The Progressive Nature of an Eating Disorder

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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.

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Remuda Ranch at The Meadows Announces New Executive Staff

Meadows Behavioral Healthcare announced today that its specialty program, Remuda Ranch at The Meadows, a comprehensive treatment center specializing in eating and co-occurring disorders for women and girls, has appointed Mike Gurr, MS, MA, LPC, CDWF, Executive Director and Tanja Haaland, MA, LCPC, Clinical Director over the inpatient and residential programs.

WICKENBURG, ARIZ. JANUARY 26, 2018

Gurr joined Remuda Ranch at The Meadows in 2015, where he has functioned in various capacities, including Director of Family Services and Clinical Director. Previously, he spent 13 years in an executive level position with Copper Canyon Academy/Sedona Sky Academy, a residential treatment center for girls, where he developed clinical and workshop programming for over 2,000 students and their families from around the world. He received a master’s degree from the University of Utah in exercise and sports science, with an emphasis in sports psychology. He then went on to receive another master’s degree from Argosy University, Phoenix in professional counseling. Gurr’s experience includes working with marriage, family, adolescents, and elite athletes in private practice. He is a sought-after speaker on eating disorders, anxiety, relationships, parenting, and family systems work. Gurr has also appeared on CBS’ talk show The Doctors as an eating disorder expert.

“Mike has proven himself to be a tremendous contributor to our eating disorder program in a variety of areas,” said Sean Walsh, CEO of Meadows Behavioral Healthcare. “His extensive experience and total wellness approach to behavioral health will benefit our patients as we continue to enhance our programming to incorporate more trauma theory and brain level interventions.”

Haaland comes to Remuda Ranch at The Meadows with more than 11 years of experience in the field of behavioral health. Most recently, she was in private practice as a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of eating disorders and trauma. She also has previous experience as the former Program Director of Eating Disorder Center of Kansas City. She is a national speaker and consultant on the treatment of eating disorders and trauma. Haaland received her undergraduate degree and Master of Arts in community counseling from the University of South Dakota.

“Remuda Ranch at The Meadows is very fortunate to have Tanja join our team,” said Walsh. “Tanja’s wealth of knowledge in the treatment of eating disorders and trauma, along with her leadership experience, will benefit our patients struggling with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and co-occurring disorders.”

“I appreciate the confidence of Sean and the Meadows Behavioral Healthcare organization. Remuda Ranch has a solid treatment approach, a beautiful campus, and an incredible, caring staff, and I am committed to its continued growth and development to best support our patients and their families,” said Gurr. “I look forward to working closely with Tanja on a multitude of levels, with a focus on giving hope and healing to the women and young girls who come to us seeking recovery of their eating disorders.”

Remuda Ranch at The Meadows is an industry leader in treating eating and co-occurring disorders for women and girls through its inpatient, residential, and partial-care programs. To learn more about Remuda Ranch at The Meadows’ work, contact an intake coordinator at 866-332-5209

Since 1990, Remuda Ranch at The Meadows has been a leading eating disorder and co-occurring treatment center. In that time, over 10,000 women and girls have trusted their care to Remuda Ranch at The Meadows . Through its approach and clinical excellence, individualized treatment is offered by a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, primary care providers, registered dietitians, therapists, psychologists, and registered nurses that provide assistance and support 24 hours a day. Along with treating eating disorders, Remuda Ranch at The Meadows addresses co-occurring issues, such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and trauma. Remuda Ranch was acquired by The Meadows in 2012 and is accredited by The Joint Commission.

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Eating Disorder Healing Through Equine Therapy

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Kristen Zollars, Program Director of Equine Services for Remuda Ranch at The Meadows, recently wrote about Eating Disorder Healing Through Equine Therapy. In this article she addresses how interacting with horses can help one deal with their own emotions and bring about acceptance.



To read this article in its entirety, please go click here.

Horses are an integral part of our leading-edge treatment. At Remuda Ranch at The Meadows, our patients learn how to be predictable, trustworthy and communicative from the bonds they establish during our Equine Therapy program. For additional information about the treatment of eating disorders, please call to speak to a Counselor at 866-842-1253 and we will contact you with the information you need.

Healing Through Experiential Therapies

Expressive Arts Therapy and Recreation Therapy are integral elements of the eating disorder treatment program at Remuda Ranch at The Meadows. Each of these therapies provides patients with an opportunity to express themselves through a variety of modalities which enable them to explore and discover existing and new thoughts, feelings, emotions, and somatic experiences. Through non-verbal representation, patients are encouraged to delve into the topic area at a level they are comfortable with.




By providing a relaxed and non-judgmental environment, even individuals who are unfamiliar with an art room and proclaim to have no artistic talent, soon find themselves engrossed in the activities outside of a traditional therapy session. Experimenting with themes, ideas, and materials, patients are better able to express their emotions and feelings that so often surround very difficult issues they need to address in treatment.

The Expressive Arts Therapy program at Remuda Ranch includes themes related to eating disorders designed to help patients confront and express their thoughts in a manner and depth that is most comfortable for them. Activities that focus on issues such as body image, childhood influences, inner child, timelines, problem-solving skills, generational messages about the body, and spiritual connections are just some of the topics covered in our curriculum.




Recreation Therapy helps patients realize that they can have fun without the intensity of activities often identified as a major component of a patient’s eating disorder. Reducing the intensity of movement is instrumental in a recovery-focused treatment program. Activities such as volleyball, badminton, board games, gentle stretching, and therapeutic walks teach patients team building and relational skills that aid in reducing their eating disorder behaviors and also provide an enjoyable outlet for movement and play.

Binge Eating Disorder Treatment Centers

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We are extremely proud of our medical staff at Remuda Ranch at The Meadows. Their dedication to patient care and treatment is what makes the Remuda Ranch at The Meadows such an effective treatment program.
Remuda Ranch at The Meadows offers an acute level of care as well as inpatient and residential programming in a safe, nurturing environment. Our treatment is led by a well-qualified multidisciplinary team that is dedicated to providing assistance and support 24 hours a day.

Patients who enter our program can rest assured knowing that they are receiving the best care possible throughout their stay. During the early phase of recovery, patients often discover physical and mental health symptoms for the first time. These symptoms may not be new, but they were often masked or relieved by the eating disorder. The keen assessment skills of our nurses and medical staff helps in this early phase and throughout the course of our patients' treatment.

Dedicated To Your Care

Remuda Ranch at The Meadows nursing and medical staff can help individuals suffering eating disorders discover a higher quality of life. We offer a comprehensive holistic treatment that focuses on healing all aspects of the mind, body, and spirit. We invite you to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment. For additional information about our programs, please call to speak to an Intake Coordinator at 866-332-0836 or complete the form below and we will contact you with the information you need.

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.
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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.

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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.

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Binge Eating disorder – a nightmare for every girl. Binge eating disorder causes when a person is either depressed or anxious or dissatisfied. It commences slowly but its effects are life threatening. Binge eating disorder (BED) is actually the most common eating disorder in the United States. BED affects an estimated 2.8 million people in the United States, according to a national survey. It is seen mostly in teenagers who have a pressure of maintaining academics and social life. There are 5 important facts about Binge Eating:

• Binge eating disorder has a 3X effect on the number of people diagnosed with anorexia and bulimia combined.
• Binge eating disorder is way more common than breast cancer, HIV, and schizophrenia. 
• Research shows that binge eating is being wrongly associated with overweight and obese but you can be obese and not have binge eating disorder.
• 3.5% of women struggle with binge eating
• 25% of college-aged women engage in bingeing and purging for weight managing.

What to do? How to seek help? Remuda Ranch - Inpatient Binge Eating Disorder Treatment

Our program focuses on healing the underlying pieces of the puzzle so that you can find relief. This is not a weight loss program even though our residents often do lose weight. Our team focuses on each patient individually planning her schedule. Binge Eating also effects mentally thus we counsel patients and make them mentally strong. We take into consideration root cause of a problem and treat the patient accordingly. So, come to Remuda Ranch for all SHE-Disorders. 

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3 important questions regarding Bulimia that are answered by Remuda Ranch

What is Bulimia?

Bulimia is characterized by enormous food consumption, followed by self-induced vomiting. This is often accompanied by laxative abuse. Bulimia should not be ignored considering minor because on a long run it could give permanent damage to the body. Many times, in order to reduce weight or to be slim, self-induced vomit is done. It is harmful because that could affect Esophagus, Stomach, Intestine, Lungs, Kidney, Heart, Skin and Teeth. These may prove hard on the human body. A person with this disorder may binge and subsequently purge, between 20 and 30 times a day because the human body is not designed to take in such a huge amount of food at one time.

Unlike an anorexic, who is proud of her strength and appearance, a girl or woman with bulimia suffers a tremendous amount of shame and guilt, which results in low confidence. Even she knows that consuming thousands of calories, then purging, is useless.

What are the Symptoms and complications of Bulimia?

Following are the symptoms of Bulimia:

• constant fear of gaining weight

• uncontrollable eating behavior

• eating food at the point of uneasiness

• forcing vomit or exercise / workout

• Abusing laxatives, diuretics or enemas post-eating

• Constant use of dietary supplement

• Preoccupied with body weight at the cost of daily routine

Following are the complications of Bulimia:

• Injury to the Esophagus

• Injury to the Intestines

• Lung Damage

• Injury to the Stomach

• Severe Kidney and Heart Complications

• Injury to the Skin and Teeth

How is it cured?

If you find these symptoms, do not try to cure Bulimia by yourself. It could prove fatal for your health. Recovery from a Bulimia disorder is easily possible. It's happening every day at Remuda Ranch at The Meadows. So, Come to Remuda Ranch for Bulimia treatment and have life lasting freedom from Bulimia.

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