Getting Help
Whether you are forced into treatment or you seek help on your own, this is one of the most fundamental steps to overcoming an eating disorder.
I will share what the stages of my professional help looked like:
Sophomore Year: Halfway through this year my Mom took action, since her pleas for me to eat more were not having an impact. She took me to a regular doctor through Kaiser near my college. Sitting through that appointment where the doctor gave me a very basic evaluation it became clear to my mom that they did not understand the magnitude of the situation. That doctor referred me to a dietician. I met with the dietician who I quickly formed a close relationship with and who became an amazing supporter of mine over the next few years, but I didn’t make much progress simply because I hadn’t bought into recovering. She told me she thought I needed more specialized help (her specialty wasn’t working with people with ED’s) and so sent me to an eating disorder psychiatrist in a neighboring city. I drove out to appointments with this psychiatrist every other week for the rest of the year, but we had a terrible connection and I hated going. I got an internship for the summer and so I used that excuse to stop going to appointments.
Junior Year: Summer ended and my mom said I did not have to go back to that psychiatrist but I had to be getting help. I decided to look into my schools athletic resources and met with a therapist in the sports psychology department. She explained I would work with a therapist, doctor and nutritionist in their program. I got on board except I opted to keep my original nutritionist from Kaiser who I loved and trusted. I worked with them all year until I went home for the summer where I had another internship lined up. The doctor had my mom blind weigh me every week and relay the number to her so that they could monitor me from afar.
Senior Year: I got back to school and continued to work with the same therapist, doctor, and nutritionist for the rest of the year. I was seeing everyone once a month in individual appointments but that increased to every other week the second half of the year as I started competing and they wanted me monitored more closely. I would sit in an hour long therapy appointment (I didn’t care for this therapist much either), go to the doctor to get my weight, vitals and sometimes my blood work reviewed, then drive to my nutritionist at Kaiser (not on campus) to go over my diet. My schedule was filled with class, practice, and appointments.
Post College: I moved home but I kept in contact with my dietician who I would have phone calls with every few weeks. I began seeing a therapist close to my work but I did not enjoy working with her. My dietician ultimately suggested I join a real treatment team. I met with the eating disorder clinic at a local Kaiser and was again assigned a doctor, therapist, and dietician. I met with all of them once a month for check-ins. After a year I opted to stop seeing the therapist because, you guessed it, I did not have a good rapport with her. They said I did not need to see the nutritionist any longer because I was not having any trouble maintaining my weight. Now I see my doctor every few months to go over my blood work and check my weight ultimately waiting for my period to come back. They have sent me to an endocrinologist to check on my hormones because I have not regained a period but that doctor said they did not want to give me any medication until my weight had been restored for 2 years. And that is where I find myself now, checking in with my doctor from the ED clinic (who I love) every few months.
Key Takeaways: Recovering from an eating disorder usually takes a team. They find a group approach with a therapist, dietician, and doctor to be the most beneficial. I unfortunately never found a therapist who I got along with but if you are able to find one, hold on to them! Luckily I did find a dietician and doctor, at different stages of my recovery, that I loved and trusted and I think that makes a huge difference in helping you buy in to recovery. I was never at a point physically/mentally where they felt I needed to go to an inpatient clinic for treatment so I can’t speak to that experience other than I know that is a reality for many people recovering. Lastly, just recognize that recovering from an eating disorder is a unique process to each individual. The time it will take and the resources needed will vary drastically. But the most important thing is to get help whether it is a doctor, counselor, or a parent, just start somewhere and try to buy in. Because the longer you go without trying to recover the harder it becomes <3