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Finding Eating Disorder Support When You Live in a Rural Area
Living in a rural area has wonderful benefits of community, nature, and a slower pace. Unfortunately, there can also be drawbacks, and one of these is the challenge of receiving specialized treatment for more specific disorders, such as eating disorder support.
Current treatment guidelines recommend a multi-faceted approach involving medical doctors, mental health specialists, and dietitians who are all knowledgeable and trained in eating disorder treatment (1). For those in a rural community, even finding mental health or dietetic support can be a challenge, let alone the additional caveat of finding support specializing in eating disorders.
If you relate to this struggle, you are not alone in feeling isolated and unsure of how to receive help. Even so, this does not need to be a barrier to your recovery, as there are options for you.
Start with What You Have for Support in Overcoming Disordered Eating
Even if your current primary care doctor does not have a strong knowledge of eating disorders, it is important to be open with them about your struggle. Doctors take an oath to “do no harm,” which includes agreeing not to work outside of their capacity and to direct clients to the appropriate care when needed.
Your doctor may not have the knowledge required to provide eating disorder support. However, this does not mean they don’t have networking capabilities to refer you to someone who does specialize in the treatment of bulimia, anorexia, or binge eating disorder.
Whether it is contacting people within their network, reaching out to nearby towns or hospitals, or coordinating with your insurance company, your doctor’s office can still help you to find the support you need.
In addition, they are still capable of checking in on your general health, such as your metabolic state, which can be important in determining the level of care needed.
Speaking of Insurance for Eating Disorder Support
Insurance can be scary to navigate, but it is necessary to coordinate with them about any treatment you would like to receive. Reframe how you view insurance, considering it as an ally in your fight as opposed to a gatekeeper to your treatment.
After your primary care doctor indicates you need eating disorder support and treatment, you can contact your insurance company for eating disorder help in finding the nearest treatment program in their network. The insurance company can also help you find in-network treatment centers that are further away and still cover your treatment.
Thank You, Internet
For all the trouble the internet can cause, it can also be a blessing when we need to find information outside of our immediate environment. Searching for eating disorder support and advocacy sites will open up a wealth of information for you. Each of these sites often has a direct line you can call to ask questions or receive support.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what websites to trust, a couple of good places to start are Eating Disorder Hope, as well as NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association). These organizations are focused on spreading information and resources for eating disorder support and treatment.
On top of using trusted websites to learn more about eating disorders and your options, treatment itself can be accessed via the internet. This is especially true during the time of COVID-19 when many treatment facilities are providing online treatment options that range from intensive care to outpatient support.
The internet can be a wonderful place of support, as many of these advocacy websites also have support groups where you can connect with others struggling. This can help you to feel less isolated and gain more support from individuals who understand what you’re going through.
Use Your Support for Help Finding Eating Disorder Treatment
I have lived and worked as a therapist in a small rural community and seen many clients ashamed to open up about their struggles because they feel no one understands, or they fear that it will make them “different.”
These feelings are valid, but keeping your struggle to yourself will only lead to worsening disordered behaviors and deeper feelings of isolation, shame, and helplessness.
Speaking about your struggle is brave and courageous. It can help you activate the family and friends around you that are willing to support you. The first step to receiving help is being open about our challenges, but this doesn’t mean you need to tell your entire community. Start with a trusted loved one that you know will have the encouraging response that you need to feel stronger and more supported.
One study examined the health outcomes of clients in a rural setting and found that 50% of those clients that were able to receive treatment achieved a positive outcome (1).
Your likelihood of achieving recovery and improving your relationship with yourself, your body, and food drastically improves if you are open about your struggle and receive treatment. While accessing this may not be easy, there are many traditional and non-traditional routes that you can take to receive the support you need.
Resources
1. Sheridan, T. et al. (2013). Health outcomes of eating disorder clients in a rural setting. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 21:4.
About the Author:
Margot Rittenhouse, MS, PLPC, NCC is a therapist who is passionate about providing mental health support to all in need and has worked with clients with substance abuse issues, eating disorders, domestic violence victims, and offenders, and severely mentally ill youth.
As a freelance writer for Eating Disorder Hope and Addiction Hope and a mentor with MentorConnect, Margot is a passionate eating disorder advocate, committed to de-stigmatizing these illnesses while showing support for those struggling through mentoring, writing, and volunteering. Margot has a Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Johns Hopkins University.
The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective on eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer a discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.
We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.
Published August 28, 2020, on EatingDisorderHope.com
Reviewed & Approved on August 28, 2020, by Jacquelyn Ekern MS, LPC
