LENGTH OF THERAPY
Successful therapy averages about four months long with weekly 50-minute sessions. The length of time varies quite a bit, though. I have seen some clients for several years (although not usually weekly) and others for only 3 or 4 visits. The amount of time is a function of many things such as the type of problem, how motivated you are to change, and the amount of emotional support you have available to you.

The longer a problem has existed the more time it has had to affect you in many negative ways. Usually the earlier you seek help, the less time is needed.

Length of treatment for eating disorders
Treatment of eating disorders is often moderate- to long-term. Please refer to the resources below for a better understanding of eating disorders and their treatment. These sites will help you answer almost any question about eating disorders.

Eating disorder web sites I recommend

Gurze Books Gurze provides a great deal of information, describes and sells a wide variety of books and lists many treatment facilities in their ads.

Something Fishy Despite the funny name, this is a comprehensive source of information for those with eating disorders and those who care about them. Therapists can be found via this site. (They call it Something Fishy because they believe only fish should depend on scales.)

The National Eating Disorders Association They are the largest organization in the world devoted to eating disorder prevention, legal advocacy and education. They provide a toll-free referral and information line.

American Dietetic Association They have a wealth of information about healthy eating and lifestyles. You can also find a registered dietician here.

The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders In addition to providing eating disorder information and therapist referrals, ANAD works for changes in the American tendency toward body image problems. They spearhead reform of restrictive insurance provisions through watchdog functions and legal approaches.

The Alliance for Eating Disorder Awareness In addition to providing a great deal of information for those with eating disorders and those who care about them, they offer some scholarships for treatment.

Mirror-Mirror A great source of information and they also have a "survivor's wall" of inspirational writing by people who have dealt with eating disorders and a place for others to post their own words.

The Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center Another large source of excellent information, this site also allows you to take the Eating Attitudes Test to do a self-assessment.

The Body Wise part of the Girl Power site (which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) Designed to appeal to young teens, this site provides lots of excellent information.