Posts Tagged “Services”

The connection between alcohol use and eating disorders is more common—and more complex—than many people realize.

Research shows that up to half of those with an eating disorder have also struggled with substance use. And for people with a history of substance use challenges, the likelihood of also experiencing an eating disorder is approximately 11 times higher than in the general population.

While every story is different, eating disorders and substance use disorders can share common threads, such as emotional pain, histories of trauma, or traits like impulsivity and perfectionism. Disordered eating and substance use behaviors may look different on the outside, but both can serve as ways to cope with overwhelming thoughts or feelings.

If you or someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, you may be wondering where to turn for help. Many people start with a therapist, dietitian, or primary care doctor—but is that enough?

Eating disorders affect the body, brain, and emotions in deeply connected ways. Because of this, recovery isn’t something one provider can tackle alone. Without a coordinated team, critical aspects of treatment can be overlooked—making healing harder and increasing the risk of relapse.

A meal plan alone won’t heal the psychological roots of an eating disorder. Therapy without nutritional support may not help the body recover. And medical check-ins without mental health care can leave emotional struggles unaddressed. To fully heal, all of these elements must be treated together.

That’s where The Emily Program comes in. Unlike general mental health providers, we offer specialized, team-based care designed specifically for eating disorder recovery. Our coordinated approach ensures that every part of your healing journey receives the expert attention it deserves.

This blog was developed with insights from Amy Braverman, MS, LCMHC, Clinical Manager of The Emily Program’s Triangle Outpatient Center in Durham, NC; Kayla Warechowski, Registered Dietitian at our Douglas Residential Treatment Center in Durham, NC; and Sydney Brodeur-Johnson, PhD, LCP, CEDS, Senior Director of The Emily Program’s Clinical Services and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

Most of us have specific food preferences. We might shy away from certain flavors, stick to familiar dishes, or avoid ingredients due to allergies. For many parents, navigating a child’s picky eating feels like a developmental rite of passage.

But what happens when your food preferences become so rigid or limited that they affect your physical or mental health? It might signal the presence of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, commonly known as ARFID.

The holiday season often brings a complex mix of emotions for those considering eating disorder treatment. While others focus on festivities, you may be wrestling with questions that feel too heavy to answer: “Is this the right time for treatment?” “What about our family traditions?” “How will we handle the holidays apart?”

These concerns are valid and deserve caring, thoughtful answers. Over the years, we’ve worked with thousands of individuals and families navigating treatment during the holiday season. Time and again, we’ve seen how this unique time of year can foster moments of healing and strengthen relationships.

“The holidays come with so much pressure to make them ‘perfect,’ but it’s ok if they look different,” says Taylor Rae Homesley, LPC, CPCS, CEDS-S, Executive Director of our Child, Adolescent, and Adult treatment center in Atlanta. “It’s worth giving up one ideal holiday season now to get a lifetime of meaningful celebrations in recovery.”

Below, our clinical experts address common questions about eating disorder treatment during the holidays. We’ll explore how treatment can help you rebuild family connections, discover new ways to celebrate traditions, and find deeper meaning through recovery.

Eating disorders are serious, potentially life-threatening illnesses, and yet, research shows that a majority of diagnosed, suffering adults will not seek treatment for their symptoms or concerns. We know that early treatment is critical when navigating the challenging landscape of an eating disorder. The longer one delays care, the greater the risks are for an extended duration of illness, heightened social isolation, increased body shape concerns, deeper internalization of eating disorder-related cognitive distortions, and worsened mental and physical outcomes, including a heightened mortality risk. 

The treatment of eating disorders often requires practitioners of all disciplines to engage in challenging conversations with their patients. Managing ambivalence, preferences, and resistance to recommendations for entering specialty eating disorder care are known concerns when working with adults affected by eating disorders. For adults with children, concerns about care often revolve around leaving behind family. 

At The Emily Program, meals are more than just fuel for the body — they’re opportunities for healing. Therapeutic meals and snacks address fear and anxiety surrounding food and eating, both hallmarks of eating disorders. These supportive meals are a major aspect of our treatment programs, including inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization (PHP), and intensive outpatient (IOP) care.

We foster a “Can Eat Culture” that embraces the philosophy that “all foods fit.” This approach rejects the restrictive “eat this, not that” mentality of diet culture, calling instead for variety and flexibility with eating. Therapeutic meals and snacks are key aspects of our “Can Eat Culture.” 

Read on to learn what therapeutic meals entail and how they can help pave the way to a more balanced and peaceful relationship with food.

Your patient seems to be struggling more lately. More talk about food, more self-judgment and isolation. Their eating disorder behaviors are up and their motivation for recovery is down. They could use some extra support.

Then again, this doesn’t exactly scream crisis. Surely your patient doesn’t need residential or inpatient care yet.

Where to turn?

At The Emily Program, we offer partial hospitalization and intensive day (PHP/IDP) and intensive outpatient programs (IOP) to treat eating disorders; these are early intervention services that help clients recover sooner. These structured programs offer more support than traditional outpatient eating disorder treatment and more flexibility than around-the-clock care. Patients can admit directly to PHP/IDP or IOP, well before 24/7 care is warranted.

Rather than wait until your patient may need the highest level of care, consider how early intervention may help them now. Here are five reasons PHP/IDP or IOP may be right for your patient.

You don’t know what to do. You love college life, but juggling your double major, on-campus job, and social circles is a lot. The straight A’s you knew in high school are now harder to come by; self-care is even harder. The pressure is suffocating.  

If your relationship with food and your body is becoming increasingly disordered, it’s understandable to feel overwhelmed. You may try to minimize the situation – to write off the issue as temporary or even “normal.” You tell yourself that you can take care of this. You’re the one who “has it all together,” after all, and you can handle this on your own, too. Besides, you reason, help is for those who are sick – and you don’t feel sick, even though your friends and family may be worried.

Please know that if you are suffering at all, you deserve help. Your pain and your experience matter. There is no question that it is hard to face the reality of an eating disorder, but you don’t have to do it alone. We’re here to help as soon as warning signs emerge.