What is Anorexia?

Anorexia is a very serious illness that can be potentially life threatening.  The illness is characterized by a pervasive fear of weight gain coupled with a perception of being fat. Anorexics often find it very hard to reach out for help as the shame and denial that entraps them in their illness is so powerful that it can prevent them from seeing how ill they really are.  Anorexia is generally associated with low self-esteem and difficulty in managing emotions.

Symptoms of Anorexia:

Anorexics may frequently use exercising, dieting, binging, and purging to avoid gaining weight even when their bodies appear frighteningly emaciated to the people around them.

Anorexics often become withdrawn and secretive from the people closest to them as a result of the illness, often times suffering physically and mentally in isolation.

Tabankulu Treatment for Anorexia:

Tabankulu’s bio-psycho-social-spiritual approach is designed to meet each individual's specific needs.   Our programme believes in taking the emphasis off of food obsession and placing it more on the underlying issues that trigger the eating disorder.  We do however make sure that our clients are well enough for treatment when they admit, with a BMI of over 16, and we do closely monitor weight during the course of treatment. 

The main components of our programme are:

Nutrition:

• Individual consultations with a registered dietitian
• Individualized food plan
• Balanced, organic meals that are freshly prepared
• Support around mealtimes from a member of staff
• Education around healthy nutrition and healthy eating

Meaningful Therapeutic Experience:

• The main component of treatment for an eating disorder is daily group therapy.  Group therapy is a powerful tool to help clients break free from their denial and shame and begin to make connections and relationships that challenge their distorted thinking and destructive behavior in a safe and supporting way.
• A Primary Counsellor specializing in eating disorders is assigned to each client and will work on an individual basis with them throughout the course of their treatment
• Our approach draws upon different psychotherapeutic techniques.  Our dedicated staff come from a range of different trainings.  Along with a psychodynamic approach we also draw upon cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT).
• Individual and group sessions that specifically address the eating disorder.  These groups help to look at specific issues such as nutrition, trauma, body image, gender and grief and loss.  Depending on the client group sometimes different specialty topics may be more relevant than others.

Education:

• Educational groups to think about new skills and the development of emotion tolerance

12 Step Foundation:

• The foundation of our programme is based upon the Twelve-Step philosophy which is a peer led free worldwide support system.  By linking our clients into this support group we ensure that they have access to an outside support system and a spiritual foundation for long-term recovery.

Healthy Lifestyle:

• Individual advice around incorporating healthy exercise back into the client’s lifestyle
• Integrative therapies and activities that include art therapy, organic gardening, mindfulness meditation, yoga, Qi Gong, surfing, and caring for the horses on the property.  Clients have a chance to start truly living and enjoying life again within the beautiful and spiritual surroundings of the Cape Peninsula.