How Do Eating Disorder Treatment Centers Work? What Are They Like? Please Help.?

Question by : How do Eating Disorder Treatment Centers work? What are they like? Please help.?
1. Have you ever been in an outpatient or day program at an Eating Disorder Treatment Facility?

2. What is the typical day like? Where I am going, it is 9am to 7pm, meals there, etc. So many hours. So what is the day like?

3. What types of “therapy” do they do?

4. I think for many, myself included, it’s a way of controlling something in your life. How does being in a situation where all of your control is taken away help?

5. Are there anorexics (or ED-NOS, anorexic tendencies per DSM) at the center that are normal weight or even overweight (but are starving themselves just the same)? Are all of the anorexics there thin?

6. Will all of the skinny anorexics embrace someone fat like me? (I am overweight on BMI)

Thanks for any answers to these questions, or additional answers. I have to do this, but I am terrified.

I have a similar question posted and everyone said I should go – thanks guys – this is my first time here. I was not sure if I should go through with this, because I am so fat, it’s gross. I had gained 55 lbs in 6 months from a medication for nerve damage after getting mauled by a dog in the face and reconstructive surgeries 🙁

I was a normal weight, got up to obese actually, but now just overweight, going by BMI (I never looked “obese”, or so I was told by the dr., but maybe size 12-14 pants/size L shirts is obese, I have no idea…because of my frame I supposedly look smaller than my weight, but in my head..forget it, I look MASSIVE). Finally on a medication that counteracts the weight gaining pill side effects (both meds needed).

Since starting it, I have lost 15 lbs in the last 3 weeks or so and am eating so little…I do try to eat at least 400 calories to make everyone happy. I would rather die than be this fat. I am so scared to give away my control when I finally just regained it!! I am so scared to go when I am so fat, it’s so embarrassing. I know I need this help. I don’t want what has happened in the past (being 100 lbs, in the hospital, at 5’5”) to happen again…but part of me does? I would rather be 100 lbs than in the 170’s like I am. I have to lose this weight!

I am just so terrified. I hope someone has been at one and can put my mind at ease. Please help. Thank you.

Best answer:

Answer by Jessy
i’m not really sure, but i was almost put in one of these places & i got better so i didnt have to go.
you should watch that program about that girl dana that was on channel 4 a while back, she went to a similar place in london and the activities were like group singing and stuff like that, which i suppose was therapy, i can’t remember the other things so you should google dana the 8-year old anorexic , i think that was what it was called.
The place, it looked pretty alright, and she could talk to other people there that were going through the same thing which was good.

Also, i know what you’re going through because i’ve been through it too, but you have to get things into perspective. 400 calories a day is a tiny amount. you’re supposed to eat 2000 to be HEALTHY.
400 is under a QUARTER of that, which is a tiny, tiny amount, and your body will be suffering because of this. I’m not trying to preach to you, cus i went through this, and i hated it when people tried to tell me this, but then i became like the centre of attention and i hated it because everyone was always making sure i was eating and stuff like that and it became horrible.

& also, remember your mind will be warped by the eating disorder, so you will think you are fatter than you are, cus i got that, and everyone was like ”you’re so skinny! :S” and i was like ”..what are you talking about?” So try and keep thinking that to yourself. You really are NOT fat, even though your mind is telling you you are.

So i know what you’re going through & if you ever need to talk to anyone about it then you can always talk to me, & i’m sorry you’re scared because i remember being scared too.

xxxx

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

 

 


 

THIN art therapy session – Inside Alisa’s art therapy session. THIN takes us inside the walls of Renfrew Center, a residential facility for the treatment of women with eating disorders. THIN premieres Tuesday, November 14th, 2006 at 9PM EST on HBO.

 

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