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Anorexia Treatment

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Medically Reviewed by: Marjorie Gies, M.D., Psychiatrist & Medical Director

Specialized treatment for women

Anorexia Treatment for Women

While people of any gender can experience an eating disorder like anorexia, there are benefits to attending a women’s-only treatment center during recovery. Casa Serena is excited to provide women’s Anorexia treatment in Santa Barbara. We offer compassionate care for individuals struggling with anorexia through our specialized treatment options. Contact Casa Serena Treatment today to learn more about our premier treatment center for anorexia.
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Why Should I Attend an Anorexia Treatment Center for Women?

Anorexia can be deadly if left unaddressed. Many people who live with anorexia or another eating disorder find that they experience symptoms long-term, which can lead to a range of health consequences and may make a recovery more complicated. Casa Serena offers a comfortable, safe space for women to heal and dive into the deep healing work often required for eating disorder recovery. Multiple factors tend to go into the development and continuation of anorexia, and the disorder is said to affect women at higher rates. Some of the factors that affect the development of anorexia and the health consequences that take place as a result of the condition disproportionately impact women. The sense of security and safety a women’s only anorexia treatment program provides often aids the comfort of our clients. Since we focus on the needs of women, some of the things that could affect you or your loved one seeking care are less likely to go overlooked.
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The Signs and Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is diagnosed based on criteria listed in the most recently updated version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). However, there are additional signs to look out for that are common among those who live with anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is an illness that looks different from person to person, and a client does not need to experience every warning sign listed below to have a problem.

Many people with eating disorders like anorexia attempt to hide their conditions, and it is not uncommon to experience anosognosia with anorexia, so it’s important to know what to look out for.

While typical cases of anorexia nervosa may mean that a client is underweight, it does not mean that every person with a restrictive eating disorder like anorexia will be underweight. In fact, many aren’t. Those who display the signs and symptoms of anorexia nervosa but are not underweight may have what is called atypical anorexia, which is usually diagnosed as other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED). OSFED and atypical anorexia are no less serious than other eating disorders. Ensure that you get the help you need at an eating disorder treatment center for women.

Common mental, physical, and behavioral signs and symptoms of anorexia include but aren’t limited to the following: 

  • Weight loss or failure to reach an appropriate weight for one’s age and height 
  • Unusual food rituals (e.g., eating with small spoons, eating only at certain times, or only eating certain foods, called “safe” foods)
  • Restriction of energy (calorie) intake relative to the person’s daily requirements
  • Abnormal laboratory findings (e.g., iron deficiency, low blood cell counts, slowed heart rate, changes in thyroid or other hormone levels)
  • Hoarding food but not eating it, or cooking for others more frequently but not eating the food themselves 
  • Increased secrecy, social isolation, or withdrawal from others
  • An extreme fear of gaining weight or being “fat,” even if underweight
  • 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
  • Dizziness
  • Fainting
  • Excessive, rigid exercise routines 
  • Trouble focusing or concentrating
  • Weakened bones
  • Thinning hair 
  • Poor wound healing
  • Impaired function of the immune system
  • Sleep problems
  • GI distress 

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How Our Anorexia Treatment Program For Women at Casa Serena Can Help

The ability to obtain gender-specific women’s anorexia treatment in California is just one of the advantages of attending Casa Serena. Here are some ways Casa Serena can help you or a loved one heal as they move through the eating disorder recovery process.

The eating disorder treatment program at Casa Serena features a certified nutritionist on staff and usually lasts between 10 and 12 weeks. Our facility is offering two different 10-week courses, based on dialectical behavior therapy, titled DBT for Binge Eating and Bulimia and Radically Open DBT for Eating Disorders. 

Group therapies involved in our treatment program include:

-Acceptance of Body Image Dissatisfaction Body Positivity
-Perfectly Imperfect, which addresses emotional eating
-Intuitive Eating Group, using mindfulness to improve self-esteem and body image
-Body + Mind Connection, which treats anorexia and eating disorders as co-occurring conditions
-Food and Metaphor, which identifies and focuses on what food means to you
-8 Keys to Eating Disorder Recovery
-Talking About Eating Disorders, which is a family support group

Our outpatient women’s eating disorder treatment programs give clients more flexibility than a residential inpatient treatment program. For women who need to work while attending treatment, take care of their family during treatment, or are stepping down from another level of care, the opportunity to attend an outpatient program can be essential. Outpatient anorexia treatment for women at Casa Serena lets clients tend to their daily life while receiving high-quality, life-changing care. We offer multiple levels of outpatient care at our women’s treatment center, including partial hospitalization programs (PHP) and intensive outpatient programs (IOP).
“Dual diagnosis” refers to the presence of a substance use disorder and at least one additional mental health condition, including eating disorders. Eating disorders like anorexia frequently co-occur with substance use disorders. If you live with both anorexia and a substance use disorder, you may benefit from a dual-diagnosis treatment path at Casa Serena.
A women’s anorexia treatment program should involve a combination of multiple therapies and treatments for optimal results. Casa Serena employs a range of evidence-based approaches in our programs. These include but aren’t limited to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), trauma resiliency model (TRM), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), family systems, and EMDR. These therapies allow you to address anorexia nervosa and any potential co-occurring mental or behavioral health concerns.
Our comprehensive care includes sessions with a registered dietician and supported snacks and meals. Each week, clients participate in an outing designed around planning, preparing, and eating a meal together. They work with their care team to shop for groceries, prepare the meal, and eat together. Individuals have the opportunity to explore any emotions the experience brought up in a process group session after the meal.
Every client gets a collaborative initial treatment plan within one day of their admission to Casa Serena. As you progress in treatment, you’ll continue to work together to set new goals and adjust your personalized care plan as needed.
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Contact Casa Serena Today to Learn More about Anorexia Treatment for Women

You are valued as a whole person by Casa Serena, not only as a diagnosis. We are a special program that focuses on particular problems faced by women in recovery, including mothers who must deal with difficult problems that their condition has brought on for their children and families.

Our goal is to provide women and their families with evidence-based treatment services that also foster community, instill self-determination, and provide them with educational and financial literacy opportunities as they recover from anorexia and other conditions.

Women’s anorexia treatment at Casa Serena has the potential to change and save lives. Everyone with an eating disorder deserves healing. If you’re looking for an anorexia treatment center for women, reach out to Casa Serena today. 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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