Eating Disorders and Treatment Centers  With Monte Nido

Eating Disorder Treatment FAQ

Questions and Answer Session with Monte Nido

1. What is a Treatment Center?

A treatment center can be:

- Inpatient, where clients live in for a period of time and it is staffed by medical professionals 24-hours a day.

- Residential, where clients live in for a period of time, and it is staffed by treatment professionals. Medical staff is available on an as-needed basis.

- Intensive day treatment (also known as partial or partial hospitalization), where clients are treated for several hours a day a few times a week but return home at night. 

2. How do most people find a Treatment Center and can the Internet help?

People usually find treatment centers in one of three ways:

- They are referred by a therapist or other treatment professional

- They are referred by a friend or acquaintance, or their parent

- They find treatment centers on various Internet sites

3. What are the positives and negatives about different Treatment Centers?

Positives and negatives depend on a variety of factors.

- A lot depends upon the person's willingness to get treatment and their outlook when they enter the facility. If they are reluctant to get help, their attitude will often be negative and not necessarily reflect the effectiveness of the facility and the quality of care offered.

- One of the principle positive factors of being in a treatment center is that a person is in 'neutral' surroundings and can feel free to express him/herself in ways that are uninhibited.

- A client remains in the treatment center for an extended period of time, in a controlled environment, making it easier to follow the program and not practice disordered eating habits because there is constant help and supervision from treatment professionals.

- Some treatment centers base their treatment around the 12-step program, which works well for many people but this does not suit all temperaments and core beliefs.

- Certain treatment centers base their treatment upon specifically Christian teachings, which may not be suitable for everyone.

4. What makes Monte Nido different than other Treatment Centers?

Monte Nido does not utilize the 12-step program, principally because we know that people can and do recover from eating disorders and exercise addiction. We focus instead on the individual's own perception of their higher power or 'soul'. Our centers have a high staff-to-patient ratio and many of these professionals have recovered themselves from eating disorders, which leads to a natural empathy and understanding, thus helping clients to feel more comfortable and less like they are being judged.

Monte Nido is situated in a house on a beautiful property. The atmosphere is relaxed, friendly and cozy and not at all institutional. Each client is given individualized attention and her progress is continually assessed and adjusted, according to her specific needs.

5. When searching online, how do I know if a Treatment Center is trustworthy?

One needs to do some research and this may be done in various ways:

- Read the websites of treatment centers that appeal to you online and select the names of a few that sound good to you because of their style of treatment, their program and other variables.

- Ask your therapist, psychiatrist, dietitian or doctor if they are familiar with any of the treatment centers that appeal to you and, if so, what they know or what they have heard about the facility.

- Call each place and talk to someone about the facility. Ask them all the questions you have. Find out what their success rate is. Get a 'feel' for the place and their staff by listening to the representative and the way they address your questions. Are they caring? Are they knowledgeable? Does it seem as though they are in a hurry to answer your questions and get you off the phone? Your 'gut' feelings can tell you a lot.

- Ask if you can tour their facility and get a feeling, in person, for the place and the quality of care offered.

- Ask if you may speak to someone who has attended the facility in the past. It is usually possible to speak to a past client or to the parent of a past client.

6. What is the success ratio of the Monte Nido Treatment Center?

During our 6th year we analyzed data on all of our Monte Nido graduates. Out of the 41% of clients who completed our survey, 83% were in the partial or fully recovered category. These recovery rates are extremely high. We continue to survey all graduates at various post-treatment intervals.

7. What is the average length of stay at an eating disorder treatment center?

The average length of stay at Monte Nido is 2-4 months. However, clients have stayed longer if they or their treatment team decided that it was necessary. The minimum required stay is one month. 

8. Does insurance cover a patient's stay at the Monte Nido Treatment Center?

That is quite a complicated question and depends on a variety of factors:

- Has the client been treated at lower levels for their e.d. and not been successful? If so, insurance will be more likely to cover residential treatment. Insurance companies generally require that this level of treatment be determined as 'medically necessary'.

- Is the client insured with a company that is contracted (i.e., in network) with Monte Nido? If so, the coverage of treatment will generally be paid at a higher level than that paid by an insurance company that is out-of-network.

- If Monte Nido is not in network with the client's insurance, the client is required to pay for treatment in advance. Monte Nido then attempts to get the client reimbursed by the insurance company to the extent covered by their policy, if there are out-of-network benefits and all criteria are met.

9. What are considered the primary eating disorders?

Anorexia Nervosa
Bulimia Nervosa
EDNOS - Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified which includes Binge Eating Disorder

10. What are the treatments for these disorders?

- Cognitive behavioral therapy
- Individual therapy
- Group therapy
- Didactic therapy
- Art and movement therapy
- Nutrition counseling
- Medication

11. Who is at risk for developing an eating disorder?

- The highest risk is for adolescent females
- Females and males
- Perfectionists and over-achievers
- Those with low self-esteem
- People who feel as though the only thing in life over which they have control, complete control, is their own body and what they do or do not put into it
- People of any age
- People of all ethnicities 

12. Can a person be "cured" of an eating disorder?

A person can 'recover' from an eating disorder. Since all living beings need to eat and take in nutrition, one cannot put an eating disorder in the same category as, for example, a substance abuse addiction. Over a period of time, with the right treatment, the proper tools and ongoing therapy, clients can recover from disordered eating habits and go on to lead healthy and productive lives.
 

Answers by Monte Nido Treatment Center

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