Women’s Eating Disorder Treatment Center in California
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Eating Disorder Treatment in California
If you’re looking for women’s eating disorder treatment for yourself or a woman in your life, you’re in the right place. Gender-specific care can play a critical role in a person’s recovery. We’re proud to offer women’s eating disorder treatment that promotes whole-person healing in a safe, restorative environment.
Our eating disorder treatment in California provides support for individuals dealing with:
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Benefits of Women's Eating Disorder Programs
Eating disorders can affect anyone, but current statistics suggest that they are more common in women. Attending a women’s eating disorder program like Casa Serena has many potential benefits for women seeking care. Casa Serena is an entirely women’s-only treatment facility regardless of the program you attend, and our slogan is “by women, for women” for a reason. We understand that treatment for any eating disorder can be incredibly vulnerable and offer a safe space to do the deep healing work required for eating disorder recovery.
For many people healing from eating disorders, there are a range of possible contributing factors, such as trauma, co-occurring mental health conditions, weight stigma and bias, a need for control in one’s life, perfectionism, and more. That said, we understand that every woman is different. Many women experience what it’s like to be spoken over or written off in society, which is why we’re here to listen and work with you as you collaborate with our staff to build a personalized treatment plan.
We offer virtual and in-person tours for incoming clients who want to get an idea of what it’s like to attend Casa Serena. Contact us to learn more about eating disorder programs in California.
What Sets Casa Serena Apart
Women's addiction and mental health treatment in Santa Barbara, California
Casa Serena is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Joint Commission accredited and DHCS licensed women's residential and outpatient treatment provider in Santa Barbara, California. Published outcomes reflect program data, and individual results may vary.
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Understanding Eating Disorders: Signs and Symptoms
Knowing the signs of eating disorders can help you identify them in yourself or someone else in your life and help them find the eating disorder treatment they may need. While anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder aren’t the only possible eating disorder diagnoses, they are among some of the most widely spoken about eating disorders. Here are some of the most common signs and symptoms of each.
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized by extreme calorie or food restriction and fear of weight gain, often paired with weight loss or low body weight not better explained by another cause. Signs and symptoms of anorexia can include but aren’t limited to:
- Extreme fear of weight gain
- Weight loss or failure to achieve appropriate body weight for one’s age and height
- Unusual food rituals, such as eating with small utensils, eating only at certain times, or only eating specific foods (called “safe” foods)
- Restriction of energy (calorie) intake relative to the person’s daily requirements
- Hoarding food or cooking for others frequently but not eating the food themselves
- Increased secrecy, social isolation, or withdrawal from others
- Preoccupation with weight, food, or body dissatisfaction
- Dressing in layers or baggy clothes
- Brittle nails or dry skin
- Feeling cold more easily
- Growth of fine hair, called lanugo, on the body
- Menstrual irregularities or loss of menses (amenorrhea)
- Excessive, rigid exercise routines
- Trouble focusing or concentrating
- Impaired immune functioning
- Weakened bones
- Thinning hair
- Poor wound healing
- Sleep problems
- GI distress
- Dizziness
- Fainting
Abnormal laboratory findings (e.g., iron deficiency, low blood cell counts, changes in thyroid or other hormone levels) are often found in those who experience anorexia, too, and can be serious. Other risks of anorexia nervosa include but aren’t limited to heart attacks, coma, and death.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa (BN) is characterized by ongoing patterns of binge eating followed by purging. Like with other eating disorders, bulimia is very serious regardless of a person’s body size. Signs and symptoms of bulimia nervosa include but aren’t limited to:
- Extreme fear of weight gain
- Abnormal weight fluctuations (including weight gain or weight loss)
- Being preoccupied with one’s weight or body shape and size
- Binge eating, characterized by eating an amount of food that is larger than most would typically consume in a similar period of time (e.g., two hours) and under similar circumstances
- Feeling a lack of control during binge-eating episodes
- Using self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, laxatives, or something else to avoid weight gain
- Increased secrecy, social isolation, or withdrawal from others
- Planning one’s schedule or activities around binging and purging
- Irritability, anger, extreme mood swings, or changes in mood
- Not wanting to eat around other people
- Menstrual irregularities or loss of menses (amenorrhea)
- Excessive, rigid exercise routines
- Trouble focusing or concentrating
- Impaired immune functioning
- Weakened bones
- Thinning hair
- Poor wound healing
- Brittle nails or dry skin
- Sleep problems
- GI distress
- Dizziness
- Fainting
Like with anorexia nervosa, abnormal laboratory findings are common in individuals facing bulimia nervosa. In the case that someone purges through vomiting, there may be evidence in the form of containers or bags of vomit hidden around the home, swollen cheeks, marks on one’s fingers and hands, vocal strain, and electrolyte imbalances.
Binge Eating Disorder
Binge eating disorder (BED) is characterized by recurring periods of binge eating. Binge eating refers to eating abnormally large amounts in a short period of time. Unlike cases of bulimia, those with binge eating disorder do not use compensatory behaviors like excessive exercise or vomiting after a binge. Signs and symptoms of BED include but aren’t limited to:
Recurring episodes of binge eating are marked by both of the following:
- Eating an amount of food that is larger than most would typically consume in a similar time period (e.g., two hours) and under similar circumstances
- Feeling a lack of control during binge-eating episodes
Episodes of binge eating are marked by three or more of the following:
- Eating alone due to embarrassment surrounding the amount of food one consumes
- Feeling negative emotions (e.g., sadness, shame, guilt, anger, or frustration) after the episode
- Eating more quickly than normal
- Eating until one feels uncomfortably full
- Eating when one is not hungry
For a BED diagnosis to occur, one must experience episodes of binge eating at least once weekly on average for at least three months, paired with marked distress. Furthermore, binge eating episodes must not exist strictly during the course of another eating disorder (e.g., bulimia nervosa).
Other Eating Disorders
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Our California Eating Disorder Program
Casa Serena helps women find whole-person healing. In other words, we’re here to support you through all of the concerns that not only play a role in your eating disorder, but other relevant factors in your life. Our team is comprised of compassionate, licensed professionals, including but not limited to therapists, dieticians, and group facilitators. As a women’s only eating disorder program in Southern California, we’ve found that there’s power in:
-Combining evidence-based treatments and recreation activities
-Working through various factors that affect mental health
-Building self-esteem, life skills, and coping skills
-Creating a relapse prevention plan
The therapies offered at Casa Serena include but aren’t limited to family therapy, trauma therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and EMDR. Clients in our women’s eating disorder treatment program will attend a variety of therapies, including group and family therapies.
We strive to deliver a high level of support for those in our eating disorder programs. We offer sessions with a registered dietitian as well as supported snacks and meals. We also hold a weekly outing in which individuals collaborate with staff to plan a meal. With staff’s support at each step, the group shops for ingredients, prepares the meal, and then eats together. We follow up this outing with a process group, during which individuals can reflect on any feelings that arose during this experience.
Learn More About Eating Disorder Treatment in California
Everyone with an eating disorder deserves recovery. If you or a loved one are struggling with body image and disordered eating, Casa Serena is here to help. Our eating disorder treatment center for women offers evidence-based care to support individuals dealing with eating disorders and co-occurring substance use disorders.
Our treatment is offered in inpatient and outpatient programs at various levels of care, including a partial hospitalization program (PHP) and intensive outpatient program (IOP). Call us today to learn more about our eating disorder treatment programs for women and how our women’s dual diagnosis treatment center can help.
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