ED Diagnosis and Therapeutic Frameworks

This chapter takes a critical approach to the present diagnostic system, focusing on the power structures inherent in these processes and then highlighting gaps in funding, communication, and long-term support within the current UK mental health system. In the case of disordered eating, understanding the multidimensional nature of the diagnostic process is crucial due to its potential to propel the individual on a journey which may involve distressing procedures, loss of personal liberty, and a host of unintended consequences. The chapter explores some of the controversies around psychiatric labeling, including the exploitative potential of diagnosis and the stigma attached to mental illness. The rising numbers of people now diagnosed with an eating disorder (ED) have yet to be matched by available treatment, and while digital technology has allowed an expansion of online treatments for EDs, long-term support for those with EDs remains inadequate. The chapter includes qualitative research into the perceptions and experiences of ED professionals with an examination of its key themes, including the stresses of working in an underfunded service, patient resistance, and the relational problems associated with diagnostic labels. Diagnostic categories medical and social functions, yet inevitably lead to a one-size-fits-all approach in treatment which, for patients, can result in disappointment and competition over labels, denial of treatment, or loss of autonomy.