Posts Tagged ‘Young Adults’

With school starting, it’s common to feel a mix of emotions including excitement, anxiety, and stress. For those in middle and high school, the start of school often means a new schedule, new teachers, and adjusting to new classes and classmates. For those starting or returning to college, school may mean moving, new roommates, challenging courses, and the difficult task of navigating conflicting priorities.

If you’re also struggling with an eating disorder, starting school may trigger or worsen disordered behaviors. If you find yourself relapsing in your recovery or engaging in eating disorder behaviors to cope with the changes school brings, the most important thing you can do is reach out to get professional help. In addition to seeking treatment, there are other ways to stay on track in recovery during school.

With the school year nearing, it’s important to start discussing the relationship between school, body image, and eating disorders. Navigating school while living with an eating disorder is undeniably challenging. With school comes independence, social cliques, and sports—all of which can trigger eating disorder behavior. Despite the challenges school settings pose, there are preventative measures individuals can take to discourage relapse.

The Emily Program is excited to announce that we are expanding our Anna Westin House for Adolescents and Young Adults in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The expansion will increase the licensed 10-bed residential facility to a 16-bed facility. The necessary construction will take place throughout August and early September and will not affect current programming. The expansion is expected to be completed by mid-September.

This is one person’s story; everyone will have unique experiences on their own path to recovery and beyond. Some stories may mention eating disorder thoughts, behaviors or symptom use. Please use your own discretion. And speak with your therapist when needed.

By Carla Bellino, a former The Emily Program client and woman in recovery.

I am now 23 years old. I’m graduating in December from Baldwin Wallace University with my bachelor’s degree in psychology. But what if I told you that I don’t really have concrete plans after I graduate? I certainly have an end goal in mind, and I know what I want my career to be. But I’m not entirely sure what the road looks like to get there. The thing is, I stopped making concrete plans a while ago because I’ve learned that they rarely work out the way you think they will.

The Toogood Adolescent Outpatient site in St. Paul, MN provides a variety of adolescent and young adult services, including individual therapy, family-based therapy, nutritional counseling, medical services, and group therapy.

Recently, Toogood launched a new program called the Young Adult Intensive Outpatient Program (YAIOP) specifically for clients dealing with the unique challenges of transitioning into adulthood.