If you’re here, you’re already turning in the right direction — turning towards recovery. You are thinking about (or have decided to) get help, and that is a big step in the right direction.
First, you should talk to a qualified eating disorder specialist, and see a medical doctor. They can help you determine what you need, physically and mentally, to start recovery. It may be recommended that you enter a formal treatment program. If this happens, here are seven questions to ask when figuring out which treatment center is right for you.
1. How are you going to pay for treatment?
Yes, it’s an unfortunate first question, but one that needs to be addressed. Not every treatment center accepts every form of insurance. If you have insurance, you should start by considering treatment centers that do accept your insurance.
Common insurance questions related to eating disorder coverage:
- How much is your insurance deductible? (How much do you have to pay out of pocket before your insurance starts covering your medical bills?)
- What level of care will your insurance pay for? Many insurers have requirements for covering a certain level of care. For example, many insurers will not cover higher levels of care unless you are at a certain weight or medical status.
- What if your insurance provider does not have an eating disorder benefit?
If you do not have eating disorder coverage, or do not have insurance at all, do not give up on finding a treatment provider.
If your insurance provider does not have an eating disorder benefit, or if they will not cover the level of care you need, ask your insurance provider about switching to another insurance plan that will cover you. If this is not possible, some treatment centers have sliding scale payment plans. There are also financial assistance and scholarship programs dedicated to funding eating disorder treatment.
Read more about paying for treatment without insurance here.
2. What physical needs do you have?
Eating disorders are mental illnesses, and completely valid whether physical symptoms are present or not. However, there may be physical side effects of this illness, and you may need to be in a certain treatment program to manage them.
If you are at risk of refeeding syndrome, have developed heart problems, or are at risk of suicide, you will need a higher level of care. This could mean that you need treatment in a hospital setting, or a locked facility.
Every eating disorder treatment center will complete an intake evaluation before accepting a new patient. Included in an evaluation is a physical, and an assessment for suicidality. Evaluations like this help treatment providers determine whether you will be adequately cared for in their facilities, or if you need to go to another treatment location.
3. Location: How far away are you willing to go for a treatment program?
Some people do better in treatment when they are close to friends and family. Others need some space from the daily stressors that come along with their home life.
If most of your support system is tied to one location, then you may want to stay within a reasonable traveling distance from them. But if a treatment center closer to home does not suit your needs, don’t be afraid to go a little farther out.
Many treatment centers believe in the value of your surroundings when in the recovery process. For example, at ‘Ai Pono, patients practice mindfulness on daily walks along the beach of Maui, Hawaii. Consider the environment surrounding a treatment center when choosing where you will start your recovery journey.
Related: Nature therapy is an emerging therapeutic practice for treating eating disorders. Read more about nature therapy and eating disorders here.
If you do go farther out, speak to someone at a prospective treatment center about getting there. Some programs have transportation services, or can help coordinate flights, if necessary.
4. What are the values and practices of a treatment center? Do you resonate with them?
Many treatment centers have developed their own treatment philosophies. Those philosophies guide their treatment practices.
For example, a treatment center that appreciates the intersectionality of eating disorders will take into account a patient’s ethnicity, religious standing, gender, sexuality, etc., when developing an individualized treatment plan. Centers that focus on eating and comorbid disorders have developed programs for those with substance abuse problems, trauma, etc.
5. Types of Therapy: What works and what doesn’t?
Most programs offer a wide range of therapies to treat eating disorders, because eating disorders are complex illnesses and may not respond to just one kind of therapeutic practice.
If you have a child with an eating disorder, they may benefit from family based treatment. If you are an eating disorder patient who has sustained trauma, you may benefit from practices like EDMR or Somatic Experiencing (SE) that are specifically geared for treating trauma.
Research different therapeutic practices to find the place that offers what you need.
A BIG RED FLAG: WEIGHT STIGMA IN THE TREATMENT SETTING
If you read up on a treatment center’s practices and find that they prescribe exercise or restrictive meal plans to patients, this potentially indicates weight stigma in the treatment setting. Professionals there may view patients at higher weights as having less severe problems, or they themselves may have internalized fatphobia. This is not a place that is conducive to accepting your body as it is.
Look out for terms like “HAES informed,” “weight inclusive,” or “weight diverse” when researching treatment centers. Ask those running programming how they approach size inclusivity, either during an intake evaluation, or by simply giving them a call.
You want to go to a place that accepts everyone suffering from an eating disorder as valid. If you go somewhere that does not acknowledge that anyone, of any size, can develop an eating disorder, they may not take your struggles as seriously if you are/become a “normal” or above average weight.
6. Do they offer different levels of care?
Many treatment centers offer a full continuum of care. This means that they have varying levels of care for patients to step up or down to. This is nice because you don’t have to go to another facility if you step down, or need to step up, to a different level of care.
If a treatment center has residential, partial, and intensive outpatient programs, then you don’t have to think about leaving one place and having to find another. If a treatment center you’re considering does not have a step-based system, then you should talk with them about how to find another program after leaving theirs.
Related: While every treatment center is different, the treatment process itself is similar across all centers. Read more about how the treatment process works here.
7. Logistics: Meal Plans, Cell Phones, and Outings
Some places do take into consideration dietary considerations. For example, some programs may respect vegetarianism on the whole. Others may want you to verify that you have been a vegetarian before the onset of your eating disorder. They just want to know that if you are a vegetarian, it is for healthy and not disordered reasons. If you have dietary restrictions, find out how accommodating a treatment center can be.
Some places also do not allow the use of cell phones. Usually this is for patient privacy reasons (i.e. no pictures or videos of your fellow patients). Others just collect phones during groups, out of respect for the group leader. Depending on your location and circumstances, there may be opportunities for experiential outings. If you are interested in a certain environment, then this may help guide your decision.
Do your research, talk to others, and then make your choice.
There is a world of information about eating disorder treatment centers out there. You can research them online, ask others about their experience, and speak with those who work there about their programming. Keep in mind these important questions, and go find the right treatment program to put you on the path towards recovery.
If you or a loved one is suffering from an eating disorder, take the first step today and talk to someone about recovery or simply learn more about the holistic eating disorder recovery programs we offer.
