Unfortunately, the barriers to eating disorder recovery for so many people are financial in nature. It can feel discouraging to ask for help and receive the same blanket response: “You need therapy.”

In an ideal world, high-quality, professional help should be available to anyone who needs it, regardless of ability to pay. To be honest, if you are struggling with symptoms, you probably would benefit from a higher level of treatment. But in this world, it is not always feasible to pursue professional help when you are—put frankly—broke and uninsured.

So if you are in that boat, what can you do?

Apply for treatment scholarships or grants. There are several foundations that regularly offer scholarships to those facing financial barriers to treatment. The Eating Recovery Center has amassed a broad (relatively speaking) collection of these scholarships and grants. Consider applying to one or more of these scholarships or grants, even as you work to leverage your own recovery at home. If you hear back in two weeks, two months, or two years and you no longer need that level of support, they will simply give your slot to the next applicant. Maximize your free support system. There are a number of free, mutual-help programs that can offer accountability, education, and connection to a positive, recovery-focused community. Look for groups that give you a sense of belonging and foster problem-solving, not pity-partying. SMART Recovery offers online, peer-facilitated meetings based on behavioral principles that can be accessed from the comfort of your own home. If the thought of staying in recovery forever feels hopelessly daunting, focus on abstaining from addictive behaviors from one meeting to the next, where you can tap into the community’s support to rekindle your commitment to recovery. Find food that feeds you, not your eating disorder. There are a variety of methods, programs, and food recommendations for eating disorder recovery. None of them work if you don’t eat their food or if you continue to use purging behaviors afterwards. Having external accountability can help you follow through on any food plan of your choosing. This can be as simple as texting an accountability buddy before and after meals. It might be investing in a month of pre-made meals to consider what healthy eating may look like in your recovery future. Ultimately, you get to decide how to use food in a way that heals instead of harms.

Lastly, there are a few circumstances in which medical attention is necessary, regardless of ability to pay. Please seek immediate medical attention if you demonstrate any of the following symptoms[1]:

Heart rate <40bpm or irregular Temperature <97F edema (swollen fingers and/or toes) seizures or tingling sensations which can signal significant electrolyte disturbances suicidality

Remember, being dead broke still beats the normal kind of dead.

Reference:

Williams PM, Goodie J, & Motsinger CD. Treating eating disorders in primary care. Am Fam Physician. 2008; 77(2): 187-95.