Accessible, trauma-informed care for service members and their loved ones.
Learn more about our program from our Director of Eating Disorder Programming, Dr. Anita Johnston, PhD, CEDS.
In recent years, there has been a growing need to provide eating disorder treatment for Veterans, active duty service members, and military families. Researchers discovered that the rates of eating disorders among Veterans and service members are similar to or higher than prevalence estimates for the general public and as many as 15 to 25% of Veterans meet diagnostic criteria for eating disorders upon assessment [1].
Effective eating disorder treatment for Veterans, active-duty service members, and military family members should be both accessible and trauma-informed. ‘Ai Pono Hawaii has substantial experience working with military members and their families due to our location in Hawaii (home to eleven military bases) as well as close proximity to the Marshall Islands. We are also in-network with many Tricare plans and directly contracted with the Veterans Administration. We also specialize in treating co-occurring trauma that may be related to an individual's experience in the military or as a military spouse or child.
Providing eating disorder treatment for military families is crucial because of the increased risk of eating disorders among this population. A study by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center [2] found that 3,527 service members were diagnosed with bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, or another unspecified eating disorder between the years 2004 and 2013. Meanwhile, a study conducted by the Veterans Affairs (VA) in Connecticut [3] discovered that Veterans struggle from bulimia at around three times the rate of civilians.
Members of the military face a tremendous number of demands: physical, mental, emotional, and psychological — many of which persist beyond their time in service. Many Veterans then have to cope with the challenge of reintegrating into civilian life while simultaneously dealing with mental health issues which may be partially attributed to their experience in the military.
Whether their eating disorder was born during their active time in the military or after their military career, Veterans deserve to receive sufficient and effective resources for treatment and recovery. Most people who suffer from an eating disorder feel all alone in their struggle, embarrassed of their condition, or hesitant to seek help. The stigma associated with eating disorders makes it even more challenging for them to seek the help they badly need.
The struggle is particularly hard for Veterans, since being in the military is often equated with being in control — and suffering from disordered eating behavior is the opposite of that. Long-standing myths — such as eating disorders afflicting only young women or that “normal” or “overweight” patients can’t suffer from an eating disorder — make their situation even more difficult.
Stress and trauma in military service significantly contribute to the development of eating disorders among Veterans, along with experiencing military sexual trauma (MST) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from combat experience. Failure (or fear of failure) to meet stringent weight or physical fitness standards likewise can contribute to the development of eating disorders.
Veterans who developed an eating disorder during or after their time of service can be eligible to receive VA disability, which includes benefits like monthly compensation and more. If you are a Veteran or military family member, the good news is that effective eating disorder treatment for Veterans is available at ‘Ai Pono Hawaii and we have extensive experience treating military members, Veterans, and military spouses and children.
Research shows that the children of military service members may have a tendency to adopt the same disordered thoughts and behaviors of their parents [9]. This includes overexercise or exercise dependence, rigid eating habits, or guilt about eating too much. A loved one or parent being deployed can also cause high levels of anxiety or distress for military family members. Feelings of lack of control, anxiety, or depression can sometimes lead to the development of an eating disorder or make a preexisting condition worse. Given all of these facts and the military’s crucial role in protecting the nation, it’s essential to provide eating disorder treatment for military families in addition to active duty or retired service members themselves.
‘Ai Pono Hawaii is one of the most trusted and reputable treatment centers that offers eating disorder treatment for Veterans. Located on the beautiful island of Maui, Hawaii, ‘Ai Pono provides Veterans and military families with effective treatment for all types of eating disorders. Here at ‘Ai Pono Hawaii, we recognize the intricate factors involved in Veterans’ eating disorders. We regard them as the outcome of interplays among a Veteran’s psychological state, emotional state, biochemistry, and nutritional status. We take all of those components into account when we formulate a holistic treatment plan for each Veteran.
Based on our decades of experience as a treatment center for eating disorders, we have learned that recovery starts with first identifying and accepting the adaptive function of the eating disorder. Only then can individuals start to develop and applying essential life skills to achieve lasting freedom from their eating disorder.
At ‘Ai Pono Hawaii we are delighted to be able to use our more than 35 years of experience as an eating disorder treatment center to provide help for Veterans. Our center has the most extensive and longest-running eating disorder treatment program in the State of Hawaii.
For over three decades now, hundreds of patients from all parts of the globe have trusted us to guide them through their journey of recovery from Binge Eating Disorder, Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), and various other eating or feeding disorders. Our eating disorder treatment for military families also includes holistic treatment for Veterans who suffer from Night Eating Syndrome, Laxative Abuse, Body Dysmorphia, Body Image Distortion, and other associated issues.
In order to provide accessible eating disorder treatment for military families, we work closely with Tricare and the Veteran’s Administration so that Veterans, service members, and military dependents have affordable access to the care that they need.
We combine proven science and more than three decades’ worth of experience to provide effective eating disorder treatment for Veterans. We endeavor to deliver holistic treatment for all Veterans who need it, so we strive to be well-versed not only in treating eating disorders themselves but comorbid conditions (the ones that often go along with those disorders), such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and others.
We provide specialized treatment programs for Veterans to help address the unique issues that they face in addition to their eating disorder.
‘Ai Pono Hawaii has been providing comprehensive and holistic eating disorder treatment for over 35 years. Our dedication to serve is constantly fueled by the recoveries of our patients.
Director of Eating Disorder Programming — Dr. Anita Johnston, PhD, CEDS — is a highly-respected expert in the area of eating disorder (ED) treatment. She is the author of the book Eating in the Light of the Moon: How Women Can Transform Their Relationship with Food Through Myths, Metaphors, and Storytelling (which can be purchased through Amazon).
Our dedicated team of experts continuously grows their knowledge and updates our treatment programs so that we remain as an effective and trusted provider of eating disorder treatment for military families. We always do our best for our Veteran patients, because we truly believe that they deserve to receive the most effective science-based treatment for their eating disorder.
‘Ai Pono Hawaii guarantees a truly holistic therapy that will help Veterans achieve permanent recovery from their eating disorder (instead of just acting as a quick fix).
In addition to DBT, ACT, and other verbal therapeutic modalities, we offer alternative therapeutic methods such as:
Sound therapy (including ukulele playing)
Ecstatic dance
Art therapy
Metaphor therapy
Likewise, we provide Trauma-informed Care: specialized therapy for Veterans who experienced any kind of trauma, using proven therapies like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), somatic therapy, and brainspotting. We even integrate Hawaiian cultural programming into our patients’ recovery journey, alongside other proven therapies for eating disorders.
Last but not the least, ‘Ai Pono is truly a refuge. We have taken a lot of steps to ensure that our center offers Veterans the highest level of comfort and tranquility, transforming it into an ideal setting for recovery.
As one of the world’s most trusted, effective, and longest-standing eating disorder treatment centers, ‘Ai Pono Hawaii is the perfect eating disorder rehab center for Veterans to sustain, balance, and heal — away from the stressors of everyday life. We are confident that we are the best eating disorder treatment center for Veterans to begin their new life as resilient individuals who know how to nourish and honor themselves on their journey to complete recovery.
We provide two types of treatment programs for Veterans with eating disorders: residential treatment and intensive outpatient care. We facilitate individual, family, and group sessions, depending on each Veteran’s prescribed treatment program.
Each of our levels of care has its own advantages (Note: The right program for you or your loved one depends on your unique needs and situation):
Our eating disorder residential treatment for Veterans focuses on addressing the medical, therapeutic, and nutritional needs of female Veterans. Our expert staff offer round-the-clock support to patients, and we conduct one-on-one psychotherapy sessions three times per week, together with trauma treatment. We also encourage the Veterans’ family members and support team members to participate in their recovery journey to further improve the therapy’s outcomes.
*We have resumed normal operations for this program. For complete information, please read our updated COVID-19 guidelines.
A unique treatment type for Veterans of all genders, our IOP program includes therapy groups that take place three (3) hours per evening, as well as individual services like individual and group psychotherapy, nutrition education, and discretional meal support for three (3) to seven (7) days per week (based on individual needs). IOP is available in-person in Maui, and virtually for all residents of Hawaii.
*As of this time, IOP is available only virtually, for Hawaii residents.
[1] https://www.hsrd.research.va.gov/research/abstracts.cfm?Project_ID=2141706864
[2 & 6] https://taskandpurpose.com/news/military-eating-disorders/
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33711788/
[4] https://www.woodslawyers.com/eating-disorders-military/
[5] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34534875/
[9] https://academic.oup.com/milmed/article/172/9/962/4283413
