Cost of Treatment in Dubai – Priory Wellbeing Centre

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The Priory Wellbeing Centre is an outpatient clinic opening in the heart of Dubai delivering individual and group therapy. This state of the art clinic will be the first Priory Healthcare venture outside the UK and provides an opportunity to be involved with entry into this dynamic marketplace. Dubai is a vibrant city within the United Arab Emirates which has an excellent quality of life and easy access to travel destinations.

Dear Readers,

Please find below our analysis on cost of treatment for eating disorders in Dubai, UAE. Eating Disorders are a growing problem in Emirates and treatment options are very limited and only available to few factions of society.  Few months back a sufferer suffering from BED approached us for help.   Perhaps this is the first time we really understood the challenge of getting suitable help in Muslim countries. We had one price quote of £55,000 for six months period as out-patient and another from Thailand as In-patient for $30,000 for 12 weeks treatment . It was very heartbreaking to see this person give up any hope she had of recovery. We really hope one day treatment will be available for all.   We focus here on Priory Wellbeing Centre.

 

 

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Eating Disorders  are  illnesses  that  are  synonymous  with  abnormal  eating  habits  and  severe  concern  about  body weight  or  shape.  Affected  patients  either  eat  excessively  born  inadequately  leading  to  severe consequences  health-wise  and in some cases when patients don’t get necessary  attention,  death.  The disorder  usually  arises  during  the  teenage  to  young  adult  stages  of  life.  The  types  of  eating  disorders include  anorexia  nervosa;  which  is  characterized  by  under-eating  and  an  unhealthy  perception  of  body image, bulimia nervosa; patients eat a lot and then compensate by vomiting, exercising and in some cases by using drugs, then there’s binge eating disorder(BED) which is similar to bulimia except that patients suffering from BED don’t try to compensate for food intake so they end up obese.  Eating disorders are complicated illnesses caused by biological, psychological and environmental factors so it’s treatment cuts across areas of medical care and monitoring,  nutrition,  therapy  and  medication.  Hereby resulting in a high cost of treatment which only the wealthy can afford.

Its being surprising to some seeing this kind of illness creep into Muslim countries where religion and culture are esteemed values. A recent study in the United Arab Emirates shows that 75 percent of young ladies don’t like their bodies with one in five needing clinical attention.

All of this some would say can be attributed to the influx of values from the western culture where beauty for women is likened to being thin. To make matters worse, women are seen to be lesser than men in Muslim societies hereby causing self-esteem issues among the female folk. Even those suffering from eating disorders are scared of coming out for fear of being judged. Although eating disorders in Muslim societies mostly affect females, the male folk are not exempted. Eating disorders are more difficult to diagnose in men because men naturally associate beauty with body mass  and the presence of bulging muscles. So having men admit that they are suffering from eating disorders is an uphill task as it makes them feel less masculine.

 

Compounding issues is the dearth of treatment facilities for eating disorders in Muslim countries as it is  mostly perceived as a “western” problem. Treatment of ED is normally an expensive process but the scarcity of specialized treatment centres makes matters worse as treatment is only accessible to the high and mighty. Although in recent times the media has helped in throwing more light on the issue, nothing substantial has been put in place by government of these countries to help the situation. With alarming statistical figures more ought to be done in ensuring that affected victims get the help they need.

Recovery from eating disorders though daunting is very possible. There is no guarantee on how long the recovery process takes as it varies for different individuals. Recovery period can take as little as 6 months to as much as 6 years. Having to treat an ailment for up to 6 years can be emotionally and financially tasking.

The Priory Wellbeing Centre in Dubai offers specialized facilities for eating disorder treatment. Using the highly effective cognitive behavioral therapy, they offer group therapy and also one on one therapy services, but with a cost of about 600Dhs($160) for one on one sessions and 200Dhs($55) for group sessions, the service becomes unaffordable for the masses.

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About Priory Dubai:

 

Providing quality, inspiring innovation and  delivering value is what we set out to achieve at Priory Healthcare. Enabling our patients with mental health difficulties to receive a truly integrated and holistic approach to their treatment, regardless of complexity or severity, thanks to the knowledge and expertise of our multidisciplinary clinical teams.

The Priory Wellbeing Centre is an outpatient clinic opening in the heart of Dubai delivering individual and group therapy. This state of the art clinic will be the first Priory Healthcare venture outside the UK and provides an opportunity to be involved with entry into this dynamic marketplace. Dubai is a vibrant city within the United Arab Emirates which has an excellent quality of life and easy access to travel destinations.

The centre will maintain close links with Priory Healthcare facilities in the UK and the consultant psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and psychotherapists who use the clinic are all highly experienced in their respective fields of healthcare.

The centre provides a comprehensive day and outpatient programme including a range of therapeutic approaches such as CBT, Interpersonal Therapy, Psycho-education, Art Psychotherapy and EMDR.

 

In the United States and UK, health insurance policies and the National Healthcare Scheme are available to victims suffering from eating disorders. This goes a long way in subsiding treatment costs. In 2015 the UK government released funding to the tune of £150 million to tackle eating disorders.

 

In Muslim countries government involvement is needed to provide more treatment facilities and more importantly to subsidize the cost of treatment so it becomes accessible to all. Families too have a major role to play, by creating an environment where our loved ones can feel safe enough to open up about their problems. Hopefully someday eating disorders become a thing of the past.

 

 

Priory Wellbeing Centre Dubai

 

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AddressGround Floor,Al Razi Building 64, Block F , Oud Metha Road – Dubai – United Arab Emirates

Hours:  Opens 8AM Mon

Appointments: priorygroup.ae
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About Author

Islam and Eating Disorders founded in 2012 – run by Maha Khan, the blog creates awareness of Eating Disorders in the Muslim world, offers information and support for sufferers and their loved ones.

1 Comment

  1. Children can be picky eaters. But Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder look much like picky eating. This may be triggered by a specific event or fear of vomiting or choking. They may experience intense anxiety while at social events and have interference with psychosocial functioning. They may not feel hungry, do not think about food, and can even forget to eat. Feel free to reach out if you need someone to talk to or needs help.

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