Eating Disorders - What You Can Do
Contrary to popular media depictions, people struggling with Eating Disorders (ED) come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing unites them all: they need to get out of the disorder. Eating disorders can consume you with cyclical thoughts and obsessive behaviors, as well as leading to serious health problems such as malnutrition and heart failure. They function as a form of self-harm and make it difficult to experience and engage in daily life.
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Overcoming Eating Disorders
Overcoming anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorders can be incredibly difficult, so seeking treatment is essential. ED treatment centers help patients address and, if needed, medicate underlying co-occurring disorders such as bipolar, depression, and anxiety. They also work on uncovering underlying core beliefs related to low self-esteem, trauma, and abuse.
Besides considering these psychological conditions, treatments help patients develop coping skills for dealing with stressors and triggers for symptom use in their everyday lives by combining Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness, body image groups, and expressive groups. Patients continue developing skills in individual therapy and psychiatry sessions. Treatment centers may also offer family therapy.
Although ED is not really about food, recovery involves learning normalized eating. Nutritionists help patients develop appropriate meal plans to help them meet their nutritional needs and gain or maintain weight as needed. Treatment centers also offer supervised meals for support around eating.
There are many levels of care available to ED patients depending on individual needs. Patients who begin at higher levels of care typically step down through the subsequent lower levels.
Residential
Residential care lasts about 4 weeks with extensions as needed. Inpatient facilities provide patients with round-the-clock care, including frequent individual appointments and group therapy. In this level of care, ED patients eat all their meals and snacks in the program with supervision and receive medication administration and monitoring for weight, vitals, and self-harm.
Partial Hospitalization/Day
Also called Day programs, partial hospitalization programs run from the morning to the mid-afternoon 5 days a week. They involve supervised meals for breakfast, lunch, and sometimes a snack. They also provide group and individual counseling and monitoring for weights and vitals.
Intensive Outpatient
This level of care is designed for patients to receive support while attending or transitioning back to work or school. Intensive outpatient programs run for 3 hours in the evenings 3 nights a week, with one supervised meal. They provide 2 groups per night and individual therapy, psychiatry, and nutrition sessions. They also monitor weights and vitals.
Outpatient
Following higher levels of care, patients are encouraged to continue working towards recovery with individual therapists, psychiatrists, and nutritionists for 1-2 hours per week.
Overcoming ED is important for physical health and keeping a clear mind and a healthy relationship with yourself and others. It helps you experience your life, recognize your worth, and decrease all self-harm behaviors, not just ED. The best thing you can do for yourself is to call a treatment center for an intake to find out which level of care is right for you.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional consultation or advice related to your health or finances. No reference to an identifiable individual or company is intended as an endorsement thereof. Some or all of this article may have been generated using artificial intelligence, and it may contain certain inaccuracies or unreliable information. Readers should not rely on this article for information and should consult with professionals for personal advice.
