Inpatient Anorexia Treatment

Getting the Treatment You Need for an Eating Disorder

Anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder that can have fatal consequences. Whether from malnutrition or the long-term effects of starvation, anorexia proves dangerous if left untreated. The reality is that many people who struggle with this eating disorder require inpatient anorexia treatment, but what should you expect from one of these programs?

Icarus Behavioral Health takes a holistic approach to inpatient eating disorder treatment in New Mexico. We have a team of medical professionals who can make sure you are physically healthy while we work to treat your mental health concerns as well.

Keep reading to find our guide on how to proceed through the early days of eating disorder recovery with our residential program and the support of Icarus!

Medical Stabilization and Eating Disorder Treatment

Because of the malnutrition often seen with patients struggling with anorexia, you may require a treatment team that includes trained physicians. Anorexia can be deadly if proper attention is not given to medical stabilization. Long-term effects of this eating disorder can include heart problems which prove fatal.

In addition to making sure that you remain medically stable, Icarus Behavioral Health may also be able to prescribe medications to treat co-occurring mood disorders. Many patients with anorexia also have depression which can worsen symptoms. Psychiatric evaluations can demonstrate where medication might prove helpful.

Individual Therapy to Cope with Mood and Mindset

Once you are physically stable, our treatment team will start you with routine individual therapy. We can help you to examine your thoughts and feelings surrounding food so that they can influence your overall actions. This is an important tenet of cognitive behavioral therapy which can be quite helpful for eating disorders.

Using DBT Methods as a Foundation for Change

We also implement dialectical behavior therapy (more commonly called DBT therapy) that helps you to tolerate uncomfortable emotions. Those who struggle with an eating disorder often find that they have some of these negative emotions around mealtime. DBT aims to make you more mindful of your discomfort and helps you to tolerate it so that you can continue to eat healthy meals.

Sometimes, people come into eating disorder treatment because they have a history of trauma-related disorders. In individual psychotherapy, we can start to look at the causes of your eating disorder and address these experiences.

Family-Based Treatment to Create Better Dynamics

One of the most common approaches to eating disorder treatment is the implementation of family therapies. People do not often develop an eating disorder in isolation. Frequently, our patients find that their family dynamics play into their illness. As a result, they need to address some of these concerns while in a safe environment during inpatient treatment.

Our rehab family program allows your loved ones to see how they can best support you by learning more about your eating disorder.

This is particularly popular for younger clients who are entering into residential treatment for anorexia nervosa. When they are discharged from their inpatient eating disorder treatment, they will have to reenter their daily life. Teaching older adults in the home how to help develop healthy eating habits is essential to maintaining the gains made in treatment.

Group Therapy for Peer Support

In addition to family and individual counseling, your eating disorder treatment plan at an inpatient program should include group therapy. This allows you to connect with other patients who are facing similar struggles with eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, or even binge eating disorder.

Peer support is great for helping you to feel less alone in your eating disorder. Not to mention, you will learn helpful coping skills based on what worked for other members of your group. The feedback that your peers can provide you with is an important step on the road to healing, especially when guided by a licensed counselor.

Nutrition Counseling to Establish Healthier Eating Habits

As part of our holistic inpatient program, Icarus Behavioral Health also implements nutrition counseling. This is important because many people with eating disorders of any kind struggle to understand how to consume healthy and appropriate meals.

You can work on your mindset surrounding food in therapy, but nutrition counseling is where the rubber meets the road. This helps you to define what a healthy meal is, how many calories you should be eating per day, and even helps you to plan out what your daily intake should look like. Nutrition is an essential cornerstone of an eating disorder treatment plan.

Unlike many other facilities that accept Medicaid for eating disorder treatment that do not address nutrition or offer outpatient services, Icarus provides a comprehensive offering with full support throughout.

Medication to Treat Co-Occurring Mental Health and Addiction Concerns

In addition to helping you face your eating disorders, Icarus Behavioral Health can also help you treat underlying mental health concerns with medication. Clients with dual diagnosis eating disorders and substance abuse are also welcome and find effective treatment at Icarus.

Our team also offers support and evidence-based approaches if you need a little help to deal with PTSD, depression, or anxiety that can happen alongside disordered eating. Other mood disorders are also possible and should be considered in a comprehensive treatment plan.

To this end, we may be able to prescribe you a medication that can assist you in processing these difficult emotions. We can monitor you for your response and any side effects that you may have during your tenure at our residential care facility.

There are also some medications that can help with the diagnosis of anorexia. We will administer these medications with care and attention to your treatment plan. For example, some medications may stimulate appetite and boost weight gain. Both attributes can be very helpful in the early days of recovery when gaining weight is key.

Transition to Intensive Outpatient Treatment

After completing your inpatient program, you should make sure that you have a step-down plan in place. You will need continued support for your eating disorder. Inpatient treatment is the first step on the path to recovery, but it is far from the last. You should look for an eating disorder recovery center that offers you the option to segue into a less intense program. Icarus offers these services, with our step-down IOP program for eating disorder support.

Intensive outpatient treatment (IOP) is a great way to start getting out into the world and have the freedom to make choices on your own. Still, you will need to be held accountable for your meal plan and eating habits. Intensive outpatient or partial hospitalization like the programs offered at Icarus Behavioral Health can accomplish this.

Reach Out for Inpatient Treatment of Eating Disorders Now

There is no better time to enter into treatment for your eating disorders. Getting the help you need as early as possible minimizes the likelihood of having long-lasting effects on your health. Icarus Behavioral Health offers comprehensive treatment that takes your health and your mental state into consideration.

If you think that inpatient treatment might be the right fit for you, reach out to our admissions department today. We would love to talk with you further about what we can offer for your eating disorder treatment, so make the confidential call today!