OSFED diagnosis and treatment

Reaching out for help is the best way to get you the Otherwise-Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED) support you need and deserve. After recognizing and identifying the symptoms, a professional can provide an OSFED diagnosis and recommend a level of care appropriate for where you are in your healing journey.

Treating OSFED, or any eating disorder, requires specialized eating disorder treatment from providers with experience working with these conditions. Here at Walden Behavioral Care, we offer eating disorder treatment for all diganoses and at all levels of care. Because no two eating disorders are alike, we will work together to create a treatment plan that is specific to you and your recovery goals. No matter where you are in your recovery process, we will be with you every step of the way.

OSFED diagnosis

Like any medical condition, diagnosing OSFED must be done by an experienced professional. At Walden Behavioral Care, our clinicians follow the American Psychiatric Association’s universal standard for diagnosing mental health called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM–5 for short.

According to the DSM-5, the criteria for an OSFED diagnosis are as follows:

• Atypical Anorexia – When all criteria for anorexia nervosa are met, except despite significant weight loss, the individual’s weight is within or above the normal range
• Bulimia Nervosa (of low frequency and/or limited duration) – All criteria of bulimia nervosa are met, except that the binge eating and purging behaviors occur less than once a week on average and/or for less than three months
• Binge Eating Disorder (of low frequency and/or limited duration) – All criteria of Binge Eating Disorder are met except the behavior occurs less than once a week on average and/or for less than three months
• Purging Disorder – Recurrent purging behavior to influence weight or shape (e.g., self-induced vomiting; misuse of laxatives, diuretics or other medications) in the absence of binge eating
• Night Eating Syndrome – Recurrent episodes of eating after awakening from sleep or by excessive food consumption after the evening meal. The person is aware of and recalls the eating events. The night eating is not better explained by external influences such as changes in the individual’s sleep-wake cycle or by local social norms. The night eating causes significant distress and impairment in functioning. The disordered pattern of eating is not better explained by binge-eating disorder or another mental disorder, including substance use, and is not attributable to another medical disorder or an effect of medication.

Treatment for OSFED

OSFED is a complex condition, impacting emotional, physical and psychological health. But, recovery is possible with the right kind of specialized OSFED treatment. Our approach to OSFED treatment at Walden Behavioral Care includes a specially designed process focused on your recovery goals. Together, we will work to understand and address the feelings and thoughts that have brought you here and help you learn the tools needed for lasting success.

Our OSFED treatment incorporates evidence-based therapies proven to support long-term recovery. Using these in both individual and group therapy, we will help to manage your symptoms and increase confidence. These include:

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy – Helps individuals to identify and understand unhelpful thoughts that can influence behavior. With CBT, you will learn that by changing your thoughts, you can improve your experiences.
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – Combines aspects of CBT with skills-based techniques to help manage uncomfortable emotions. DBT will help you learn useful coping strategies to replace disordered behaviors and safely manage triggers.
• Family-Based Treatment (FBT) – Designed for adolescent clients, FBT considers family members and caretakers vital members of the treatment team. Parents and caretakers take part in treatment with their teen so the skills and knowledge learned can become part of their lives at home.

At Walden Behavioral Care, we offer one of the nation’s only full system of specialized eating disorder treatment at every level of care.

• Inpatient
• Residential
• Partial Hospitalization (PHP)
• Intensive Outpatient (IOP)
• Outpatient services

No matter your background or individual needs, we can provide you with the personalized support you deserve.

Learn more about OSFED on our main OSFED information page, or read our blog to learn about OSFED symptoms, treatment and more.