Celebrating the Holidays at Hidden River

Patient Pain Points for Eating Disorder Treatment During the Holidays

At Hidden River, our team often stresses the importance of seeking eating disorder treatment for a loved one as soon as their symptoms begin. Simply assuming that they will get better on their own is never a good idea. In fact, numerous studies link early intervention to long-term healing and recovery as well as other positive benefits! 

With the holidays just around the corner, this topic is all the more crucial to discuss. Just as families want to delay their child’s treatment until the school year is over, we hear from parents who plan to wait until after the holiday season to pursue professional help. They may not even reach out to our team to begin the admissions process until after Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, or Christmas, not wanting their child to miss out on the celebratory festivities and family togetherness. Unfortunately, once their loved one is evaluated in the new year, they are often much worse and may even require inpatient treatment.

For today’s blog post, we’re excited to share more about celebrating the holidays at Hidden River.

Christmas and Hanukkah are celebrated with extra opportunities for family to visit. Plus, we offer holiday meal plans from our dietitians and chefs. Our team also enjoys decorating our facility for the holidays. Alexis Land, LSW, Primary Therapist at Hidden River, adds, “We always try to incorporate different holiday-related arts and crafts — like making gingerbread houses! — in their social activity groups.” 

Of course, there’s one aspect of the holidays that we haven’t mentioned yet: gift giving! During the holidays at Hidden River, each patient receives a small gift from our team. They are also allowed to receive gifts during visits from their family members.

Most importantly, it’s crucial for parents to understand that their child’s eating disorder is the top priority. “Our team provides emotional support to the parents and try to discuss their child being in treatment for the holidays ahead of time,” explains Alexis. “We remind them of the importance of remaining in treatment so they can be present in future holidays at home. We also offer the extra visit time for them to be able to spend time together on the holiday.”

Even if your loved one is spending the holidays at Hidden River, they can still engage in the magical season.

Better yet, remember that, by this time next year, they’ll be in recovery and home with their family again!

To learn more about Hidden River, visit our website or reach out to info@hiddenriverhealing.com.