Intensive outpatient for eating disorder...

alskarani

I know this isn't going to apply to most, but I wondered if anyone out there had been to an IOP for an ed?

What was it like? Was it helpful? How was the dietary/food intake handled?

Thanks!

elphie754

I am going to be brutally honest. If you are in out pt therapy for an ED, I am not sure how beneficial it is for you to be on a calorie counting website.

cheshirecatastrophe

Your treatment team is in the best position to answer your questions. Please ask them.

Good luck with recovery.

alskarani

Well...I'm not in an IOP yet, and this seems to have been helping a bit. I don't have a treatment team...yet. I will have one if I do this IOP, but I'm quite anxious about it. I'm quite anxious about new things/changes in general, which is why I was hoping someone with experience would be able to tell me a little of what it might be like...

mymodernbabylon

For each person it is different - some people who are ready to deal with their ED found it tough but enlightening and, eventually, a really good experience where they learned a boatload of coping skills and figured out what was at the root of their experience, others hated it and the lack of control they felt over their lives, even though they recognised how helpful it could be, and it was a super painful experience (but came out good in the end). Some of the people who weren't ready for the change or who didn't want to work on their ED hated their experience and didn't do well, or they 'cheated' their way through it, faked it and then went back to their ED when they go out. Others were surprised at the people they met, what they learned and while it was horrible at times they ended up recovering and doing okay. (I'm a therapist who has worked with girls with ED post in-patient).
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- Each unit has it's own way of dealing with food, therapy and patients, so no one will be able to give you a 'view' that will fit with your unit and your experience. I wish you the best of luck!

Sued0nim

alskarani wrote: »

Well...I'm not in an IOP yet, and this seems to have been helping a bit. I don't have a treatment team...yet. I will have one if I do this IOP, but I'm quite anxious about it. I'm quite anxious about new things/changes in general, which is why I was hoping someone with experience would be able to tell me a little of what it might be like...

Honestly I have no experience nor idea of how IOPs work

But what I do know about is anxiety .. we all suffer from it (seriously I've yet to talk to someone who doesn't at some stage experience some kind of anxiety)

so some hints & tips for dealing with that:

Write it out: write out exactly what it is you're afraid of and then write down the very worst that can happen and all the connotations. Then write down exactly how likely that is to happen.

Try to eat well make sure you're having lots of fresh fruit and veg, drink enough fluids

Exercise just take a brisk walk around the block if that's all you can manage. On a personal level, my anxiety has almost totally disappeared over the last 8 months which I credit to an active gym programme of 3 times a week and progressive weight-lifting.

Deep breathing into your stomach. Look up mindfulness meditation, there's quite a few free pod casts ... You'd need half hour alone

Say out loud a positive thing like if I'm worried about my health I'll sometimes say and repeat I am healthy I feel fine ... Important to speak out loud it's a reinforcing cycle

Rescue remedies can help

Remember you're not mad, it happens to the best of us and you can reduce them until they go away for good.

alskarani

Thanks to you both!

I went for an intake appointment for an IOP today. I still don't know many of the details, but I am hopeful it will be helpful. I hope I'm ready to make the best of it...

Dealing with anxiety...I have gotten a bit better, but still really struggle. I will take your tips seriously!

RodaRose

Good luck to you.