Help for Eating Disorders in Chicago

In America, more than seven million women and one million men have been reported as suffering from some form or another of an eating disorder. Encapsulating a wide range of conditions, the broad-based term “eating disorder” is used in reference such maladaptive behaviors as: overeating, under eating, obesity, anorexia, bulimia and exercise bulimia.

The common characteristic of all eating disorders is that persons afflicted have an unhealthy relationship with food and are consumed with thoughts of how much and | or how little they can eat. When the condition reaches a pinnacle point, the person may no longer be able to adequately function in society on account of an inability to think of anything beside their food intake or lack thereof. Otherwise translated, plagued by unrelenting urges, i.e., a sense of incontrollable acts of purging, starving, bingeing and | or exercising, afflicted persons may not only find it impossible to stop or control these actions on their own, may experience an inability to hold down a job, keep up with schoolwork, and | or maintain healthy relationships.

On a basic level, they may have trouble carrying on conversations in which they are fully present and | or finding moments of peace free of compulsive thoughts.

While in the most severe cases of eating disorders, at risk persons may even face death on account of the extreme burden they are placing on their bodies by excessively low or high body weights, as well as, inordinate amounts of exercise, binding and purging all of which causes an unnatural stress upon the heart.

Chicagoans who desire treatment for their eating disorder, may be able to find solace at one of the following three local treatment facilities:

Alexian Brothers, which goes by the name of “The Awakening Center”, is located just outside of Chicago in Elk Grove Village, Naperville and Highland Park, each respectively located within its family of reputable hospitals. :
Highland Park Hospital -Highland Park (847) 480-2167,
Alexian Brothers-Elk Grove Village, (847) 755-8143;
Linden Oaks-Naperville (630) 305-5550
www.abbhh.org

Depending upon an individual’s needs and the severity of his | her condition, Alexian Brothers offers varying levels of treatment care –
� Intensive Out-Patient/Day program
� Partial Hospital Program
� In-Patient (Not exclusive to eating disorders)
Additionally, at Highland Park, they also offers in-patient adolescent care and at Evanston Hospital -in-patient adult care.

Taking a multidisciplinary approach to providing treatment, the Awakening Center, a cooperative consisting of psychologists, social workers, professional counselors, and a nutritionist, provides programs designed to address the needs of individuals, families and couples. They are known for their personalized attention and collaborative working relationships which, in combination, are focused on fostering permanent change.

University of Chicago
(773) 834-5677
http://www.psychiatry.uchicago.edu/clinical/clinics/edp/

Employing a holistic approach to treating eating disorders, the University of Chicago located just south of downtown Chicago, begins the process with thorough assessments, inclusive of interviews and self-report questionnaire, to ensure accurate diagnosis and the ability to make proper recommendations with regard to suggested treatment protocols.

Whereas treatment programs are concerned, the University of Chicago individualizes their regimes to best suit the needs of each patient. As a whole, their programs hone in on the major symptoms of eating disorders, in addition to, the underlying causes, i.e., emotional reasons and interpersonal dynamics.

Specific services provisions entail:
� Diagnostic assessments
� Individual and/or group psychotherapy sessions
� Nutritional counseling, guidance and food plans
� Encouraged parental involvement in the treatment of children and adolescents
� Prescription consultations and management

Linden Oaks Hospital at Edwards, situated in Naperville, IL, a northwest suburb of Chicago, has repeatedly been praised for its commitment to providing quality eating disorder treatment care within the setting of a full-medical service facility. Providing specialized attention to males, females, adolescents and children, the overall program encapsulates expressive therapy, group and individual sessions, medical management, nutrition consulting and links to out-patient support groups. (630) 305-550
www.edward.org/services/behavioralserv.asp

The intense guilt surrounding the existence of an eating disorder only serves to multiple the level of depression, agitation, fear and social discomfort, individuals may already have. While many afflicted persons desperately want to have freedom from the non-stop reverberating thinking which leads to inappropriate action, i.e., starving, bingeing, purging and | or over exercising, such a seemingly simple goal is much harder to attain than perceived from an outsider’s perspective. In order to be certain that the treatment center ultimately selected is more than capable of meeting your specific needs, it is best to first determine how realistic your expectations are: do you believe you will automatically achieve complete recovery without putting forth any effort or are you willing to work through your situation in an honest and fearless manner?

When selecting a treatment facility the major factors to consider are: in patient versus out patient, time length of program, quality of care, philosophy of care, ratio of treatment caregivers versus patients, availability of post-treatment program support and, though a necessary element-but one that is not necessarily always pleasant to consider-is the cost of the program and | or whether it may be covered in full or partially by insurance.

Hopefully Chicagoans in need of a strong, results-oriented eating disorders program will be able to get the help they want and deserve within a comfortable, self-respecting environment.