ED IP unit vs general IP unit

[Beckytea]

I've been in a young people's IP unit for just over 2 weeks now, and my CAMHS worker has decided she wants to send me to an ED unit instead.

I'm not even in IP for my eating disorder - I was admitted for self-harm, but they're trying to treat/manage my bulimia on the side, so I don't see why I need to be admitted to an ED unit?

Like I said, I'm bulimic, so I'm not at a low weight, and I don't have any related medical issues, and I know it's quite rare for bulimics to have to go into IP!

I think that being surrounded by very thin anorexia patients would be really detrimental for my recovery and self-esteem (which isn't exactly soaring at the moment anyway), whereas at the moment I'm in a lovely small unit with other young people who have quite different problems to mine - I can't help thinking that this would be more helpful to me.

Does anyone have any experience with both general and specialised ED units who can relate/offer an opinion?

[ScienceOfBallet]

The general unit isn't trained or equipped well at all to deal with patients that have any degree of an actual eating disorder. I think it will be much better to go to the ED unit, they'll understand more, but also keep you from doing behaviors and that will help you get to the real issues and be able to try to figure some of this all out. Plus I'm sure you'll find the patients there wonderful as well, all of my friends that have been IP or residential still maintain friendships with the girls they were with.
Bulimic patients sometimes do need to be hospitalized to stop the purging and especially to stabilize things like electrolytes and correct dehydration and also to monitor heart stuff.... bulimia is really dangerous. It doesn't hurt to give it a chance!

[InternalDialogue]

I was in your exact situation when I was about 14- right down to thinking that I'd be worse off being surrounded by ED'd patients. If you can go to the ED ward, then go. There's a huge difference between general psych units and eating disorder units. I feel that you'd be better off in the ED unit. You might not like it at first, but it'll be far more helpful and I promise you'll be able to relate to the people there just as much as in the general ward.

[pudgey2]

I was in your situation too. I ended up going and made one huge mistake. I left after a very short amount of time after seeing everybody else had anorexia. The group that finished a week before I cam in was ALL bulimic, so it was simply bad timing. After that I started restricting more and became anorexic. So if you do go in, don't get discouraged, you're all there for different reasons, focus on your recovery and not the weights of others... because hopefully they will recover and be normal like you anyway.

[lethologica]

Well, first of all, I want to point out that it isn't "rare" for bulimics to go into residential/IP, and that bulimia is JUST as serious as anorexia.
Secondly, girls at eating disorder treatment centers come of all shapes and sizes. Of course there will be skinny, "triggering" girls but chances are there will be girls who are the same size as you (whatever that may be) and larger. One of my biggest fears about going into an ED treatment center was the same as yours - that it would be even more detrimental to my recovery to be around girls who were all so much smaller than me, but once I got there I realized it was a completely different story. Like I said, there were girls there of all different shapes and sizes, but most importantly none of them really judged each other about their bodies because we were all able to recognize that we're all struggling with the same thing - an eating disorder, in whatever form yours takes. Coming from someone who has been in both general and eaing disorder inpatient/residential units, I can say that if you're looking to move on from your eating disorder, you most likely will not be able to do so in a general mental health setting. You need to be around professionals who specialize in eating disorder treatment, and around peers who can support you through it. One of the most important things I learned in treatment is that you cannot do recovery on your own, and you will need all the support you can get, which is much harder to get from people who hardly have an understanding of what you're really suffering with.
I urge you to seek a center focused on eating disorders. It will be one of the - if not the - hardest things you'll ever do, and once you get there you'll probably wish you had never agreed to go, but in the long run I can promise you that it will turn out to be the best thing you'll ever do, if you can ride it out, tell the truth to the staff there, (especially when you're struggling; it's okay to mess up) and stay as focused on recovery as you can.

[Blackeyed]

I would recommend going to the ED IP program. I was hospitalized in a general psych ward for 4 months to recover from anorexia, and I wish I was able to be in an ED program. I basically spent the entire 4 months b/ping my way to a healthy weight because the staff had absouloutely no idea how to support/treat and eating disordered patient. Honestly, the entire experience was a nightmare and I did not feel supported/understood at all. If anything I felt imprisoned and patronized at times by the staff. Initially my dr. Would not admit me to an ED ward because he didn't want me 'competing with the other anorexics' and to be honest I was fine wit that because I felt 'too fat to have an Ed' (bmi 14.8) it wsn't until I reached a bmi of 18.5 that he would even consider allowing me to transfer to an eD unit. And at this point, I certainly didn't want to go as he unveiled me I would have the highest bmi of all the other patients (stupid I know). But looking back, I desperately wished I took that opportunity while I had it. I could have learned to eat properly,attended groups relevant to my situation ect. I know our circumstances are a bit different but I really feel that you would be better off in a supportive environment more suited to your needs. Anyway, whatever you decide I wish you the best of luck with your recovery. X

[Beckytea]

Hey thank you for your replies, everyone

I went for an assessment last week and I was told that all the other patients there were underweight anorexia patients and they decided not to admit me because of this, and the effect it could have on me

BUT

there is another unit that is being considered, where I would be staying in a general young people's unit, but there is an adult eating disorders unit on site, so I will be using those services

I actually really hope I get a referral now, because that sounds perfect for me!