EATING DISORDER TREATMENT IN TENNESSEE

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What is an Eating Disorder?

An eating disorder is a mental health disorder that includes using behaviors such as fasting, skipping meals, purging after eating, compulsive over-exercising, binge eating, and an obsession with body image, weight, and calories.

Professional treatment is necessary to help the person understand the real reasons behind their behaviors and how to develop a healthy and realistic way of viewing themselves and their dietary intake needs.

Eating disorders remain one of the most misunderstood mental health disorders because people often confuse them with being just about food and weight. While living with bulimia, anorexia, binge eating disorder, and other eating disorders consumes a person’s life, expert help from compassionate treatment programs is available.

Types of Eating Disorders

There are several types of eating disorders, which is why each person seeking treatment should have a thorough assessment to determine which kind they have.

The types of eating disorders include:

• Anorexia: The individual cannot see their own bodies through an accurate lens. They severely restrict their food intake and try to achieve an unhealthy, low body weight. 
• Bulimia: Behaviors include binge eating large amounts of food and then vomiting or taking laxatives to attempt to avoid weight gain.
• Binge Eating Disorder: This is characterized by eating large amounts of food regularly without feeling able to stop.
• ARFID: Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder causes a person to become hypersensitive to certain foods due to their taste, smell, texture, or how they look, and avoid those types of food. 
• OSFED: Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder applies to someone who has atypical eating patterns and related behaviors but does not fit the other types of eating disorders.
• Pica: This is characterized by the desire to eat non-food items, such as dirt and paint chips. 
• Orthorexia: The individual attempts to eat “clean” and healthy to the point that their dietary intake is considered disordered eating.

Eating Disorder Statistics

Approximately 28.8 million people in the country will experience an eating disorder during their lifetime.

Nationally, 10,200 deaths from an eating disorder happen each year. In Tennessee, about 9% of people, which is approximately 595,000 people, will develop an eating disorder.

Tennessee Eating Disorder Treatment Programs

We offer various levels of care, allowing each person to be matched with the most suitable level of care for their needs.

Our eating disorder treatment programs include:

• Residential Inpatient: Someone with severe and long-lasting symptoms often does well by enrolling in our residential program. This provides them with round-the-clock care for their needs.
• Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP): Our highest level of outpatient care provides therapy Monday through Friday for several hours per day.
• Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP): Therapy takes place on three to five days per week for a few hours each day.
• Outpatient Program (OP): Therapy takes place one or two times per week.
• Supportive Mental Health Housing: We partner with local supportive mental health housing to provide a safe place for people in outpatient programs to live while undergoing treatment with us.
• Virtual Treatment: Virtual rehab programs help provide access to treatment for clients who are unable to attend in-person sessions.

What to Expect in Eating Disorder Treatment

Eating disorder treatment helps people look at their past and see if they have any unresolved issues, such as trauma, that impact their decision-making today.

For example, someone who was abused may begin binge eating or starving themselves as a way of dealing with their emotions. Additionally, a person who feels out of control due to anxiety, depression, or other symptoms of poor mental health may feel like controlling their food intake is the only way to have power.

A deep dive into how the individual thinks, feels, and acts helps the therapists design a plan for them to face their triggers and disarm them. 

How Are Eating Disorders Treated?

We approach treating eating disorders with three distinct areas.

First, we provide psychotherapy to allow each person a safe space to discuss how they feel with a trusted therapist. This is also known as talk therapy.

Second, we offer different types of holistic therapy that help people heal their physical, mental, and spiritual health at the same time.

Finally, we offer access to prescription mental health medications that help ease symptoms such as depression and anxiety that commonly co-occur with eating disorders.

Long-Term Effects of an Eating Disorder

Someone in need of eating disorder treatment in Tennessee already runs the risk of having long-term effects on their physical and mental health. These effects include:

• Heart damage
• Abnormal blood pressure
• Damage to the gastrointestinal system
• Osteoporosis
• Acid reflux
• Loss of menstrual cycle
• Brain damage
• Dental damage
• Dehydration
• Constipation and diarrhea
• Risk of developing another mental illness or an increase in the symptoms of one the person already has

Why Time Wellness?

Our eating disorder treatment in Tennessee is better than other facilities because we take the time to get to know each person we treat. We learn their behaviors, emotions, and ways of thinking, which helps us design the right treatment plan for their unique needs. Time Wellness Tennessee doesn’t believe in one-size-fits-all programs because we recognize the individual for exactly who they are.

Our Staff

We employ an impressive staff of people who dedicate their careers to helping people recover from eating disorders and other mental illnesses. Our licensed staff provides private and compassionate care for people who need a warm and nurturing environment for healing.