Eating disorders can have a severe impact on daily function, including physical and mental well-being. Some of the most common eating disorders include anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, and all three can present with similar symptoms of behaviors designed to restrict calories or use compensation measures after consuming calories.
The results can be damaging to your physical and mental health, and for many, behind an eating disorder and the eating disorder behaviors is untreated trauma.
There are several types of eating disorders that can have overlapping symptoms and characterizations, but no matter what you are going through, there is a way forward. With specialized eating disorder treatment programs, you can move through the stages of eating disorder recovery in a safe and supportive environment.
Stages of Eating Disorder Recovery
There are several stages of eating disorder recovery, all five of which will look different depending on the type of eating disorder you have and the level of support you need.
Stage One
The first two stages of eating disorder recovery focus on finding stabilization. Many clients who struggle with an eating disorder have severe physical health issues as a result, including things like malnutrition. For that reason, the first stage is achieving stabilized physical health to whatever degree you need, and this might include hospitalization or residential programs so that you are no longer at risk for severe health issues or other medical complications as a result of an eating disorder.
Stage Two
The second stage focuses on helping you to stop the behaviors associated with your eating disorder and, at the same time, restore your weight to something that is healthy and manageable long-term.
These first two stages of eating disorder recovery often go hand in hand, as stage two is more about restoring your overall weight stability rather than increasing or decreasing your weight.
During this stage of recovery, you’ll work with a multidisciplinary team to figure out what your weight “should” be and, given the complexities of your eating disorder behaviors, how long it might take to get to that weight and change the behaviors you employ on a regular basis to support that long-term.
Stage Three
The third stage focuses away from the physical aspects of your recovery and more toward the mental aspects of your recovery. At this stage, you’ll work with outpatient care, usually intensive outpatient or traditional outpatient, where you develop skills to help you figure out the thought patterns that have influenced your eating disorder behaviors and change them for the better. At the same stage, you’ll focus on building support around you for long-term success.
Stage Four
The fourth stage is where you have gained control over any health risks directly related to your eating disorder and changed your mindset, but now you need regular outpatient care and things like eating disorder support groups so that you continue to be aware of your thoughts and behaviors and find support to prevent a relapse.
Stage Five
The final stage is your long-term recovery, the part that takes the rest of your life but can be bolstered by the support and community you have developed in all of the previous stages. At this level, you have the strength to recognize your growth and the tools to support your long-term recovery, and you have built a social system that can continue your push toward a meaningful life.
Moving Through the Stages of Eating Disorder Recovery with Casa Serena
At Casa Serena, our women’s eating disorder program provides reliable treatment for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and other disorders. As a women’s only treatment center, we specialize in residential and outpatient programs that include a wide range of therapies such as body-mind balance programs and discovering Wellness programs.
Combined with traditional treatments like trauma counseling, career counseling, and family therapy, we have provided safe spaces for healing and recovery for women for over 65 years. At Casa Serena, we focus on helping you to build insight and better understand the links between your history of trauma and the way that it impacted your behaviors, including your eating behaviors. With a wide range of eating disorder treatment plans, we can help you feel safe and heard while also learning to love yourself exactly as you are.
Call us today to learn more about the stages of eating disorder recovery you can expect at (866) 590-8601.