Episode Title: The Chaos of Recovery with Stacy Schilter-Pisano, LMFT, CEDS
In this episode of “Calming the Chaos,” we’ll be talking to Stacy Schilter-Pisano, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified Eating Disorders Specialist at The Emily Program in Washington State. The Emily program offers a variety of different ways to help those who struggle with eating disorders find recovery.
Stacy and I are both passionate about treating eating disorders in our local, national and international communities. And so now, during National Eating Disorders Awareness week, let’s listen to Stacy and I talk… as two Certified Eating Disorders Specialists….about the chaos that can happen in the minds and bodies of those who are struggling with eating disorders, and especially in those who decide that they want to enter into a program to find recovery.
Let’s listen in!
Stacy’s Introduction – The Emily Program
- The Emily program offers Intensive Outpatient, Intensive Outpatient or Partial Hospitalization services to treat clinical Eating Disorders and Body Image Dissatisfaction.
- Their goal is to help those who struggle with food, eating and body image recover from behavior patterns that they have been using for coping with stress, and find recovery.
The steps to recovery: When the environment changes – Chaos Happens!
- Intake: Just getting the courage about an eating disorder creates chaos
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- Their mental health experience, their lived experience and experience with food
- Am I sick enough to admit? Or downplaying or minimizing their sickness
- People experience some chaos with being vulnerable talking about their behaviors that have been secret
- Fear: People might find out about me…is there someone who knows me and find out what I am struggling with?
- Is the intake provider judging me? (Racing thoughts)
- When feedback or recommendations happens, there is a LOT of chaos
After the recommendation, clients experience:
- Mental gymnastics - fear of changing, and “what you are suggesting requires me to make some major changes in my life to recover. Overturning life doesn’t seem feasible
- A Higher level of care (Residential or a 35 hour per week commitment) results in an acceptance of reality and deciding what to do…admit or not?
- 50-60% Accept the recommendation – Acceptance of reality
- 20-30% don’t accept, but will do another service (such as outpatient treatment)
- Motivation is low: on a scale of 1-10 (one meaning not motivated and 10 meaning extremely motivated), most people are usually 2-4…not sure they want to do the things that are required of them to get well.
How to calm the chaos when people admit to the program
- Warm, welcoming and calming environment and space
- Tour of the space and give them an idea of what to expect / experience
- The first day: orientation with Dietician, Medical and Therapist
- Describe to them in structure and information in advance – help them feel welcomed and comfortable
- Giving them a semblance of what will happens eases the mind
- Therapists help them feel grounded in the program
- Dieticians and Therapists help them feel grounded when eating
- Skills coaching when chaos gets really intense
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