How long does it take to recover from Bulimia?

 

Bulimia is also known as bulimia nervosa this eating disorder is outlined by Binge eating disorder is falter by purging which means getting relieved by the food the patient has consumed. The time factor to cure from bulimia varies from person to person. Some patient's readiness and motivation to change is so high that they can instantly quit everything and on the other hand some people can take weeks or months to be cured. The patient should look at it as a process that starts by stopping the incorrect behaviors, also the patient's strengths play a vital role in the process of recovery from Bulimia. One must acquire help from friends or family so that the process of recovery becomes much easier. The process of getting cured from this disorder doesn't happens immediately it gets better with time.

Read Full Post

How to Choose the Right Binge Eating Disorder Treatment Facility

“Consuming larger amount of food in shorter duration of time” is known as Binge eating disorder. This should be treated immediately without any delay from the genuine clinic otherwise it can lead to the risk of permanent injury or death. With proper treatment these risks can be eventually decreased. To choose the right treatment facility following factors should be considered, firstly approach only the genuine psychologists who have license and expertise in binge eating disorder, secondly the clinical staff should be both qualified and experienced and the team should have a legitimate nutritionist and a dietician. If the above conditions are satisfied there are a few things which should be clarified to confirm the taken decision. The clinic should have the expertise in treating the kind of binge eating disorder. The program in the clinic should be best for the patient and gender specific. Detoxification services should also be available in the clinic.

Read Full Post

Affordable Ways to Get Help for Eating Disorder Treatments

 “Acceptance” the most crucial as well as an important factor to recover from eating disorder problems. Any patient who develops eating disorder problems can recover from it by first accepting it, this seems to be a challenging part but it will lead to success. The next thing you should follow is give up unhealthy eating behavior and beyond that you should be able to cope up with the emotional pain you go through and most importantly love yourselves during this phase. If the problem looks serious which sometimes can be, then a systematic as well as an organized approach should be managed. A patient should talk about the problem with someone they feel comfortable with. Patient can also get a treatment/therapy such as nutritional counseling, individual therapy and medical monitoring. Eating disorder can get over if a patient keeps a positive relationship with food during and after the treatment.

Read Full Post

The Progressive Nature of an Eating Disorder

Trending this Week at The Meadows Ranch
By Libby Neal, MA, LPC

Eating disorders are more fluid than fixed. It seems the course of an eating disorder is progressive in nature, changing in severity over time. Eating disorder professionals who have worked long enough with one person will see the type of behaviors move from one end of the spectrum to another.

One example of the ever-changing nature of an eating disorder would be when a person starts with restricting calories then moves into purging food. Once the person realizes they can eliminate their calories while still consuming food, they may turn to purging calories with laxatives or vomiting. This could take a few years, and it is often the reason eating disorders seem to “sneak” up on family members and loved ones.

Parents often say that the eating disorder just showed up one day when, “all of a sudden my loved one was very sick and had an eating disorder.” The progressive nature of an eating disorder is subtle and easy to attribute to developmental expectations or adolescent quirks. Some of the natural personality tendencies are enhanced. It is easy enough to hide calorie consumption for fairly long periods of time, through meal-time manipulation, clothing selection and food avoidance. Parents seem quickly to notice the activities associated with binging or purging of foods.

Parents may not think much about a child who is an introvert staying in their room longer, or a child who tends towards dark humor becoming more interested in vampire books, or a child who is interested in cooking now reads recipe books yet never eats the recipes.

And while the eating disorder is evolving, it makes sense that the personality of the child is also changing. Perhaps the child’s demeanor has become edgier, angrier or confrontational. This can be intimidating for parents who wonder how to help, but instead take the high road in hopes of it “going away.”

So, if an eating disorder is progressive, it seems possible to encourage the good side of the developing habits that may turn from disordered eating into an eatingdisorder. Could it be that parents and loved ones can forge the positive side of these interests so they can become more involved with family and friends rather than feeling like an outsider?

Certainly it is not the parents fault if a loved one is developing an eating disorder, nor does this suggest an eating disorder is “stopped” by looking at the positive side of new habits, but it seems that we, as loved ones, can make subtle interventions along the way. This may encourage a progression into health rather than a disorder.

Here is a list of ways to incorporate interests that later improve the eating disorder:

• Encourage social time with the family
• Find the time for one on one with a loved one
• Allow for alone time but encourage quiet time around the family
• Read recipes together
• Shop for meals together
• Cook new meals together
• Create old favorite meals together
• Create a schedule in the house so meals and activities are predictable
• Take leisure walks together, maybe in the park and with the dog
• Go clothes shopping together, encourage positive body image
• Attend your child’s sports activities
• Learn about their favorite subjects at school
• Offer help for subjects that are hard for them
• Go to church together
• Offer to take them to appointments
• Help with ideas for proms, homecoming or questions about dating
• Recognizing increased negative changes in their child’s demeanor or habits.

Parents may feel overwhelmed by all their responsibilities in life, and their loved one may say they are fine; however, it is important to remain open to “gut” instincts and to continue an open dialogue concerning how their loved one is “progressing.” An eating disorder is not “contagious” so the parent does not necessarily make it worse by talking with their loved one about it. Remain open, curious and supportive all while looking to outside professionals if you find too many indicators of an eating disorder.

About the Author

 

Libby Neal, MA, LPC, is in private practice on the western slope of Colorado. Specializing in eating disorders and trauma, Libby utilizes psychodynamic therapy, evidence-based practices, equine assisted therapy and art therapy. Libby has fifteen years of experience with eating disorders working as a clinician, administrator and educator.

 Content Source

Inpatient Eating Disorder Treatment

Despite the best care, certain patients simply cannot overcome an eating disorder in an outpatient environment. They require intensive or residential treatment. If you have a client or patient in need of a higher level of care, please call our Admissions Department. Or have her, or a family member, contact us. Our admissions representatives can provide all the information required to make inpatient and residential treatment as accessible and affordable as possible.

Remember, our goal is your goal: to give each woman or girl the best possible chance for complete recovery.

Through inpatient and residential treatment, we can get her on the road to recovery and return her to you for outpatient care. In the weeks and months ahead, the two of you can complete the journey together.

Eating Disorders and the Family: Turmoil and Solutions

By Gejia Capasso, Family Therapist for Remuda Ranch at The Meadows



Historically, families have shouldered the blame for a loved one suffering from an eating disorder. This has been met with controversy from both families and treatment teams. We know that eating disorders are complex and that families do everything in their power to fight the eating disorder. Watching someone you love suffer from an eating disorder is painful, scary, and can create anger and confusion. The stress and division within the family can seem overwhelming as each person involved is impacted in different ways. Loss of trust in family relationships, not knowing what to say or how to say it, and not knowing how to support the person who is quite possibly questioning if they even want to get better are all common experiences. Families describe, “Walking on eggshells,” thinking “Everything I say and do seem to make things worse,” and equally “Everything I don’t say and don’t do seem to make things worse.” Here come the shame and blame that families find themselves walking through as they try to understand a disorder that thrives on secrecy, dishonesty, and isolation.

As the family week therapist at Remuda Ranch at The Meadows, I believe, and have witnessed, families benefiting from education around both the mental and physical effects of eating disorders. In addition, it is important to learn about the complexity of its origins, the role other co-occurring mental health diagnoses play in eating disorders, and the “addictive” process within the experience of the eating disorder.

Though everyone has her own journey into and through recovery, know that recovery is possible.




First, I recommend finding professionals who can guide and support you and your family through this journey. Plug into a team of professionals that will be straightforward and honest in providing education, make clear recommendations, and offer an understanding of everyone’s difficult circumstances while being professionally firm in holding people accountable for the safety of the patient within this process.
|


Second, realize and remind yourself often that recovery takes time. This is not going to be a short-term process and it will present with many ups and downs along the path to recovery. Remain calm even in difficult discussions and bring in compassion and empathy. It will be important to listen to learn, not listen to agree with, and not listen to speak. Ask yourself “What can I learn about your experience?” Avoid rationalizing, defer to the professionals for treatment and recovery decisions and acknowledge that this is difficult and affects everyone.

Finally, if treatment is what is necessary to help reverse malnutrition and contain the behaviors surrounding the eating disorder, acknowledge this reality and move in that direction. Treatment is a special gift to all affected by this disorder and a wise investment in recovery.

To learn how Remuda Ranch at The Meadows can help, please call 866-332-5209 today.

Content Source : Recovery is Possible.

Emotional Trauma and Eating Disorder Treatment

One question often asked is, “Why do people develop eating disorders?” The answer is complex and varied but often an eating disorder develops initially as a solution to another problem.

Often times a person will experience trauma, which can be trauma with a capital “T”, like physical abuse, a natural disaster, or a sexual assault, or it can be trauma with a small “t” which could be an emotional or relational trauma. In addition to experiencing a trauma, the person often does not have the skills or personal resources to cope with the trauma. This may lead to feeling emotionally or mentally out of control and lead the individual to use food restriction, bingeing, or bingeing/purging to gain a sense of control and avoid the discomforting results of the trauma. As the disturbed patterns related to food increase, an eating disorder may develop, which becomes their primary method of distracting themselves and regulating their emotions.




As most people are aware of what constitutes a capital “T” trauma, we will spend some time discerning small “t” emotional traumas. In order to develop into a capable adult, we require certain things from our primary caregiver, such as trust, feeling understood, responding to our needs, and teaching us how to regulate our emotions through both modeling and teaching us skills. If these criteria are not met, an emotional trauma can develop. Additionally, by nature, some people have a more sensitive temperament such that they are more attuned with their environment. These individuals need “super caregivers” who are very responsive to slight changes in their demeanor and highly responsive to their needs. These “super caregivers” also need to regulate their own emotions well when interacting with the sensitive person. At times, an emotional trauma can occur when a primary caregiver is overwhelmed with either their own needs or a family or work situation may pull them in multiple directions so that the young person does not feel heard or understood. Later in life, emotional trauma can occur from significant others, peers, and other important people in someone’s life.


At Remuda Ranch at The Meadows, the treatment team recognizes that eating disorder treatment has to take into account the origin of the eating disorder and if emotional trauma played a part in its development. Knowing this, the clinical team recognizes that all features of trauma must be treated along with the eating disorder. If not, the related consequences of maladaptive behavior will pop back up through the person’s life and lead to a relapse of their eating disorder behaviors or to another maladaptive coping strategy such as using substances or self-harm.

The first step in effective eating disorder treatment includes nutritional rehabilitation. The Registered Dietitians at Remuda Ranch guide this process specific to the needs of the individual patient. The clinical teams know that if the brain is not well nourished then accomplishing the necessary therapeutic work is not possible because the patients’ thinking is not clear. Additionally, most patients are unable to develop insightful connections between their maladaptive behaviors and past events on their own.

At Remuda Ranch we work to meet the needs of the individual patient. There are several program feature which may be used such as EMDR, Acupuncture, equine therapy, cognitive restructuring, family work, psychodrama, and use of the on-site Brain Center. Our goal is for patients to process the traumas and recognize the impact on their lives, which may manifest in any number of ways including, but not limited to, eating disorder behaviors. The final component of treatment is to help patients gain further connections in their lives for the reason that people tend to heal through relationships and by learning how to establish healthy boundaries.

At Remuda Ranch at The Meadows, we see patients as complex individuals with common needs of nurturance and respect. Our staff strives to support each patient in learning to live in peace with others, with food, and with themselves. We find that a solid foundation in recovery is possible using the multitude of resources made available to those who seek treatment at Remuda Ranch.
Content Source : Eating Disorder Treatment

Drunkorexia: When Eating Disorders and Alcohol Abuse Collide

College is an exciting time for many young adults. It’s often their first chance to establish an identity entirely separate from their parents or caregivers. But, with that freedom comes a lot of social pressures. Legends of crazy parties, wild binge drinking, casual sex gets passed down from generation to generation. The idea that irresponsible drinking and sex are rights of passage for college students is also a staple of American popular culture as evidenced through popular movies like “Animal House,” “Old School,” and “Neighbors.” Many students feel pressure to both participate in party culture and to maintain a certain level of “sex appeal” in order to be socially accepted. 

 

These pressures are leading many students to make dangerous trade-offs when it comes to alcohol and food. In a recent study, more than 80 percent of college students reported that they skipped meals, binged on food and purged, or used a laxative, so that they could “save calories” and binge drink without gaining weight and/or increase the effects of alcohol. These behaviors are associated with a trend called “drunkorexia.” Drunkorexia is not a medical diagnosis, but it describes the growing trend of college students sacrificing nutrition for alcohol.

The Surprising Relationship Between Eating Disorders and Alcohol Abuse

Though not everyone who engages in food restricting and binge drinking will go on to develop an eating disorder or an alcohol addiction, they may be at higher risk. Research has shown that 50 percent of women who reported eating disorder behaviors also struggled with drug and substance use disorders. That is a rate of risk five times higher than that those without eating disorders.

Alcohol use disorders tend to be particularly common among people with eating disorders, because of the way they interact with one another. Alcohol can be used to help induce vomiting—especially when consumed in excess on an empty stomach—and to facilitate dehydration. Alcohol can also be used to help numb the feelings of fear and anxiety that women with eating disorders carry with them. They tend to fear both weight gain, and someone finding out about their unhealthy behaviors.

Even if the person exhibiting signs of drunkorexia doesn’t end up with long-term, co-occuring disorders, the behaviors in and of themselves can be dangerous. Drinking on an empty stomach allows alcohol to be absorbed into the blood stream more quickly, which increases the likelihood of alcohol poisoning, blackouts, memory loss, and alcohol-related violence. Severe cases can even lead to permanent brain damage.

Overcoming Drunkorexia Requires Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Treating someone who struggles with both an eating disorder and an addiction can be complex. Often patients end up in a treatment center that specializes in either the eating disorder, or the substance abuse, but not both. Since the two disorders do interact and, in some ways, depend upon one another, it’s important to find a program that can treat both disorders at the same time. If a person enters into recovery from their eating disorder but not from their alcoholism, they are much more likely to relapse. The use of the alcohol will likely trigger the impulse to purge or restrict again and interfere with their judgment when it comes to making healthy choices about food.

If you or a loved one needs help for both an eating disorder and substance use disorder, you’ll want a treatment center like Remuda Ranch at The Meadows that offers an integrated, multidisciplinary approach to treatment. Remuda Ranch offers medical supervision 24 hours a day, seven days a week, along with talk therapies, experiential therapies (like equine therapy and challenge courses), family programming, nutritional and culinary training, and the latest neurobehavioral techniques for treating emotional trauma.

For more information about Remuda Ranch at The Meadows’ inpatient, partial hospitalization, and residential treatment for women and adolescent girls, please call 866-390-6100. Our Intake Specialists are happy to answer any questions you may have and help you decide if Remuda Ranch at The Meadows is right for you.

content source

Anorexia Treatment

Anorexia is a complex eating disorder with 3 main features:

1. Refusal to maintain a healthy body weight
2. An intense fear of gaining weight
3. A distorted body image

Anorexia brings Depression, Emotional Trauma, Loneliness, Insecurity, Pressure to be perfect, etc. with it. Due to Anorexia, highest deaths have been recorded as compared to any other illness. Research suggests that about 1 percent of female adolescents have anorexia. Anorexia starts during or around the time of puberty and that is called TeenAnorexia

Anorexia in Teens is fatal as it could cause premature death. Young women with anorexia are 12 times more likely to die than are other women the same age that doesn’t have anorexia.

There are two types of anorexia:

• Restricting Type - weight loss is achieved by restricting calories
• Purging Type - weight loss is achieved by vomiting or using laxatives and diuretics.

Being healthy and being anorexic are two different things and that is explained at Remuda Ranch. Remuda Ranch is Teen Eating Disorder Treatment center that has treated anorexia and disorders for more than 25years. Thus, here we have professionals and experts that schedule whole therapy and workshop schedule which could help retain therapy for life.

Remuda Ranch has psychiatric and primary care provider, dietician, a licensed, a therapist, a psychologist and registered nurses. Every patient here is taken care at Remuda Ranch personally without defining time limit.

Remuda Ranch is Anorexia inpatient treatment Centre that is the solution for any kind of Teen Eating Disorders

Content Source

3 simple steps to get freedom from bingness…

I had always been a victim of binge disorder. Now when people see me they cannot tell but my past was all about trying to free myself from bingness. I was never a slim trip hot figured girl. I was a chubby and healthy kid.

Right now I am 50kgs but a year ago, I was 90+ kgs. No one believed I would be 22yrs old only. I was made fun of, I was being mocked and I was thrown insults at. I lost my 3 best friends because of this disorder, and from that day on I decided to cure this disorder with the support of my parents and new friends.

Following are some of the ways I got freedom from binge eating disorder:

1. Divert your mind from food: We all are passionate about our goal in life. We always cut off all the things that pull us back from our goals. Similarly, I diverted my mind from excess food that pulled me back from meeting my binge-goals. I did not think about food; instead created a hobby of writing, when frustrated with hunger.
2. Go for walks: Walking is a good exercise. Even if we do not like to work out, brisk walking always helps to maintain body weight. I made a schedule of eating early and then hour of walking twice a day kept me healthy and fresh. This slowly made me disorder free.
3. Keep a healthy balanced diet and follow it: Prepare a healthy balanced diet and follow it regularly to recover from the binge. I prepared a diet with the help of my parents and strictly followed it. It is not very hard, but it requires patience and no giving up attitude.

I saw the change in myself slowly and after a year, I came down from 90 to 50. Now, people who did not talk to me because of my weight are waiting for me to talk to them. Believe in miracles…they do happen.

Content Source

A Letter from mother of Binge Battler

Dear all,  

It is not at all easy to see your loved ones suffer. Despite being smart and strong …when it comes to our loved ones, it goes out of window. This happens especially when your children are in the chair of victim. I am proud mother of two beautiful young ladies. I will cut short the story and you will get idea what had happened.

One day I was just cleaning up one of my daughter’s room and I came across lots of food packets and chocolates. When I say a lot means a secret stash full of it. I was so worried and tensed. So, I being Google generation mom, immediately asked Google and I came across something called Binge Eating Disorder. It is a situation, a disorder where a person is hungry even after having a tummy full meal. I decided to confront her and later that evening I did.  

I confronted her with politeness and patience. She talked to me about her problem and we together decided to overcome this Binge Eating. We both tried in our own ways and for starters, I took her packets and chocolates. Whenever she felt like eating she came to me and we talked and shared hours of sharing our views about various topics.  

Initially, it was very hard because of mood swings, but all you need is to be a mother at that time. After 5 days, we came across website of Remuda Ranch at The Meadows and we contacted them. We took admission for 45-days therapy. Today, after 60 days, I got my beautiful daughter back.  

Remuda Ranch is the Best Binge Eating disorder Treatment Centre in Arizona since 25+ years. Visit it once, and you yourself will know. It is THE PLACE for all kinds of eating disorders. They assign staff of 2 for every patient. I would forever be grateful Remuda Ranch for giving me my daughter back.

 Trust me it is not that hard. Take that from mother of Ex-Binge Eater.    

Good Luck all,  
Mother of Ex-Binge Eater

Content Source 

Every single day, she battles her disease -- there is no respite.  

Because she is severely malnourished, she does not think clearly, her thoughts are disordered and her perceptions are skewed. Positive self -esteem is non-existent.
 

Every day, she feels bombarded by images of skinny females everywhere: smiling from magazine covers, mocking her from television ads. They are perfect; she is not.  

She is profoundly depressed and just plain exhausted.  

No matter how hard she tries, she will never be “good enough.”

Deciding that life is simply not worth living is not that much of a stretch.

This is what life feels like to many women who struggle with eating disorders.

Eating disorders are physically devastating diseases. The medical consequences of anorexia and bulimia include everything from anemia and bone loss to intestinal issues and infertility.

The good news is that if caught early and treated, most of these medical problems can be reversed and health restored to the individual. However, what can not be reversed is mortality—a full 10 percent of those struggling with an eating disorder will die from it.

These deaths often occur as a result of cardiac damage or other extreme medical complications, but a lesser known cause of death is suicide. The risk of suicide is multiplied many times over for those who suffer from co-occurring eating disorders and depression.

Eating Disorders and Depression

Some studies indicate that as many as 90 percent of women with an eating disorder are also clinically depressed. For some, depression leads to an eating disorder. For others, the eating disorder results in depression. No matter which comes first, together, they are a deadly combination. The rate of suicide among those struggling with both depression and an eating disorder is markedly higher than in those who struggle exclusively with depression.

Being very underweight and malnourished can cause real, physical changes to the brain and body that are known to lead to the negative moods that are often associated with depression. These mood states can intensify feelings of not being good enough, that are so common among people with eating disorders. The focus on perfectionism that is often associated with eating disorders, can also contribute to depression as it sets one up for failure by setting completely unrealistic expectations. The symptoms of depression and the symptoms of the eating disorder are often so deeply intertwined that it can be difficult for a treatment professional to find ways to help their clients who struggle with both to untangle and free themselves from them. And, since the eating disorder behaviors are often used as ways to cope with extreme feelings of shame, self-hatred, and hopelessness, once people who do manage to let go of their eating disorder behaviors may find themselves facing an overwhelming and painful depression. As complicated as the combination of these two disorders can be, there is hope. Treatment programs that provide a combination of different approaches—physical, psychological, and spiritual—tend to have the best chance of helping a person with a dual diagnosis of depression and an eating disorder get into recovery.

Treatment for Eating Disorders and Depression

Recovery from any behavioral health disorder is a process. It takes time and commitment on the part of the patient and her loved ones and compassion and expertise from doctors and health professionals. One key to effective treatment is helping people change the way they think both about themselves and their relationship with food by treating the depression and the eating disorder at the same time. Tailoring treatment to the individual is also essential. Some need more of an emphasis on emotional and trauma work. Some need more of an emphasis on the way they think about food and their body image.

The experts at Remuda Ranch at The Meadows take a careful assessment of each client at the beginning of their treatment process to recommend the best course of action based their personal history and diagnoses. We help clients work through the issues that are contributing to their disorders in all aspects of their lives: self-perception, relationships with friends and family, relationships with food and nutrition, and spirituality. We offer everything thing from individual counseling to equine therapy in our efforts to help our clients find hope again and build happier healthier lives.

If you have any questions about eating disorders and depression or our programs, please call 866-332-1140, or send us an email.

Content Source

Understanding the Difficult Eating Disorder Patient

By Vicki Berkus M.D., Ph.D., CEDS, Remuda Ranch Medical Advisor

When they first begin treatment, patients often struggle and insist on “doing treatment their way.” I tell my patients’ families that they can typically expect a phone call after two or three days, during which they are likely to hear, “Get me out of here! They don’t understand me!”

To gain some insight into what a patient’s experience was like I went undercover and entered a treatment program as a patient struggling with laxative abuse. I packed my suitcase, hid laxatives in my hair and in the handle of my suitcase and walked through the front door.

My process as a patient started with the intake interview where I had to tell a complete stranger some of the most private things about me.

Once I was admitted, I was given an exam gown and my luggage was removed to be searched. I had to change into the exam gown in the shower so that the nurse could see whether I was hiding anything. Then, I was again questioned and went through a physical exam. I had blood drawn, an EKG, and weight taken without hearing or seeing the results. I then was allowed to eat and read the orientation packet.

I was exhausted after three hours of being somewhere I didn’t want to be, talking to people I didn’t trust and having no support (or perceiving that I had no support.) Throughout my stay, I was told when to eat and when to sleep, and had most of my personal items taken from me and locked away.

Finding Empathy for Struggling Patients

I knew as a doctor and eating disorder treatment professional that the purpose of all of this wasn’t to make me feel like an infant, but to make sure I was medically stable and safe in that environment.

Many of our patients don’t quite understand that. They are angry, tired, lonely, and scared. It takes courage to go through treatment.

My insight increased over the next few weeks as I ate with peers, attended Family Week, and sat in process groups observing the patients’ progress. Overall, it wasn’t an entirely pleasant experience for me; I can’t imagine having an eating disorder in my head and trying to go through this process. I’m glad I had a chance to experience it first-hand so that I would not longer have to base my assumptions on my limited perception.

Today, I tell my patients that I don’t expect them to like treatment or even want treatment; but, if they know deep down that their way isn’t working to just do it anyway. I think the key when trying to help eating disorder patients is to set boundaries and be firm while including incentives in their treatment that they can earn.

Starvation, biochemical changes in the brain and body while re-feeding, and co-occurring mood disorders all exacerbate the disease and the lack of control over emotions and behaviors. I think back to my residency days when I was on call every other night (at age 43) and remember that without proper sleep and nutrition, I was not fun to be around.

Think about the last time you were trying to function without the right amount of sleep or food, and try to remember how you felt when dealing with your patient or loved one as they enter into eating disorder treatment.

Remuda Ranch Can Help

The experienced staff at Remuda Ranch at The Meadows understands the pain that eating disorders can bring. There is hope. We can help you or your loved one get on the road recovery.

Our beautiful campus in the heart of the Sonoran Desert offers patients large rooms, indoor and outdoor horse arenas, a swimming pool, and a challenge course. Among the lush landscapes, patients are surrounding by peace and tranquility while they work with our team to overcome their eating disorders and dual diagnoses, and find peace within. Call us today 866-390-5100 or reach out online.

Source Link

A Story about a Cat - Remuda Ranch Eating Disorder Treatment Program

By Vicki Berkus M.D., Ph.D., CEDS, Remuda Ranch Medical Advisor

I have learned that I will not win a “battle of wills” against a patient with an eating disorder.
They have perfected setting rules for themselves and the last thing I want to do is give them more rules. I also don’t expect a new patient to immediately trust me; I know that I need to earn the trust. If a patient refuses to talk about their eating disorder or refuses to tell me what they would be willing eat, I start by finding a way to get them to just talk—about anything.

A Story about a Cat

One of the most difficult patients I’ve met in my career actually said to me, “Dr. B, don’t look at me. I don’t deserve to be looked at.” Where do you start from there?

This patient was extremely shut down. The only thing she was willing to talk about was her cat. So, we visited about her cat for a while. Once she started to relax, I asked her if she would be willing to imagine that her cat had an eating disorder and write a story about it.
She did an amazing job! (I tried to get it published but no luck.) She was able to clearly and beautifully articulate her own fears and feelings as long as she was able to imagine that it was all about the cat.

Finding a Way through Shame

I had another patient who was 16 and had lost her hair and her teeth to her disease. She refused to talk about her eating disorder. So, I asked her what she would like to talk about.

She told me that she would talk about her heroin use but not her eating disorder.
So, we started there. Not long after, she told me she had dropped out of high school because the kids would snatch off her wig and laugh at her baldness. She was filled with shame and guilt. As a result, she had only eaten one piece of hard candy, ½ cup of yogurt, and a half of bagel each day for the last year. It can be hard to imagine someone needing that kind of control.

Eventually, she was able to start talking about her eating disorder, but we had to go at her pace. To push her too far too fast might have ruined any chance I had at developing a rapport with her.

Meeting Patients Where They Are

The hardest part of our work as eating disorder professionals is establishing relationships with our patients that allow trust to develop. I frequently start by asking them what they would be willing to try. It may be a smoothie or a quarter cup of a supplement like Ensure or Boost. It may be talking about a beloved pet, or a co-occurring disorder rather than the eating disorder itself.

I also try to provide patients with the information they need in order feel ready to try. For example, if their fear of eating includes fear of the pain that they feel in their GI tract when they eat, I will talk to them about how together we can address the pain and come up with a plan to make it less painful. I will also often order abdominal films for patients so they can look at it and see why they are not “going to burst” with one more mouthful.

Most importantly, I try to remember that with each suggestion I make, the eating disorder is pushing the patient to make the opposite decision. It will take the entire treatment team to help the patient through this difficult phase of their recovery.

Remuda Ranch Can Help

One of the most important goals to achieve while in treatment is to learn how to live life with your Eating Disorder (ED). Remuda Ranch at the Meadows uses a 45-day curriculum to teach the skills you will need to live with ED and move toward life-long recovery. Call us today for more information: 866-390-5100.

Source Link