While at least 30 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder in the United States, only 10 percent will receive the treatment they need. At Reconnect Eating Disorders Clinic, providers have received specialized training in evidence-based practices. The multidisciplinary team includes a psychologist or therapist, a registered dietitian, a psychiatric provider, a primary care physician, a Reconnect coach and the individual seeking treatment.
“Treating patients who suffer from an eating disorder requires attention to the mind as well as the body,” said Dr. Jenny Copeland, Ozark Center Clinical Psychologist. “The patient isn’t the only one who suffers. Their family and support system also feel the impact of these diseases.”
Treatment may include family-based therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy and/or dialectical behavioral therapy. Behaviors associated with eating disorders may include:
- Constant adherence to increasingly strict diets, regardless of weight
- Habitual trips to the bathroom immediately after eating
- Secretly bingeing on large amounts of food
- Hoarding large amounts of food
- Increase in consumption of laxatives, diuretics or diet pills
- Exercising compulsively, often several hours per day
- Using prescription stimulant medications and/or illicit stimulant drugs to suppress appetite
To learn more about Reconnect Eating Disorders Clinic or to schedule an appointment, visit ozarkcenter.com/eatingdisorders.
About Ozark Center
An integral component of Freeman Health System based in Joplin, Mo., Ozark Center provides comprehensive behavioral health services to children, adults and families in an area that includes more than 450,000 residents from Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Ozark Center continually looks for innovative ways to address the mental health needs of the community and promote awareness of mental illness in an effort to eliminate the discrimination associated with it. For more information, visit ozarkcenter.com or call 417.347.7600.
About Freeman Health System
Locally owned, not-for-profit and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital and Ozark Center – the area’s largest provider of behavioral health services – as well as two urgent care clinics, dozens of physician clinics and a variety of specialty services. In 2018, Freeman earned dozens of individual awards for medical excellence and patient safety from CareChex®, a quality rating system that helps consumers evaluate healthcare providers. The Leapfrog Group awarded Freeman the highest grade possible in the Spring 2018 Hospital Patient Safety Score. With more than 300 physicians on staff representing more than 70 specialties, Freeman provides cancer care, heart care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, children’s services and women’s services. Additionally, Freeman is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 70-mile radius. For more information, visit freemanhealth.com.