What's hospitalization for an eating disorder like?

I'm a bulimic and my therapists are considering putting me into a recovery program at the hospital for a little while. What do you do there, what are you allowed to bring, what are the general rules, how long do patients usually stay, and how effective is it?
If you have first-hand experience, it would be greatly appreciated.

I was just in one this past fall for anorexia. I stayed about 6 weeks but the time varies.

Honestly, it was probably the best and worst time of my life. I do admit that being there really helped me. It helped me realize that i didnt want to live with this disorder anymore, And i learned a lot about myself. You will also meet girls (and even guys) who are going through similar situations. That really helped me. Its nice to know you're not alone and its great to have that support around you.

Here was a typical day for me: Woke up at 6am for weigh in, then we could get showers, dressed etc. Breakfast was at 8. Then we would have school for a few hours where a tutor there would help us(im 17 so im still in school). Noon was lunchtime. After lunch, we had a lot of groups and/or freetime. Snack at 3, then another group or two, then dinner at 5. After dinner we had freetime and visiting hours where your family and friends could visit. We then ate another snack at 8pm and bedtime was 10.

There are a lot of rules and i was kinda surprised at 1st, but u will get used to them. We werent allowed to go to the bathroom or into our rooms for an hour after we ate. We had to sit outside in the general area where the nurses and stuff could watch us. And we werent allowed to get up or move. We had to sit in a seat or on the couch. At the place i was at we could earn priveledges, like time on the computer or going downstairs to the hospital cafeteria for meals instead of eating off the trays.

You will probably have your own therapist to talk to and there will be nutritionists as well as medical doctors. The place i was at had a lot of young, fun nurses working and they were all pretty nice.

What you are allowed to bring will vary depending on where you are going. The place i went to was on a floor of an actual psychiatric hospital, so we werent allowed to have any hoodies or pants with drawstrings, nothing metal or glass, no cell phones or other electronics, no batteries, no gum, and nothing like diet pills or exericse equipment (obviously).

The length of stay varies, but its usually around 5-6 weeks. It will only help you if you are willing and ready to receive help, which it sounds like you are. I wish you the best of luck

Being in a hospital program is very comfortable. You are always treated nicely and with great respect. You will be with others like you who suffer with eating disorders. If you truly want help it is there. You will have therapy which is done by professionals who are trained to make you feel comfortable. Of course no laxatives allowed. You are allowed to bring just about anything that you will need, clothes, cosmetics if you are a girl, your toiletries, shampoo,etc. While you are there it will be decided how long you need to stay it is usually two weeks but if your problem is severe the time will be extended. It is very effective if your are willing to listen and use the skills that you learn. You also learn about your own personal issues that cause you to be bulimic which gives you a really good start when you get home. There is great support. The most comfortable thing about it is that you will make friends and have the opportunity for lots of personal conversations with others your age. You will be away from the stresses that are in your life that are not helping your problem. It is a very good, positive, learning experience. I hope you will do this!! Take care and please try hard on your work towards wellness. Bulimia is so very dangerous for you. Without your even knowing your body organs will begin to shut down because you don't have the vitamins and nutrients that your body has to live. Your teeth will be ruined from the acid you are forcing up. Your esophogus cannot take being burned constantly and will be destroyed. Your heart is affected severely. Please get the help you need to live a healty, well life!

I have been in hospital twice for eating disorders, firstly when i was 12 with bulimia and secondly at 14 with anorexia.

My honest opinion is i hated it, i cried every day and being in there was the worst and most depressing experience of my life. But i have to admit it did help me. It helped being around other people who were going through the same thing as you. One of the reasons why i hated it the most was because when i first came into hospital both times i was on feeding tubes for a week or so because i was so bad, also to begin woth i resented the fact i was there, i didn't want to get better, to put on weight, to be fat!

They woke us up early like around 6/ 6:30 and weighed us right away. They would also check few other stats and things to make sure we were healthy, for me they would give me my pills and stuff. We would then get washed and dressed and meet for breakfast in the dining room for about 7:30 ish. After that we would have our normal school day lessons for about 2/3 hours, after we would see our counselors and then meet for our 'getting better/ learning about our illness time' Noon was lunchtime. After lunch, we had our own time to read and talk.. Then another meeting or lesson, then dinner at 6ish . After dinner we had more of our own time and visiting hours where your family and friends could visit.We then would be offered more food around 9 ish and bedtime was around 10.

There are soooo many rules, most of which i hated but were put there to stop us going back to our old ways. You are not alowed to use the bathroom or be on your own for about and 1hiur or 1:30 mins after you have eaten to make sure you didn't throw it up. So this meant we had to be where they could keep an eye on us, we had to be sat down and we weren't alowed to joggle our legs or anything! Once you had been there a while and they thought they could trust you they would let you go for walks round the hospital alone and eat in the cafe there.If you went on the pc you were monitored and mobile phones and things were not allowed, phone calls you made were also monitored, you are not allowed any thing like chewing gum, nothing to do with exercise, anything you were reading had to be approved by the board. The people i was there with were really nice, the staff are really friendly and do only want to help you.
How long you stay there for depends on you, if you want to be helped and how bad you were when you got bought in. Most people stay there for 6 weeks, i had to stay there first (when i was 11) for 10 weeks and 2nd time (14) for 16 weeks because i was really bad when i went in also because i ahd been there before and threw up my food right in from of them so... yea


if you want any other help or have any other questions feel free to email me xx good luck xxx

I was in one in 1996. I won't lie to you about my experience. I hated it. The one I was in they tell you to go to the bathroom after you first get up dress you in hospital gown and weigh you every morning, they told me to stand on the scale backwards I wasn't allowed to know how much I weighed. Then you eat and you can't go to the bathroom for at least 30 to 45 minutes. I wasn't allowed to brush my teeth for about 30 minutes after I ate. They teach you different ways to eat. They helped me learn how to eat right. With me if I didn't eat a certain percentage of each meal I had to drink a ensure with instant carnation breakfast mixed in it. They have groups that you gotta go to. You'll see doctors. I really hated it at first but then I started to learn more about eating healthy. You would probably see a therapist while you are in there to discuss some of your issues. It helped but I won't lie I still have problems at times but I know how to better make it through them speed bumps as I call them. They have a online group for eating disorders I am in it, its just a way to talk to some people that have been through it and they really care!

well a bunch of ppl try to help you and they say to you should stop being bulimic because this will happen and they will try to change your mind about being bulimic