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Living With Food: The Science Supporting Eating Disorder Treatment

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Re-posted: What should you expect from an eating disorder provider?

Posted by Sarah Emerman on Sun, Aug 07, 2011 @ 08:24 PM
  
  
  
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By, Dr. Mark Warren 
Choosing an eating disorder provider is difficult in the best of times and can feel completely overwhelming in the midst of a crisis. This reality, which we have addressed in other ways in the past, came into sharp focus this past week when three separate fathers came to visit us in person to gather information for their ill child. Each was trying to figure out what their next move should be in obtaining care for their loved one who was not in a position to make that decision from themselves. As we spoke to each father and tried to put ourselves in their place, here were some of the questions that we thought we should be answered:
 
  1. Do you know what you’re doing? Have you worked with this disorder before? Have you been successful in your treatment of others with eating disorders?
  2. Do you know what evidence based treatment is? Have you been trained by experts? Are you an expert?
  3. Do you understand that eating disorders are life threatening and can kill my loved one? Do you have ongoing relationships with medical professionals? Do you do medical screening? Do you make certain and insist that medical treatment occur along with psychological treatment?
  4. Do you understand levels of care? Do you know that not every patient gets better the same way? Do you know that different people need different things at different times in their treatment?
  5. If I do treatment here, can I trust that you will tell me the truth? Can I trust that if I’m not getting better you’ll direct me elsewhere? Can I trust that when I get better you’ll continue to work with me? Can I trust that you will include my family and loved ones in treatment?
As a patient, it is hard in an hour and a half assessment to know the answers to all these questions. It is particularly hard to make a decision when different providers tell you different things.  When you see a provider before you leave ask them: “What if you’re wrong? What if what you’re telling me turns out not to be true? What will we do then?”
 
Contributions by Sarah Emerman 

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