What Does Eating Disorder Treatment Look Like?
When navigating the world of eating disorder treatment, understanding what care might look like can feel overwhelming. Treatment is not one-size-fits-all — it’s tailored to the unique needs of each individual. In this blog, we’ll outline the levels of care, discuss when it’s not safe to manage an eating disorder alone, explore accessible tools, and highlight the importance of a multidisciplinary treatment team. We’ll also discuss the role of autonomy in recovery and why a client-led approach is essential.
Eating Disorder Treatment Levels of Care
Treatment for eating disorders exists on a continuum to meet varying levels of medical and psychological needs:
Outpatient Care:
Best suited for individuals who are medically stable and able to engage in treatment while continuing daily activities.
Typically, it includes regular appointments with a therapist, dietitian, and sometimes a physician.
Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP):
Requires attending structured programming, either in person or virtually, several times a week, often for three to four hours per day.
Focuses on skill-building, meal support, and therapy while still allowing clients to live at home.
Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP):
Provides care five to seven days a week for most of the day, either in person or virtually.
Offers intensive therapy, medical monitoring, and meal support, with clients returning home in the evenings.
Residential Treatment:
A live-in option at a treatment facility for those requiring 24-hour support.
Combines medical stabilization, therapy, and nutritional rehabilitation in a structured environment.
Inpatient Hospitalization:
Necessary for individuals who are medically unstable, severely malnourished, or at risk of harming themselves.
Focuses on acute stabilization in a hospital setting and may transition into other levels of care after safety is restored.
When It’s Not Safe
There are times when outpatient care may not be enough to ensure safety. Medical instability, such as dangerously low heart rates, severe malnutrition, or electrolyte imbalances, requires immediate intervention. Psychiatric emergencies, including suicidality or self-harm, also necessitate higher levels of care. Listening to medical and mental health professionals about these needs is crucial to the individual's health and safety.
Recognizing When to Get Help
Seeking help for an eating disorder can feel daunting, especially in a culture that often normalizes disordered eating behaviors or perpetuates the myth of needing to be "sick enough" to get care. However, eating disorders are serious at every stage, and you do not need to wait for a crisis to pursue recovery.
It’s important to know that:
Early intervention matters: The sooner someone starts receiving help, the greater their chances of recovery. Eating disorders are progressive illnesses, and addressing them early can prevent worsening physical and psychological symptoms.
You don’t have to meet any threshold of “severity”: Many people delay seeking treatment because they feel they aren’t "sick enough" or because they don’t look like they have an eating disorder. This belief is both harmful and untrue. Eating disorders can impact anyone, regardless of size, appearance, or how long symptoms have been present. If disordered eating behaviors or negative thoughts about food and your body are interfering with your daily life, it’s time to seek support.
Recovery is for everyone: You are worthy of care even if you can still "function" in other areas of life. The absence of obvious physical symptoms or medical instability does not negate the presence of an eating disorder or the need for support.
Seeking help doesn’t mean giving up control — it’s about building a partnership with professionals who respect your lived experience and recovery goals. Through collaboration, you can regain trust in yourself and develop the tools needed to create a sustainable and fulfilling life.
What Eating Disorder Help Can Look Like
Understanding that eating disorder treatment doesn’t always start at a higher level of care (HLOC) can also alleviate the fear of seeking help. Many individuals begin their recovery journey in outpatient care, which allows them to maintain daily activities while addressing their eating disorder with the guidance of a professional team.
For others, stepping into a higher level of care — such as Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP) or Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP) — can provide more structured support without requiring full-time care. These programs offer tools like meal support, therapy, and skill-building to bridge the gap between outpatient care and residential treatment.
The Treatment Team
Eating disorder recovery benefits greatly from a multidisciplinary team. Here’s why:
Doctor (or Primary Care Provider): Monitors medical stability, addresses complications, and oversees medications when needed.
Therapist: Supports emotional healing, teaches coping skills, and helps address underlying trauma or mental health conditions.
Dietitian: Guides nutritional rehabilitation, helps rebuild trust with food, and offers strategies for adequate eating.
Each team member brings a vital perspective, and collaboration ensures that all aspects of the eating disorder—physical, mental, and emotional—are addressed. For those seeking eating disorder treatment in Maine, having access to a specialized team familiar with local resources can make a significant difference in recovery.
Eating disorder treatment is a complex and deeply personal journey. By understanding the levels of care, recognizing when professional help is essential, utilizing accessible tools, and building a strong treatment team, recovery becomes not only possible but empowering. For individuals navigating eating disorder treatment in Maine, the availability of compassionate, multidisciplinary care ensures that healing is a collaborative process that respects the individuality of each person’s experience.
If you or someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, know that compassionate, individualized support is within reach. At CV Wellbeing, our team of dedicated dietitians understands that recovery isn’t a one-size-fits-all journey—it’s a personal process that honors your unique needs, experiences, and goals. Whether you're exploring outpatient care or need guidance navigating higher levels of support, we’re here to walk alongside you every step of the way. You deserve care that empowers you to heal at your own pace. Reach out today to learn how we can support your recovery journey and help you build a nourishing, sustainable relationship with food and your body.