NEDA TOOLKIT for Educators
Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) A self-report test that
clinicians use with patients to diagnose specific eating
disorders and determine the severity of a patient’s
condition. Originally created in 1984, the EDI has been
revised twice. The EDI-3 was released in 2004, and, as
of 2015, it is the most current edition.
Ed Slang Eating disorder.
ED Acronym for eating disorder.
Electrolyte Imbalance A physical condition that occurs
when ionized salt concentrations (commonly sodium
and potassium) are at abnormal levels in the body. This
condition can occur as a side effect of some bulimic
compensatory behaviors, such as vomiting.
Emetic A class of drugs that induces vomiting. Emetics
may be used as part of a bulimic compensatory
behavior to induce vomiting after a binge eating
episode. Enema The injection of fluid into the rectum for the
purpose of cleansing the bowels. Enemas may be used
as a bulimic compensatory behavior to purge after a
binge eating episode.
Equine/Animal-Assisted Therapy A treatment
program in which people interact with horses and
become aware of their own emotional states through
the reactions of the horses to their behavior.
Exercise Therapy An individualized exercise plan that
is written by a doctor or rehabilitation specialist, such
as a clinical exercise physiologist, physical therapist,
or nurse. The plan takes into account an individual’s
current medical condition and provides advice for what
type of exercise to perform, how hard to exercise, how
long, and how many times per week.
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) A type of
behavior therapy strategy that is based on the theory
that purging serves to decrease the anxiety associated
with eating. Purging is therefore negatively reinforced
via anxiety reduction. The goal of ERP is to modify the
association between anxiety and purging by preventing
purging following eating until the anxiety associated
with eating subsides.
Expressive Therapy A nondrug, non-psychotherapy
form of treatment that uses the performing and/or
visual arts to help people express their thoughts and
emotions. Whether through dance, movement, art,
drama, drawing, painting, etc., expressive therapy
provides an opportunity for communication that might
otherwise remain repressed.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
(EMDR) A nondrug and non-psychotherapy form of
treatment in which a therapist waves his/her fingers
back and forth in front of the patient’s eyes, and the
patient tracks the movements while also focusing
on a traumatic event. It is thought that the act of
tracking while concentrating allows a different level of
processing to occur in the brain so that the patient can
review the event more calmly or more completely than
before. Family Therapy A form of psychotherapy that involves
members of a nuclear or extended family. Some
forms of family therapy are based on behavioral or
psychodynamic principles; the most common form is
based on family systems theory. This approach regards
the family as the unit of treatment and emphasizes
factors such as relationships and communication
patterns. With eating disorders, the focus is on the
eating disorder and how the disorder affects family
relationships. Family therapy tends to be short-term,
usually lasting only a few months, although it can last
longer depending on the family circumstances.
Guided Imagery A technique in which the patient is
directed by a person (either in person or by using a
tape recording) to relax and imagine certain images
and scenes to promote relaxation, promote changes in
attitude or behavior, and encourage physical healing.
Guided imagery is sometimes called visualization.
Sometimes music is used as background noise during
the imagery session.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA) A federal law enacted in 1996 with a number
of provisions intended to ensure certain consumer
health insurance protections for working Americans
and their families, establish standards for electronic
health information, and protect the privacy of
individuals’ health information. HIPAA applies to three
types of health insurance coverage: group health plans,
individual health insurance, and comparable coverage
through a high-risk pool. HIPAA may lower a person’s
chance of losing existing coverage, ease the ability to
switch health plans, and/or help a person buy coverage
on his/her own if a person loses employer coverage
and has no other coverage available.
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