If you’re reading this, you’re already on the right path to eating disorder recovery. You have admitted, at least to yourself, that you need help, and now you’re wondering: “What eating disorder treatment center is right for me?”
There are more treatment options than ever before, especially after COVID-19 has revolutionized eating disorder treatment and recovery, but more options does not necessarily mean you will have an easy time finding the right treatment center. Everyone has different needs, so no one can really tell you exactly where to go for help. But we can tell you how to find the best eating disorder treatment program for you.
In this article, you will learn:
- Inside, personal factors that influence which eating disorder treatment program is right for you
- Outside, external factors that affect which program is the best fit
- Tips to help you make your decision
Getting some Background Knowledge
Before you even start narrowing your options, you need to know some background knowledge on how eating disorder treatment programs work.
CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION
Every treatment center has their own admission criteria. These criteria include things like:
- Whether you have been diagnosed with an eating disorder by a professional or you are a self-referral (i.e. you called on your own)
- Weight (as a percentage of set-point weight)
- Whether you require any medical intervention (for electrolyte imbalances, cardiac problems, refeeding syndrome, etc.)
- Risk of self-harm or suicidal behaviors
- Frequency of behaviors
- Support system at home
- Co-occurring disorders
- Ability to control the urge to use eating disorder behaviors
Note: Your weight, shape, and medical stability have nothing to do with how serious your eating disorder is. Your eating disorder is valid and life-threatening no matter how much you weigh.
Related: Don’t feel like you’re “sick enough” to get help? Read this.
LEVELS OF CARE
The admission criteria above will help you (and assessment staff at treatment programs) decide what environment you need to be in to start recovery. Levels of care essentially describe the length of time you will be spending in-program, and where you will stay while you are receiving treatment for this life-threatening illness.
The four levels of care in a treatment program include:
- Inpatient: for patients who require medical stabilization in a hospital setting
- Residential: for patients who require 24/7 monitoring at a live-in facility
- Partial hospitalization: for patients who have some support at home and can manage urges, but still need structure and support for a large portion of the day
- Intensive outpatient: for patients who need some some structure and meal support, but can safely manage at home most of the time
Patients may fluctuate between levels of care, and many treatment programs recognize that. Many programs offer multiple levels of care to make the step-up and step-down easy and allow you to see the same therapist and nutritionist throughout the program.
Related: This is what meal support is like in eating disorder treatment.
TREATMENT APPROACH
Treatment approaches and philosophies vary by facility. Some facilities focus on strategies to stop eating disorder behaviors. Others want to guide you on a journey of self-awareness that addresses any underlying issues behind the eating disorder. Some programs focus strictly on evidence-based treatment, while others are holistic eating disorder programs. The way a treatment center views eating disorders, and the methods they use to treat them, will affect your treatment experience.
Related: What is evidence-based eating disorder treatment? Is it completely different from holistic eating disorder treatment?
Personal Factors to Consider:
While you’re deciding what treatment center is right for you, consider your personal preferences.
LOCATION: WHERE WILL YOU STAY?
If you have to go to a live-in facility for a time, how far away are you willing to go? If you qualify for partial or intensive outpatient treatment, will you stay at home for it? Many facilities have on-site apartments for patients at this level of care. This gives patients the opportunity to be on their own, and have access to support if they need it.
There is also the option to engage in a partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient eating disorder treatment program online. Group therapy, meal support, and treatment team meetings all take place from the comfort and safety of your home.
Related: Are online eating disorder treatment programs effective?
TREATMENT MODALITIES
You have to decide what treatment philosophy and practices you resonate with.
If you have any comorbid diagnoses like PTSD, substance use disorder, OCD, or OCPD, find a treatment program that specializes in eating disorders and comorbid diagnoses.
If you would prefer to be surrounded by women, find a program that caters to women. If you identify as LGBTQ+, look for a program with treatment providers who understand your unique struggles.
Related: OCPD, OCD, and Eating Disorders: Is there a correlation?
AMENITIES: CELL PHONES, VISITATION, DAY PASSES, THE WORKS
There are programs that believe you need to be removed from any home stressors while in-program to focus on healing. These programs usually limit electronic use and visitation to create a healing space.
Other programs allow electronics as a distraction tool during meals and outside of structured programming. These programs usually encourage visits from your support system.
Many residential treatment programs include passes to leave a treatment facility and practice eating and controlling urges on your own.
Restaurant outings are scheduled into programs at all levels of care so you practice eating out with support before going out with family and friends.
DIETARY NEEDS
Many patients ask whether they can keep vegetarian, vegan, and/or gluten-free diets while in treatment. Because these dietary restrictions may be a part of your eating disorder, some facilities are wary of allowing them. Be sure to ask these questions upfront, talk to the dieititian on staff, and be clear of what types of testing or documentation might be required prior to admission.
Related: Here is how to tell whether your lifestyle is driven by your values or by your eating disorder.
External Factors to Take Into Account:
These are things that you don’t necessarily decide, like insurance coverage and time restrictions. You can, however, find out whether you can change some of these external factors to get the treatment you need.
THE FINANCIALS: DIAGNOSIS, INSURANCE, DEDUCTIBLES, AND MORE
Unfortunately, many insurance providers do not have great mental health coverage. There are high deductibles to meet and even after insurance kicks in, it’s hard to pay for treatment. Many providers unfortunately can also biased when it comes to diagnoses, with those diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa receiving more care at higher levels than those with Bulimia, Binge Eating Disorder, or other specified feeding/eating disorder (OSFED).
Some providers also use physical criteria primarily, like weight or medical tests, to determine what level of care they will cover. Many patients report being discharged from a higher level of care as soon as they were weight restored, despite the fact that they needed more support.
Financial barriers like these may limit your options, so talk to your insurance providers and financial departments at different treatment centers to figure out your options and remember that you do have choices when it comes to insurance providers as well.
Related: Unfair insurance providers aren’t the only sources of weight stigma in eating disorder treatment and recovery.
TIME DEDICATION: HOW MUCH TIME CAN YOU FEASIBLY DEDICATE TO TREATMENT?
Some people have the luxury of taking time off of work or school to engage in eating disorder treatment. Others cannot afford to take time off, and have to work with the time they do have.
How much time can you feasibly put towards traveling and being in treatment? Ideally, you will be able to get treatment at whatever level of care you need, but that isn’t always the case. So speak with your loved ones, your employers, and potential treatment providers to see what you can feasibly do.
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Just as some people can’t take time off of work, others have to take care of a child, parent, or someone else who is sick. If at all possible, speak to other family members, close friends, or social service providers about a way to arrange for the care of others while you get the care you need.
SUPPORT SYSTEM: WHO IS THERE FOR YOU?
You may have to be there for others — but who is there for you? If you are in an environment that does not feel safe to recover in, whether you live alone or the people you do live with are not able to act as your support system, then consider a residential facility or completing a partial hospitalization program on-site.
Tips on How to Find the Best Eating Disorder Treatment Program for You
1. ONLY CONSIDER YOUR OPTIONS WHEN YOU ARE IN WISE MIND.
One of the core tenets of dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is the idea that there are three states of mind: rational mind, emotional mind, and wise mind. Rational mind is the extremely analytical side of the mind. Emotional mind is the complete opposite — there’s no logic, only feelings.
Wise mind is a middle ground. When you are in this state of mind, your rational mind and your emotional mind work together to help you make decisions. In wise mind, you can validate your feelings and experiences, while knowing what’s best for you.
Here’s an example of wise mind in action: Say you are not sure whether you should stay home and go to a partial hospitalization program, or whether you should get treatment at a residential treatment center three hours away. Your emotional mind is probably afraid to go so far from home, while your rational mind has analyzed the pros and cons and made the decision already. In wise mind, you accept that you need a residential program. You accept that it’s your best shot at recovery and that you are afraid to go.
And in wise mind, you would be admitted to the residential treatment program. You would also plan ways to tend to your emotions, such as setting up visits or scheduling calls with your loved ones.
2. CONSULT WITH OTHERS, BUT DON’T LET THEM DECIDE FOR YOU.
Talk to loved ones and anyone in your current treatment team and consider talking to others who have received treatment at a facility you are interested in. While everyone experiences eating disorders differently, they can share their experience and answer questions from a patient perspective.
Note: Not everyone who goes to eating disorder treatment is going because they want to. Someone else may be forcing them into it. So they may not have the most objective opinion about a treatment program. Get an opinion from someone who seems more objective and motivated to recover, if possible.
3. CALL TREATMENT CENTERS FOR MORE INFORMATION.
You don’t have to rely on websites and hearsay to get your questions answered. Call the treatment centers you are interested in and ask them questions directly.
4. DON’T GET STUCK IN ANALYSIS PARALYSIS.
Analysis paralysis is when you get stuck in the research phase. You spend so much time analyzing your possible choices and still don’t have an answer. This is a big decision, so it makes sense to take your time and look at it from a number of angles, but you also have to take notice of when you’re still researching and when your eating disorder is trying to keep you from getting help. At some point, you just have to pick up the phone, have an admissions assessment, and start your recovery.
Related: Once you’ve decided where to go, this is what to expect from eating disorder treatment. Find out how to prepare, how day-to-day life goes in a treatment program, and practical tips to get through it all.
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.