Frequently Asked Questions

EATING DISORDERS

  • Inadequate food intake
  • Excessive concern with weight, shape, or body image
  • Self-esteem overly related to body image
  • Eating a large amount of food in a short period of time while feeling out of control
  • Self-induced vomiting
  • Using diuretics, diet pills, or laxatives to control weight
  • Preoccupation with weight, food, and dieting
  • Anxiety about gaining weight and/or food
  • Excessive exercise
  • Withdrawal from friends and family
  • Isolation
  • Significant weight loss, even if still at a healthy weight (significant weight loss is not required for a diagnosis of an eating disorder)
  • Excessive guilt
  • Extreme restriction
  • Excessive night time eating
  • Extreme appearance concerns or appearance anxiety

 

If you or someone you loves is showing any of these symptoms, please contact us for help.

Eating disorders can affect anyone. However, young women are at high risk to develop an eating disorder. Eating disorders generally develop during early adolescence (ages 12-14) and/or during late adolescence (ages 18-19, often during the transition to college). Though young women are at higher risk, anyone can develop an eating disorder. Women, men, young adults, older adults, and individuals of all ethnicities and cultures may develop an eating disorder. We treat everyone at the Louisville Center for Eating Disorders regardless of age, ethnicity, or background.

Dependent on the severity of your eating disorder, it may be recommended that you complete outpatient, intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, or residential/inpatient treatment. Determining what level of care is needed is a crucial first step for getting the help you need. If you need outpatient treatment or intensive outpatient or are transitioning out of a partial hospitalization, or inpatient/residential setting, we can treat you at the Louisville Center for Eating Disorders. If you need a higher level of care, we will provide recommendations for centers that specialize in the treatment of eating disorders and help you get a spot at one of these centers.

The best treatments for eating disorders are cognitive-behavioral treatments (for adults) and family based treatment (for adolescents). Depending on the disorder, there are several empirically-validated treatments for eating disorders. Some of the treatments we specialize in are:

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other related disorders
  • Dialectical behavioral therapy for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other related disorders
  • Family based therapy for adolescents with anorexia nervosa
  • Acceptance and commitment therapy for all eating disorders
  • Family based therapy for selective eating disorder and avoidant restrictive eating disorder
  • Targeted exposure therapies for fears around food, weight gain, and body image
  • Perfectionism therapy
  • Therapies that target an eating disorder, as well as co-occurring anxiety and depression

 

Dependent on the type of eating disorder, your treatment history, and treatment preferences, we will work with you to develop an individualized, empirically-based treatment plan. Most treatments are best performed with the support of a professional team that includes a dietician, physician, and psychiatrist. We will work closely with you to help you develop an effective treatment team.

Treatment Expectations

Your first step is to participate in a comprehensive eating disorder assessment that identifies what level of care is needed and what type of treatment would be best suited for your individual needs.

No one deserves to suffer from an eating disorder, please call us now to begin working towards recovery.

Your first time in therapy can be intimidating. We do our best to make sure you feel as comfortable as possible. In your first session we will ask you lots of questions about your eating, anxiety, mood, and history. We ask these questions so that we can develop a personalized treatment plan that is best for you.

We ask each of our clients to get lab work done prior to their first session or right after their first session. Eating disorders can impact your physical body and we need to make sure that you are physically okay to undergo treatment. Lab work helps us understand what is going on with your body, as well as your mind.

After you complete the eating disorder assessment we will give you treatment recommendations. If we recommend outpatient or intensive outpatient care we put together a comprehensive treatment plan based on evidence and personalized to your unique needs. We will mostly likely recommend that you work with a therapist, dietician (either at our center or in the community), and psychiatrist (either at our center or in the community). Team-based approaches to eating disorder treatment have been shown to outperform any other type of eating disorder treatment and we strive to create a team that you can work well with and lead you to recovery.

We will work with you to make sure you can afford treatment. We offer reduced rates for people with financial need. We can also work with your insurance company if you wish to apply for a single-case agreement.  

Our Intensive Outpatient Program and Partial Hospitalization Program are both in network with several insurance providers and we are additionally able to work with many other insurance providers through single case agreements.

Currently all outpatient services are provided through our sister clinic Be Well Providers, which is out of network with all insurance providers. For more information about the cost of services, availability of reimbursement from insurance, and reduced rates through our sliding scale program please click here.

Call 502-338-0608 or contact us hereYou can also fill out the consultation form at the bottom of this page. One of our trained staff is available to help you schedule your first session.  

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