The Benefits of Co-Ed Eating Disorder Treatment

By Meghan Vivo

Historically, most eating disorder treatment programs were designed with women in mind, or excluded men all together. As the public becomes more aware and accepting of male eating disorders and more research is conducted in the field, more eating disorder treatment facilities are tailoring treatment to the needs of both male and female clientele.

Sierra Tucson and Life Healing Center, two addictions and eating disorder programs, treat men as well as women. Although men and women develop eating disorders for different reasons, once eating disorders are under way, they are very similar clinically.

Patients at these eating disorder programs participate in both mixed-gender and gender-specific group therapy sessions. In single-gender groups, women are free to discuss the issues unique to women such as the loss of menstrual cycle in anorexia, sexuality, or emotional issues surrounding past abuse or trauma that they may not wish to discuss in the presence of men. Likewise, men in single-gender groups have the opportunity to process body image issues, sexuality, or other issues with men who understand their struggles.

Mixed-gender group sessions are also immensely healing for both men and women. Together, they can address the feelings of inadequacy, perfectionism, or shame that they may feel and work through any triggers or emotional issues in a safe, nurturing environment. By being exposed to real-world situations during treatment, patients can learn the coping skills they’ll need after treatment.

Co-ed group interactions also build more sensitivity and awareness about the disease, and help normalize eating disorders for everyone. They begin to see that the similarities outweigh the differences – all have struggled with self-esteem, body image, impulsivity, and the drive for perfection. Very quickly, everyone realizes they are not alone.

Adjusting to the Realities of Daily Life

Co-ed eating disorder treatment maintains normalcy in patients’ lives, so that re-integrating into the real world isn’t so traumatizing. Because the men and women already have been exposed to interactions with the opposite sex in common situations like at meals or in group therapy, they are well-prepared to handle the triggers and emotions that arise after formal treatment ends.

Mixing males and females can also be very powerful for both genders because they are in a good position to challenge one another’s distorted ways of thinking. For example, a female who sees herself as unacceptably fat and unlikable may be confronted about those flawed perceptions by a male in the group. And a male who never thinks he’s good enough may begin to feel differently when he receives positive affirmations from others in the group.

“Men and women have a special way of bringing out one another’s issues and challenging each other’s cognitive distortions,” explains licensed marriage and family therapist and certified eating disorder specialist Elaine Alexander, MA, the vice president of eating disorders at CRC Health Group (the leading provider of specialized behavioral healthcare services in the United States).

She continues, “Women may become competitive in the presence of males and try to affirm their eating disorder through male attention. Or there may be issues with a woman’s father, brother, spouse, or boyfriend that trigger feelings of abandonment or low self-worth, which are brought to the surface when there are men in the group. Since these issues will arise in daily life after treatment, there is no better time or place to begin addressing them than during treatment.”

In addition to learning about healthy exercise and processing issues in group therapy, patients at Sierra Tucson and Life Healing Center work with a dietician who teaches them to grocery shop and cook healthfully at home. In an environment that is gender-neutral, patients learn to implement a healthy lifestyle through fitness, nutrition, and therapy and develop healthier connections with peers, family, and themselves.

Different, but the Same
 
For all of the differences between males and females, there are some truths that are universal. One of these truths is that eating disorders do not discriminate – they strike males and females, young and old, gay and straight, rich and poor. Recovering from an eating disorder is not easy and will require the anorexic, bulimic, or binge eater to draw upon the experiences, strengths, and struggles of others. Whether male or female, overcoming these devastating diseases will be a challenge you don’t want to face alone.