has anyone here gone into treatment at a center for eating disorders?

I was in an inpatient facility but it didn’t deal specificly with eating disorders. The hospital dealt with a range of problems. Most people there were there for depression and/or drugs. You have levels. We started at Level 1, and weren’t allowed to leave the adolescent area of the hospital-not even for meals. To get to Level 2 you have to fill out paper work, stating why you are there, and what you want to get out of being there. Once you get Level 2 you can leave the adolescent unit for meals and other activities. To go to Level 3 you have to fill out paper work again, and have other patients intial it-basically confirming your progress. Once you reach Level 3 you have more privledges, such as using the phone longer and not having to use to the pay phones. On Level 1 your parents call the adolescent unit and you can talk for 5-10 minutes. Level 2 you can use the pay phones, and at Level 3 there is a phone number you can give your parents/friends to call which is seperate from the desk and pay phones.

Each morning we had to fill out worksheets, stating how we felt, what our goal for that day was (often as simple as ‘stay positive’ or ‘try not to think about cutting myself’) and who our contact person was. A contact person is either the MHA (Mental Health Associate) or the nurse on duty who hands medications. If during the day your contact person is an MHA, at night your contact person will be the nurse. Your contact person is who you go to talk to if you have a problem.

After breakfast, you go to group and everyone goes around reading their goal sheet that you filled out before breakfast. Whenever you’re leave the unti you must sign out/in. You never leave the unit unless you are going to a meal or activity. The rest of the time is spent on the unit’s lounge where you hang out until your next group. You talk with other patients, play games, journal, etc. At some point during the day, you meet with pychitrist (our meetings were very breif, last less than 5 minutes). Most of our therapy was done in group.

Also, our bedrooms were locked during the day. The only time we were allowed in our rooms was a night before bed. This was to prevent patients from isolating, hurting themselves, and from patients having sex- it was co-ed hospital. Our rooms had bathroom with a shower. All our shower supplies were kept locked in closet. They were ‘sharps’ or things we could hurt ourselves with. Shampoo and conditioner could be swallowed.

Checks were conducted ever 5, 15, or 30 minutes depending on your level.
Level 1- 5 min.
Level 2- 15 min.
Level 3- 30 minutes.

Checks were to ensure no one was hurting themselves. If you were in the bathroom they would just knock to make sure you were in there. All of your sharps had to be signed out/in and be returned before you went to bed.

During groups, confidentiality was important. But no one really listened to that rule. The people in group were the same people who you were with all day.

There was also a lot of drama with other patients. I mean everyone’s there for emotional problems so things get a little intense some times. Fights break out. People throw things. They smuggle in plastic knives from the cafeteria to cut themselves. All of these things can have you drop a level. To gain your level back you have to be on one level for 24 hours at least, then fill out the paper work again. You don’t nessicarily have to be on Level 3 to go home.

There were visiting hours every day for an hour at night. On the weekends it was during the afternoon. Anyone under 18 could not visit you, and have people other than your parents visit you have them put on list by your parents saying they are allowed to visit. Parents often brought things like food that their kids wanted, or clean clothes, books, and other things like that. But all of it had to be checked to make sure it couldn’t be used to hurt themselves. Everything was labeled to make sure other patients didn’t take other patients stuff.

You have meetings with a social worked with your parents to discuss what your plan is for staying healthy after you leave.