Eating Disorder Treatment in Oregon

Eating disorders like bulimia nervosa (BN), anorexia nervosa (AN), and binge eating disorder (BED) are dangerous eating disorders that can take a toll on someone’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It’s important to seek appropriate care for these conditions.

If you or a loved one are looking for eating disorder treatment in Oregon, there are several programs available.

Types of Eating Disorder Treatment in Oregon

While it’s important to treat all eating disorders, all eating disorders don’t need the same type of treatment. These conditions can manifest in many ways and present with more or less severe symptoms.

To help cater to that spectrum, several levels of care have been developed to ensure people at all points along the recovery journey are getting the most helpful type of care.

Virtual Treatment

Virtual programs for eating disorders are increasingly common. This type of care makes eating disorder treatment infinitely more accessible for everyone, but especially for those who live far from in-person care centers, those with challenges around mobility or transportation, or those with difficult schedules, many at-home responsibilities, or financial concerns.

Patients simply need an internet connection or a phone to access certain apps. And while remote treatment for eating disorders is still relatively new, studies have already found that it can be just as effective as in-person care in many cases.²

Inpatient/Residential Treatment

Inpatient treatment is the most intensive form of care, involving a patient staying full-time at a treatment facility in order to benefit from 24-hour medical care and monitoring.

Inpatient hospitalization is for the most severe cases and is generally reserved for patients experiencing a mental or physical health crisis. This level of care aims to help a patient reach medical stabilization, so treatment is essentially focused on anything that may present an immediate threat to someone’s life.¹

Once patients are considered medically stable and on their way to physical recovery, they can start working on longer-term goals. While this involves continued attention to someone’s physical health, it also increasingly involves mental health care.

At residential inpatient treatment, patients live on the premises and start working on these goals. They may undergo many types of treatment, including:

• Individual therapy
• Group therapy sessions
• Nutritional counseling
• Meal monitoring
• Regular medical check-ins

To give someone the best chance to recover from an eating disorder, stays are often long, with many patients remaining in a program for a minimum of 30 days.¹ But due to this, centers are often more homelike and comfortable than clinical.

Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

Partial hospitalization programs (PHPs) are also intensive forms of care, though patients at this level live and sleep at home and commute to treatment sessions. Due to this, PHPs are sometimes referred to as day programs.

Still, those days can be rather long, with a partial hospitalization program lasting anywhere up to 10 hours per day, for 5 days a week or more.¹ During this time, patients undergo many of the same types of therapy and care they may receive at a residential facility, and, due to this, day programs are sometimes recommended for those who qualify for residential programs but may not be able to attend, due to financial or familial obligations or other concerns about living away from home.¹

But unlike a residential program, the schedule of a PHP is adaptable. As patients progress toward recovery, they often make arrangements with their care team to adjust their schedules accordingly.

Outpatient Treatment

Outpatient programs for eating disorders are the least intensive type of care, so they’re often the first or last level someone works through. Generally, an outpatient care schedule involves regular meetings with a therapist or psychiatrist and occasional medical check-ins to keep track of progress, especially if someone is taking medication as part of their recovery.

It’s important for those participating in outpatient treatment to have a good amount of control over their unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. However, therapists can often help patients stay wary of triggers and offer a sense of accountability toward recovery.

Those needing more support can participate in an intensive outpatient program (IOP). This hybrid level of care involves attending treatment sessions several times a week for several hours at a time. IOPs are also where many patients start incorporating family therapy into their treatment plans.

An IOP is a good option for someone who is still occasionally struggling with their eating disorder behavior but who is ready to start incorporating more social responsibilities, like work and school, and social freedom back into their routine.

What to Look for in an Oregon Eating Disorder Treatment Center

There are many factors to consider when deciding which Oregon eating disorder treatment center best fits your needs. The following list will help narrow your search and take the first step toward recovery.

Licensing and Accreditation

Accreditation guarantees your treatment center provides high-quality medical care. The Joint Commission or CARF International issues the most common accreditations. You should also be sure providers at the center you choose are licensed to treat eating disorders and co-occurring disorders.

Cost and Insurance Options

Cost and insurance are often among the top concerns of those looking into eating disorder treatment centers. This can also be one of the most challenging parts of securing appropriate care.

If you’re currently insured, start your search by contacting your health insurance company. This way, you’ll be able to ask any specific questions about your plan and ask for any specific doctors, programs, or types of treatment your insurance will cover. Some insurance companies only cover specific treatments for a particular amount of time, so remember to ask how long care will be insured.

If you’re not insured or already found a center you like, you can call the eating disorder treatment center directly. Often, these programs have financial aid opportunities and specific staff members dedicated to helping patients sort out insurance needs and concerns.

Additional Questions

Finding the best eating disorder treatment center for you or your loved one can feel overwhelming. You may not be sure of what you expect out of the situation.

Asking some of these questions can help you understand your priorities and expectations and hopefully make the ultimate decision an easier one to make:³

• How long have you been treating eating disorders?
• What types of measurable criteria do you use to define recovery?
• What is security at your center like?
• Do you include treatment of co-occurring mental health disorders?
• Is family allowed to be involved in treatment? If so, how?
• Will you work with my insurance company?
• Will you work with my school or place of employment?

Finding Eating Disorder Treatment in Oregon

If you or a loved one are struggling with an eating disorder, it’s essential to seek out help.

Your primary care physician or therapist can be a great place to start. These experts are generally well-versed in eating disorders and may be able to help you secure an official diagnosis—often the first step toward entering a treatment program—or help you determine your next best steps.

If you don’t feel comfortable speaking face-to-face to someone about this, you can also try an eating disorder hotline. These programs can offer additional information and resources and are often run anonymously to encourage callers to ask difficult questions.

But no matter where you start looking for help, the most important step is looking. It’s often the first step on the path toward recovery.