. There are eating disorder clinics and in patient treatment available but they are very scarce.

read the overcoming series www.robisonbooks.org they use cognitive behaviour and the books are written by experts www.robinsonbooks.org they have one on eating disorders
the overcoming series all the best and i pray for you

Anorexia - not wanting to eat with others, weight loss, anaemia, loss of concentration, preoccupation with calories, wanting ot prepare own meals, hiding weight loss behind baggy clothes, lack of interest in things they used to enjoy, depression
Bulimia - you won't necessarilly see any weight loss, in fact a lot of bullimics will gain weight due to bingeing then purging

The best treatment for eating disorders are talking therapies although SSRI anti depressants have proved useful in the treatment of bullimia. Group treatment is common alongside teaching patients about nutrition and healthy eating. Hospital admission is generally not advisable unless the patient is dangerously underweight.

I don't believe it is curable in the sense that I thinkit's someting that stays with you forever, in the same way I believe depression always stays with you but I do think it is manageable and that people can live a normal, happy and healthy life. Having suffered from anorexia in the past I know that I can and will fall back onto those habits when under pressure or stress etc but I also know the warning signs and through therapy am better equipped to cope with it.

Heya, my name is Toni and I am 22 years old. I became bulimic when I was 15 and was bulimic for 4 years. (having been in recovery about 18 months now... woohoo). And believe me, recovery was the hardest thing I have ever done, not only was throwing up and addiction for me, it was a mental state I had to learn how to change. I have had such serious health problems caused by it, for example... I have a disease in my throat that makes it hurt when I swallow (gastroesaphagul disease), holes in my stomach lining from the stomach acid, ulcers in my intestines, a bad kidney, my hair fell out, I'm prone to kidney infections, and urinary tract infections... It is curable, but only if people are willing to work. It is a mindset that needs changed, not something that needs medicated, or that someone can change for you. It takes an inner strength that is sometimes hard to find. I put together a site with a ton of information that I did on eating disorders,
http://www.myeatingdisorder.com
this site has signs & symptoms, statistics, treatment options, stories about people who have had eating disorders, poems & different song lyrichs... just a ton of info.
People who live with their disorder, have a rough life. For me, living with it was hard, but getting over it was the real challenge. I couldn't have done it without the support of my husband, my youth pastor, and the help of a nutritionist and specialist. Good luck on your paper, hope this helped some.
Toni Lynne :)

i had eating disorders from the age of 14 and it really took hold until i was about 20. i would go days without eating or make myself sick. im now 26 and to answer your question- no, an eating disorder never goes away. i have times when i find myself not eating or having a strong desire to be sick. the feeling of being hungry makes me feel good and i know that whatever else i fail at or cant do, i know that i can not eat and although it sound bizarre- it makes me feel good.

my weight goes up and down by about 10 pound all the time, through not eating or eating too much. sometimes i can cry whilst eating dinner because i feel like i am disgusting for giving in. i worry about my body and its shape all the time, for 5 years all i would wear was a black long skirt to hide my legs, and the only thing that got me out of wearing that long skirt or black clothes was meetingmy husband when i was 21. his love gave me the confidence to wear different clothes, and i would even go out wearing white!

at times of stress, it comes back.

i used to have baths in the dark and even considered having a bath with clothes on so i wouldnt see my fat body.

my mirrors were covered up and i would close my eyes when getting changed.

im not so bad now to those levels but i still like feeling hungry and i feel bad when i eat. i constantly check my weight and if i have put any weight on i cant sleep or i get very anxious.

so no, an eating disorder does not go away. it stays with you forever and returns now and then.