Effective eating disorder treatment centers offer different levels of care that allow for personalization of treatment to best suit each patient’s needs. Within these eating disorder treatment levels, individualized programs are designed for each client. Through the comprehensive intake assessment process, eating disorder therapists help patients find the appropriate level of care to help them reach their treatment goals. Each treatment center and level of care within will provide medical, psychiatric and clinical care from a group of skilled team members. These professionals work closely with patients to provide compassionate care every step of the way.
Care Levels Used to Help Patients Achieve Eating Disorder Recovery
Residential eating disorder treatment programs provide 24-hour care with consistent support from fully trained and compassionate staff members. With its home-like setting and tranquil atmosphere, a residential eating disorder recovery center allows patients to put all their focus on their recovery. The immersive treatment experience provides patients the opportunity to challenge their disordered thoughts and behaviors without disruption. The absence of distractions and triggers allows individuals with eating disorders to use the tools and techniques introduced during treatment to achieve their recovery goals.
Day treatment programs provide patients with structure and support as they practice the independent living skills learned in a higher level of care. With this level of care, patients spend their days with their in treatment and return home for the evening hours. Clients are able to utilize the support and structure received from their day treatment to interact and challenge their eating disordered thoughts and behaviors in the real world. Upon reaching their and their team’s recovery goals, eating disorder treatment center clients will transition to outpatient support on an as needed basis.
Residential Programs Approach to Supporting Eating Disorder Recovery
While people with eating disorders are in a residential treatment program, they can focus on their recovery; redefining their relationships with food, exercise, others and self. Effective eating disorder programs utilize a multi-dimensional care approach that builds up the skills and independence of the patients as they work through the program.
Multi-Dimensional Care Approach
While in treatment, all patients will receive regular care from medical doctors, psychiatrists, therapists and nutritionists. The close collaboration of these providers allows for true personalization of the treatment approach used for each patient and supports them on the path to true eating disorder recovery.
Education and Insights About Eating Disorders
Within the residential treatment program, patients learn about their eating disorder and any co-occurring conditions they may have. A higher level of understanding gives patients the perspective they need to challenge the disordered thoughts and behaviors unique to their conditions.
Residential treatment programs also help their patients build a solid understanding of positive nutrition and movement practices. Throughout the path to recovery at an eating disorder recovery center, treatment providers help patients understand their symptoms and combat any negative thoughts or behaviors with evidence-based approaches.
Evidence-Based Individual, Group and Family Therapy
While in residential treatment, patients can address their challenges and share their achievements in individual, family and group talk therapy. Residential programs at eating disorder treatment centers frequently may utilize skill-building therapy models as well, such as dialectical behavioral therapy. The diverse therapy approaches provide patients the ability to learn mindfulness, better understand changes in mood or behaviors and receive psychotherapeutic support. Eating disorder therapists monitor patients’ progress and offer therapy suggestions that align with their unique treatment goals.
By employing effective treatment strategies, residential programs can fully support clients on the path to true recovery. The evidenced-based protocols and strategies utilized help support patients progress as they learn how to replace disordered thoughts and behaviors with more positive alternatives.
Day Treatment Programs at Eating Disorder Recovery Centers
Day treatment programs at eating disorder recovery centers utilize the same therapeutic approaches as those found in residential treatment programs. The difference is that patients are provided opportunities to return home to practice their independent living skills. With each return to the day treatment center, patients can address their main challenges and receive support in implementing healthy routines in daily life.
Support for the Transition to Independent Living
Support through this transition helps patients remain recovered after leaving the treatment center through the development of foundational skills. With this approach, eating disorder support professionals give patients the knowledge and tools needed to eliminate eating disorder thoughts and behaviors. If anyone experiences difficulties with the transition, they can address those challenges in therapy and activities available in day treatment.
At the selective eating disorder treatment center, patients may be given opportunities for sensitive exposure to situations that allow for purposeful skill building. Visits to restaurants or even just sitting through family meals, for example, may support the patients’ return to a healthy self and lifestyle. All sensitive exposure activities are tailored to the unique needs of the patients and their progress on the journey toward becoming recovered. The real-life challenges build upon each other to give the patient confidence in continuing outside the day treatment center with support from aftercare providers.
Family Programming for Increased Social Support
A strong social network can improve patients’ ability to become and remain recovered after leaving the day treatment program. Therefore, excellent eating disorder treatment centers integrate family programming into the day treatment process to the great benefit of their patients. The family program process includes individual and group therapy sessions with talented eating disorder support professionals. Therapists also offer family education to build awareness about eating disorder signs and symptoms, treatment protocols and support strategies that can be used in daily life.
Symptom Management and Elimination
Patients receive continued medical and psychiatric monitoring that allows for the ongoing treatment of symptoms caused by eating disorders and all co-occurring conditions. Physicians, psychiatrists, and other medical professionals collaborate to provide patients with comprehensive care for all their conditions.
At day treatment programs, these skilled providers utilize specialized integrated care practices that reduce symptom occurrence rates, severity, and duration. Depending on the conditions affecting each patient, the symptom management process may revolve around the control or full elimination of symptoms. With this approach, patients can remain focused on recovery while improving their mental and physical health.
With day treatment at selective eating disorder treatment centers, patients can transition from intensive residential care back to their daily lives. Every step of the way, patients in day treatment programs receive support from their full team of providers. The care given at this stage prepares patients to maintain their goal of achieving eating disorder recovery upon returning home.
Residential vs Day Treatment Programs for People with Eating Disorders
With the complex nature of eating disorders and co-occurring conditions, patients can greatly benefit from receiving their providers’ help in finding the right level of care. In choosing between residential and day treatment programs for people with eating disorders, therapists must look at each patients’ motivation levels, disordered thoughts and behaviors, social network and many other important factors before making a decision. Using their skills and expertise, these providers can determine how much support patients need on their journey toward becoming recovered.
In most cases, residential treatment programs are best suited for people with a need for 24-hour care in a structured environment. These patients benefit from living in a home-like residential setting that supports their journey toward becoming recovered. Constant access to care providers and the eating disorder recovery community is also a benefit to patients in need of intensive treatment services.
Day treatment programs allow for the transition from residential eating disorder treatment to home after recovery. Therapy sessions and activities center around sensitive exposure to everyday situations that would exacerbate eating disorder symptoms. With time in establishing eating disorder recovery, patients can live through those scenarios without experiencing with disordered thoughts and feelings or restoring to destructive behaviors.
Upon completing the transition from day treatment to home, patients receive continued care from support professionals outside the eating disorder recovery center. With additional support after treatment, patients can continue to achieve their personal wellness goals and remain recovered from their eating disorders. These support services can continue for any length of time that is beneficial to the patient and supports their ability to remain recovered from their eating disorders and co-occurring conditions.
Continued Support Services That Help Patients Remain Recovered
The path to full recovery involves the use of continued support services after graduating from the eating disorder treatment program. Patients can return to their care professionals as needed to work through challenges that arise in daily life. Resisting the urge to return to disordered thoughts and behavioral patterns becomes much easier with help from highly trained and compassionate care providers.
Outpatient care provider teams may consist of doctors, psychiatrists, therapists, and dieticians, depending on the unique health needs of the patient. These care providers continue to collaborate to help ensure their patients can remain recovered while dealing with the stresses of their daily lives. If patients exhibit any signs and symptoms of eating disorders, their providers can help them return to residential or day treatment programs for intensive support.
How Patients Can Work Toward Becoming Recovered with Eating Disorder Support
To start working toward eating disorder recovery, it is important to reach out to eating disorder treatment centers for care. When they maintain a focus on using evidence-based treatment protocols, eating disorder recovery centers can help patients replace disordered thoughts and behaviors with healthier alternatives. Each treatment center utilizes proven intake assessments to provide their patients with the best level of care for their needs. As patients work on recovery, providers assist with their movement through the program levels to eventually transition to a return home fully recovered.
Achieving treatment goals and working toward the path to recovery cannot begin without the support needed to challenge destructive behaviors and thought patterns. Patients in need of care can reach out to their local eating disorder recovery centers to learn about the residential and day treatment programs available there. With a single call to 888-228-1253, admissions specialists at Monte Nido can help patients begin working toward eating disorder recovery by acquiring the optimal level of care. We look forward to helping our patients achieve their eating disorder treatment goals and becoming recovered.