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Patients at Remuda East enjoy equine therapy, and hold Remuda East, a Christian-based eating-disorder treatment center in Caroline County, opened its doors last fall. |
BY BRINKLEY SHARPE
Adolescents with anorexia or bulimia nervosa are faced with a dilemma that doesn't come up for their of-age counterparts.
Treatment for severe cases is often very intensive, and involves in patient stays to address both the physical and psychological problems properly.
Many larger hospitals have eating-disorder units--or at least psychiatric wards. But these cold and uninviting environments, with their emphasis on punishment and behavioral modification, can fail to treat the underlying causes--and can even foster further ambivalence in the patient over the entire idea of recovery.
The Renfrew Center, a residential eating-disorder treatment facility, opened in 1985 in order to create a more positive alternative for women with eating disorders. But not everyone lives near the pioneering center's locations in Coconut Creek, Fla., and Philadelphia, Pa. And not every parent is willing and able to make lifestyle switches to accommodate their teen daughter's treatment.
Another treatment facility, Remuda Ranch, was founded by Ward Keller in 1990 as a way to use
Until recently, its only facility was in Wickenburg, Ariz. But this past fall, Remuda's new 48-bed "East" facility opened its doors in Caroline County.
Janet Carr, a dietician at Remuda, said the beautiful and peaceful surroundings--as well as the perceived need for a facility in the area--helped with the decision on where to locate.
Like the Renfrew Center, Remuda is designed specifically for women and girls.
Though they pride themselves on being a Christian facility, and weave such teachings into their program, there is no religious requirement for receiving treatment, and those who do not share Christian beliefs are not obligated to attend services or convert in any way. Carr said, though, that religion is "often where people find strength" and is a "source of identity"--something many women feel they lack, even after the eating disorder is "gone."
Remuda treats children (8 to 12), adolescents (13 to 17), and adults (18 and up) separately at the same facility, with the different groups sometimes merging during free time. For youth, the average stay is 60 days. Only family can visit during this time, "for confidentiality reasons," said Carr--but she added that "it goes by quicker than it sounds."
Part of reason time flies is the busy daily schedule. In addition to scheduling multiple group sessions and appointments with professionals for patients, Remuda is well known for its use of equine therapy. "Two to three times a week they're working with the horses," Carr said of the women. "It is something that a majority of our patients thoroughly enjoy."
About halfway through a patient's stay, the center holds a family week, which offers her a chance to show off her skills in a "rodeo," following an intensive session in family connections, communication and reconciliation. "The family is a huge part of the support mechanism," said Carr.
One major concern for those who are still in school while going through treatment is the necessity of completing their work. Remuda East has an on-site certified teacher and a partnership with Fredericksburg Christian Academy that allows students to pick up credit and continue their studies while in residence.
Perhaps the most obvious portion of eating-disorder treatment, though, is the food. For a patient in the adolescent program, a typical day includes three meals and two snacks.
At Remuda, there is an "all foods fit policy," with three different choices for every meal involving a variety of things commonly encountered on the outside in a home-type setting. As long as they don't serve as a significant block to the patient's recovery, vegetarian and vegan diets are accommodated, right along with food allergies.
The admissions process for Remuda is conducted over the phone, through a series of interviews and, often, through referrals from professionals whom the prospective patient is already seeing. "It's not black-and-white," Carr remarked, when asked if things such as weight and frequency of symptoms came into consideration, as they do in textbook definitions of anorexia and bulimia. Carr said the more encompassing diagnosis of "Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified" is also considered.
Carr concluded with some advice for those suffering from an eating disorder: "I would just encourage them to talk to someone that they trust that can help them to sort this through." As for high-schoolers watching their friends succumb to such an illness, she said that "the first thing is speak the truth to them," but also to "speak it in love."
Brinkley Sharpe is a junior
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Ninety percent of those who have eating disorders are females between the ages of 12 and 25.
Between 0.5 and 3.7 percent of women suffer from anorexia. Between 1.1 and 4.2 percent of women suffer from bulimia. About 20 percent of all people with eating disorders will eventually die as the result of their illness. In those who suffer from anorexia, the numbers may be even higher. Research shows that eating disorders are one of the psychological problems least likely to be treated. Two in five new cases of anorexia are in girls between 15 and 19 years of age. Formally diagnosed cases of eating disorders have been reported in children Compiled by Brinkley Sharpe |
