Is My Eating Disorder Treatment Team Right For Me?
Written by CCTC Staff Writer
Recovery from an eating disorder takes a lot of hard work, support from family, friends and professionals, and a ton of patience. Success in recovery is often guided by a treatment team or program that will help a client to decrease eating disorder behaviors, normalize their eating, and find peace with their body and food. A question someone in recovery may have from time to time is "is my treatment team right for me?" or "am I struggling to make progress because I need more support, or is this maybe not the right support?" Families of loved ones struggling with eating disorders may also grapple with these questions.
In this blog, we will discuss:
What an eating disorder treatment team is
What the purpose of the eating disorder treatment team is
6 questions to ask yourself to evaluate your treatment team
What to do if you feel your team is not right for you
Where to begin if you are seeking support for the first time
What is an eating disorder treatment team?
An eating disorder treatment team is a group of professionals who work together to provide care and support for someone with an eating disorder such as anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, or any form of disordered eating. A treatment team may include a therapist, dietitian, physician, psychiatrist and/or recovery coaches.
What is the purpose of an eating disorder treatment team?
While the type of support and amount of people on a team may vary depending on each person's individual needs, the ultimate goal for a treatment team is to provide the guidance needed to help someone reach their goals and establish full recovery from their disordered eating.
6 questions to ask yourself when evaluating your treatment team:
Taking the time to reflect on your treatment team and the progress you or your loved one is making is important. Here are some questions to help you determine if some changes are necessary to get where you want to go in recovery:
1) Do I feel safe with this team? Are you able to be honest about everything - eating disorder specific or not?
Honesty in recovery is extremely important. If you're not feeling safe or able to be honest with your team, it can be difficult to make the progress you are hoping for. While you will still experience uncomfortable feelings or emotions sharing difficult things or addressing difficult topics, feeling you have a safe space to explore these is crucial.
Part of this is also being comfortable with addressing uncomfortable feelings and emotions that may arise while working with your treatment team. Are you upset about something that was said in session? Are you angry about a change in your treatment plan? That is okay! Therapy, counseling and treatment in general is a great place to practice addressing these valid experiences and asserting your needs.
2) Are they invested in your recovery and progress?
Recovery is a difficult process with many ups and downs. Having a team that feels like they are genuinely invested in your life and recovery is important. Does your team express excitement and encouragement when progress is made? Do they express concern and provide a space for discussion or feedback when challenges arise?
3) Do you feel heard when you have concerns or questions?
Questions, concerns or suggestions should always feel welcome with any member of your treatment team. Are you getting the information you need to understand certain recommendations or requirements set by your team? Feeling informed and educated on what is happening with your care and treatment will help you feel empowered in the process.
4) Do they communicate and collaborate with other members of your treatment team?
Collaboration between different members of your treatment team is important. Making the right recommendations and changes to your treatment can only happen if all members of your team know what is occurring. Will working on trauma in therapy cause an increase in urges? How can your dietitian best support you during this time? Is there a medical issue that your doctor needs to inform your therapist and dietitian about to make a referral to an inpatient or residential program? If this type of communication doesn't happen, getting into the right level of care and securing the right support is not possible and may leave you feeling stuck.
5) Do they align with the same principles and ideas that are important to you? ie: that full recovery is possible, Health at Every Size principles, Intuitive Eating
If your principles and ideas about recovery do not align with your treatment team, the goals set in your treatment may not feel right for you. Understanding where your treatment stands on whether or not full recovery is possible and philosophies like Health at Every Size and Intuitive Eating can help you determine if finding other professionals is appropriate. For example, if your goal is to eat intuitively and your dietitian is suggesting a rigid meal plan, it may not be the best fit.
6) Are you making the progress you want to be making, if you aren't, what may be contributing? Are there any changes that can be made in collaboration with your current team?
This last question is the most important. What goals do you have in recovery? To stop binging, purging or restricting? Do you want to stop obsessing over your weight and throw the scale out? Do you want to improve your body image and stop body checking? Do you want to stop counting calories? Do you want to be more present in your life? Do you want to be able to get back to work or school? Your treatment is all about you. Once you identify your goals, think about what changes may need to be made. Are they possible with your treatment team as is now? Do you need different support?
What to do if your treatment team isn't right for you
After going through these questions, if you are feeling your team may not be right for you, here are some next steps you can take:
If you feel comfortable, address the concerns you have with your treatment team. See if anything can be improved upon to better your relationship and work together.
Do research for providers that specialize in eating disorders and promote the philosophies you are looking for if your current team isn’t open to discussing them (ie: Health at Every Size, Intuitive Eating, full recovery is possible)
Consider a higher level of care such as Inpatient, Residential or Intensive Outpatient Programming. These types of programs can provide structure and accelerate progress on reaching your goals.
Finding the right support in recovery can be a frustrating process. Please do not be discouraged by a bad experience or interaction with one provider or treatment team. There are providers that genuinely care about their clients and their recovery, and want to help you reach your goals. Recovery does not have to be handled all alone.
Our team at Central Coast Treatment Center is ready to walk beside you on your journey home to your true self. If you are ready to discuss what other treatment options are available, reach out to us today to learn more about our holistic eating disorder treatment programs.