QUESTION: How or where can I find help for my anorexia. I feel I need treatment to recover and cannot afford it. Any idea?


ANSWER: There are many options for finding help – and it is just unfortunate that so many of them fall outside the price range of those who need it most. I was no exception – I did not have treatment to recover from anorexia and bulimia, and it made the whole process much harder in some ways.

In other ways, however, it made it easier. I only saw that aspect of my recovery in hindsight. I had to be incredibly self-directed, VERY disciplined, VERY determined, totally committed, and aware at any moment that the price I would pay for letting my guard down would not be pretty. In short, I had to take all the same qualities that had made me very good at starving myself and begin to use them on getting better. Many of the coping skills that qualified professionals will teach you I had to discover and hone on my own. I did not know I was doing any of this work until after the fact – and I was on my own to identify my problem areas, figure out why I was turning to the eating disorder to cope with life, develop other coping skills, and then practice them until I had trained myself to turn to them first and not the eating disorder.

I am not saying any of this to encourage you to ‘try this at home.’ Far from it. However, if you find you are not able to access the level of care you feel you need in order to recover, I just don’t want you to convince yourself that you cannot recover. You CAN. It might take longer, it might be harder in some ways, but as long as you are medically stable (which of course I cannot tell from reading your email) you still have hope to recover.

Now, in answer to your specific question. Look first for local hospitals, universities, colleges, medical schools and religious organizations who may have free or low cost counseling services. Call local therapists and ask about a sliding scale or indigent rate. Find out if there are schools nearby where students are conducting their clinicals and practicums (taking on clients for no charge so they can meet their counseling hours criteria to become licensed). Same goes for dietician and nutritionist services. Hospitals are good sources for possible low cost dietary counseling. Seek out online and local support groups and look for a mentor or sponsor (Eating Disorders Anonymous groups in particular often have free local meetings and you may find sponsorship there). If there is an inpatient treatment facility nearby, call and find out if any of the staff offer outpatient counseling services as well (there is a facility near to where I live that offers this service, and also has aftercare services).

It is difficult for me to advise you further without knowing your specific situation, but you might also consider this - if it is possible, and you are healthy enough and able to work, check into other options for better insurance coverage. If you are a college student, see what type of student insurance your institution offers. If you work even part time, consider changing to a job where the company offers more comprehensive insurance (I have found good insurance in the past from restaurants, coffee shops and retail chains, and you don’t have to work full time to qualify).

The internet offers lots of options for connecting with support communities and with individuals who want to recover and are working hard to do so. Try to establish accountability with like-minded friends. Read everything you can about the success stories of others and take inspiration and ideas from them. Pretend you are at treatment and imagine the kinds of activities and exercises they would ask you to do, and then do them for yourself.

Again, the ideal would be for every person who needs care to get the maximum level for as long as care is needed. This is why it is so important to lobby for mental health parity for eating disorders! But right now, we still aren’t there yet. So it is VERY important to work with what you’ve got and never give up. Ask for help. If someone says no, ask someone else until you get a yes. Just keep fighting!!

I hope this is of some value to you. Please feel free to write again if you have more questions or need support.

Warmly, and with HOPE,

Shannon

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