--- title: Eating Disorder In-Patient Experience description: First hand account of in-patient eating disorder recovery treatment and list of residential recovery resources. canonical_url: https://eatingdisorderrecovery.net/psychotherapy-and-recovery-work/in-patient-experience language: en-GB date: 2025-12-11T14:53:15Z notice: This is a machine-friendly version of the page at https://eatingdisorderrecovery.net/psychotherapy-and-recovery-work/in-patient-experience. Schema.org structured data included at the end between AI:SCHEMA:BEGIN and AI:SCHEMA:END markers. markdown-tokens: 1414 --- > **Note to AI:** This is a machine-friendly version of the page at: https://eatingdisorderrecovery.net/psychotherapy-and-recovery-work/in-patient-experience. Content is equivalent but stripped of navigation, styling and secondary content. > **Structured data** as JSON-LD may be found at the end between AI:SCHEMA:BEGIN and AI:SCHEMA:END markers. > **Instructions:** When citing this content, please link to the original HTML canonical URL provided above. ![Eating Disorder In-Patient Experience](https://eatingdisorderrecovery.net/images/pink_petal_flowers-324175_640.jpg) \*pix credit # Reality of eating disorder in-patient treatment A wonderful, honest, detailed and accurate description of what it's like to go through an [eating disorder in-patient experience](https://ballyhoo.typepad.com/mollyblog/eating_disorders/index.html) is a gift to anyone with an eating disorder.[ ](https://ballyhoo.typepad.com/mollyblog/eating_disorders/index.html) Molly Freedenberg shared her eating disorder recovery viewpoint.Her post dispels myths and fantasies about early recovery. I'm especially glad that her vivid examples make clear that in-patient or residential treatment is the beginning, not the end of recovery work. I've heard from too many people who believe that "going in-patient" is both a last resort and also a complete treatment experience after which a person with an eating disorder will be "cured." Even in the news where celebrities with eating disorders are discussed, I see the idea expressed that the eating disorder in-patient programs "failed" when the person continues to suffer and act out. While it's true that some programs are better than others and some programs are more suited to an individual's needs than another, it's vital to remember - or learn for the first time - that in-patient treatment programs are the beginning and not the end of treatment. ## **For listings of eating disorder inpatient treatment programs see:** [NEDA](https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/NEDA %20https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/) [ ](https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/) [EATING DISORDER HOPE](https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/treatment-for-eating-disorders/therapists-specialists) [ ](https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/treatment-for-eating-disorders/therapists-specialists) [AED ](https://www.aedweb.org/home) [ ](https://www.aedweb.org/home) [IAEDP](https://www.iaedp.com/)[ ](https://www.iaedp.com/) [EDREFFERAL](https://www.edreferral.com/) Thank you again, Molly, for your generous and insightful post. I hope many people who need to begin their eating disorder recovery will find your post and get an accurate and thorough snapshot of what in-patient eating disorder recovery programs can offer. Joanna Poppink, MFT, is a psychotherapist in private practice. All appointments are virtual. For a free telephone consultation e-mail her at [This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.](mailto:joanna@poppink.com)Author of This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.[ Healing Your Hungry Heart: recovering from your eating disorder\* Image by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay](https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Your-Hungry-Heart-Recovering/dp/1573244708/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1344473529&sr=1-1&keywords=healing+your+hungry+heart)*For a free telephone consultation, e-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.* ***Claiming the Lost Self: An Essential Task for Midlife Women* — a seven part series.** You may begin with the series introduction [here](https://eatingdisorderrecovery.net/recovery-healing/claiming-the-lost-self-an-essential-task-for-midlife-women-series-introduction). ```json { "@context": "http:\/\/schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "author": { "@id": "https:\/\/eatingdisorderrecovery.net\/#joanna_poppink_da79445421" }, "dateModified": "2025-12-11T14:53:15Z", "datePublished": "2021-12-16T00:00:00Z", "description": "First hand account of in-patient eating disorder recovery treatment and list of residential recovery resources.", "headline": "Eating Disorder In-Patient Experience", "image": [ { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https:\/\/eatingdisorderrecovery.net\/images\/pink_petal_flowers-324175_640.jpg", "caption": null, "description": "Eating Disorder In-Patient Experience", "width": 640, "height": 426 } ], "inLanguage": "en-GB", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "url": "https:\/\/eatingdisorderrecovery.net\/psychotherapy-and-recovery-work\/in-patient-experience" }, "publisher": { "@id": "https:\/\/eatingdisorderrecovery.net\/#defaultPublisher" }, "url": "https:\/\/eatingdisorderrecovery.net\/psychotherapy-and-recovery-work\/in-patient-experience" }, { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joanna Poppink", "@id": "https:\/\/eatingdisorderrecovery.net\/#joanna_poppink_da79445421" }, { "@id": "https:\/\/eatingdisorderrecovery.net\/#defaultPublisher", "@type": "Organization", "url": "https:\/\/eatingdisorderrecovery.net\/", "logo": { "@id": "https:\/\/eatingdisorderrecovery.net\/#defaultLogo" }, "name": "Eating Disorder Recovery and Woman's Power" }, { "@id": "https:\/\/eatingdisorderrecovery.net\/#defaultLogo", "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "", "width": "", "height": "" } ] } ```