Find Hope At Our Santa Fe, New Mexico Eating Disorder Treatment Center

When you’re suffering from a mental health concern and a co-occurring eating disorder, you’re likely to need various kinds of support to help you find healing. To select the right treatment place to help you reach your goals, it can be valuable to ask questions like: 

• Does the eating disorder treatment center offer individualized care plans? 
• Does the treatment center’s staff provide comprehensive discharge planning to help clients prepare for their longer-term needs? 
• Does the treatment center address other behavioral health concerns, including the effects of trauma? Additionally, does the staff have training in trauma-informed care? 
• Does the eating disorder treatment center use evidence-based practices? 
• Can clients receive care from a multidisciplinary treatment team? 

At our Santa Fe, New Mexico, eating disorder treatment center, we’re proud to provide specialized treatment plans for each client and deliver care through a qualified team of counselors, social workers, nurses, psychiatrists, and art therapists. Our treatment teams also recognize the importance of providing comprehensive, trauma-sensitive care. And they offer supportive and customized approaches to healing for each person.  

Our teams also incorporate a range of evidence-based therapies into the care they provide. Our treatment approach can include elements of both cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). We also offer many experiential therapies, including art therapy and massage. 

We understand that co-occurring eating disorder treatment can require a highly compassionate and individual approach. Our teams are ready to provide expert support that can help our clients who have co-occurring eating disorders achieve brighter futures. To receive an assessment from one of our admissions coordinators, please contact our treatment center today.  

Struggling with an eating disorder can leave you feeling isolated and helpless, but thankfully, effective treatment and specialized support are available. Finding the right eating disorder treatment place and receiving appropriate care can help you begin to heal both emotionally and physically. 

Eating disorder treatment offers numerous benefits. At a trusted eating disorder treatment center, you can receive professional help to address the factors that may have contributed to your struggles with an eating disorder. Depending on your needs, you can learn about nutrition, develop healthy coping skills, and work on rebuilding your self-esteem. You may also work to improve your relationship skills, engage in creative therapies that promote healing, and address symptoms of other mental health concerns you may be suffering from. 

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to working toward recovery from an eating disorder. So it’s important to find eating disorder treatment that is tailored to your needs, goals, and unique strengths. The best treatment for an eating disorder often involves a multidisciplinary care team that works together to help you achieve the best outcomes for you.  

Eating disorder treatment is available at different levels based on symptom severity and individual needs. Residential treatment for a co-occurring eating disorder can be beneficial if you need intensive support but don’t require inpatient care.  

Life Healing Center, located just an hour north of Albuquerque, is a leading source of residential treatment for adults who have mental health concerns and co-occurring eating disorders. Features of our adult eating disorder treatment center include: 

• Trauma-informed care  
• Evidence-based therapies 
• Gender-inclusive treatment services 
• Round-the-clock nursing support 
• On-site psychiatric provider available seven days a week 
• Unique and peaceful healing environment in Santa Fe 

At Life Healing Center, a person’s co-occurring eating disorder treatment plan can include diverse therapies and services that suit their needs. Our main modality is group therapy, but a client’s treatment plan can also include: 

• Individual therapy 
• Family therapy 
• Experiential therapies 
• Medication management 

At our residential eating disorder treatment center, we provide care for the whole person. We also incorporate both traditional and nontraditional therapies to help each person find their unique path to lasting wellness. 

 

The signs and symptoms of eating disorders can vary depending on the person and the eating disorder they are suffering from. Eating disorder signs and symptoms may also look different depending on the length of time someone has been struggling with the illness. Additionally, people can suffer from eating disorder symptoms at a range of weights. 

Despite the unique nature of each person’s struggles with an eating disorder, there are several warning signs that may indicate that you or someone you love needs help. Eating disorder symptoms can be physical, emotional, behavioral, or cognitive and may include: 

• Preoccupation with food or weight 
• Restricting food intake 
• Exercising excessively 
• Frequent dieting 
• Strong fear of weight gain 
• Strict food rules or rituals 
• Restricting certain types of food 
• Feeling uncomfortable eating around others 
• Feeling like your weight determines your worth 
• Lack of control when eating 
• Feeling shame, guilt, or distress after you eat 
• Limiting social activities 
• Intense mood swings 
• Trouble sleeping 
• Poor concentration 
• Physical symptoms like dehydration and stomach pain 

There are many recognized eating disorders, but the most common ones include anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorder. These disorders have the following features: 

• Anorexia: Anorexia symptoms can include low energy intake, distorted body image, and persistent fears and behaviors related to avoiding weight gain. People who are struggling with anorexia symptoms often fail to recognize the dangers of their restrictive eating behaviors.  
• Bulimia: Bulimia is characterized by recurring instances of binge eating and compensatory behaviors, such as self-induced vomiting, laxative abuse, and fasting. For people who have bulimia, binge eating often functions as a coping mechanism for stress. However, the behavior only provides temporary relief from negative emotions and often makes these feelings worse. 
• Binge-eating disorder: When someone has binge-eating disorder, they frequently engage in episodes of binge eating and find it difficult to control their eating behavior. Like other eating disorders, binge-eating disorder often causes intense feelings of distress.  

The potential causes of eating disorders are varied and may include genetic, biological, environmental, and social factors. Eating disorders are likely to be the result of multiple causes and risk factors, rather than a single event or trait. 

The causes of and risk factors for eating disorders may include: 

• Having a close relative who has suffered from an eating disorder 
• Starvation and undernutrition caused by dieting 
• Experiencing weight stigma or bullying related to one’s weight 
• Stressful life events or transitions, such as going to college or starting a new job 
• Social and cultural pressures to achieve a certain body size or weight 
• Temperamental factors like perfectionism, anxiety, and obsessive traits 
• Struggling with social isolation 
• Being an elite athlete 

Trauma is also strongly associated with the risk for developing an eating disorder. Moreover, untreated trauma is often at the heart of many people’s struggles with eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorder. Traumatic events that may contribute to eating disorder symptoms include: 

• Childhood sexual or physical abuse 
• Sexual harassment or assault 
• Emotional abuse 
• Physical assault 
• Death of a loved one 

At our co-occurring eating disorder treatment center in Santa Fe, we deliver expert support through a trauma-informed approach to care. If your eating disorder symptoms may be connected to painful emotions or unhealthy coping strategies related to trauma, our caring and knowledgeable staff has tools that can help. 

Eating disorder symptoms can harm a person’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being and make it extremely challenging for them to function and thrive. Additionally, living with an untreated eating disorder can put someone at risk for many serious health complications, including gastrointestinal problems, poor oral health, and heart and other organ damage.  

The damaging effects of untreated eating disorders can include: 

• Poor physical health 
• Lower quality of life 
• Impaired decision-making ability  
• Social isolation and other relationship difficulties 
• Trouble functioning at work or school 
• Failing to achieve your academic or career goals 
• Onset of other behavioral health disorders 
• Low self-esteem 
• Death due to medical complications 
• Self-harming behavior 
• Higher risk for suicide 

The effects of eating disorders can be devastating. However, it’s common for people who suffer from eating disorders to feel shame about their symptoms or hesitation about seeking treatment. If you may be experiencing symptoms of an eating disorder, it’s crucial to seek professional support. Receiving timely eating disorder treatment can allow you to get on the path to recovery and help you heal from any harm you’ve experienced. Although long-term recovery from an eating disorder can feel overwhelming, it’s important to take steps toward the greater well-being you deserve. 

At Life Healing Center, we offer treatment for eating disorders that co-occur with other mental health conditions. We provide this care through a compassionate and qualified team of medical and mental health professionals. 

The American Psychiatric Association reports the following eating disorder facts and statistics: 

• Up to 5% of the population struggles with an eating disorder. 
• Certain eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia, are more common among women. 
• Eating disorders are particularly common among women ages 12-35. 
• Eating disorders frequently co-occur with other mental health disorders.