DD (19) is just about to go in to her second year at uni. She has applied for DSA and has just been told that she is entitled to weekly talking therapy.
She was diagnosed with Anorexia when she was 15 when she was hospitalised. She has been in recovery but with bouts of relapse to varying degrees at times of stress (A levels). She takes fluoxetine for her anxiety and has done for 4 years. She has had private therapy as and when needed and engages well with it. She has raging body dysmorphia and crippling self loathing. She literally thinks she’s absolutely disgusting and thinks she’s a terrible person. There is also a degree of OCD behaviours too.
Despite all the above she has good friends and is enjoying her life at uni. The hatred she has for herself just bubbles away under the surface and DD just seems to accept it as the way things are.
After just coming out of another mini ED relapse (brought on by the prospect of summer holidays and having to be seen in a bikini) she has come to the realisation that she needs to get to the root cause of her issues. She is sick of the constant cycle of being well and then relapsing. She has never got as bad as she was when she was first diagnosed but she is still not free of Anorexia.
What would be the best taking therapy for what I have detailed above? DD needs challenging on her regimented thought processes and to unpick how she feels about herself. I think they will offer CBT but I have heard that it’s not for everyone, A family member is receiving DBT therapy at the moment but don’t know too much about that.
Any thoughts/suggestions appreciated.