It is often the case that the woman who comes to The Victorian in Newport Beach, CA for help with her eating disorder also struggles with other addictions, such as a chemical dependency, as well.   Our team of staff members understands what women that suffer from these eating disorders combined with another addiction are going through.  We make it a priority to make each woman feel nurtured and safe in our intimate, warm, serene, and comfortable home setting.  We will then caringly help her address both behaviors in the most effective way possible.

It is not uncommon for a woman who requires treatment for an eating disorder such as bulimia, compulsive overeating, and anorexia to deal with the underlying problem by abusing drugs (prescription medication being the fastest growing category of drug abuse) or alcohol.  The term for a person who has an eating disorder and at the same time suffers from other destructive behaviors is “co-occurring disorders” or “co-morbid disorders”, and he or she is said to have a dual diagnosis.  If the individual has patterns of replacing one addiction with another one (such as shopping addiction or sexual addiction) or has mood swings or relapses, it could be a sign that they have a dual diagnosis.

Unlike other eating disorder treatment facilities, The Victorian has the distinction of being licensed and approved by the state of California to treat both eating disorders as well as addictions.  The Victorian has an affiliation with Sober Living by the Sea, which has over twenty-three years of experience treating chemical dependency in Newport Beach, CA.  Starting about 10 years ago, Sober Living by the Sea began treatment programs that are gender specific.  This experience benefits the staff of The Victorian by allowing them to better treat addiction issues using their extensive knowledge regarding the differences in women’s drug addiction and alcoholism over that of men’s.

How The Victorian Approaches Co-Occurring Disorders

Immediately following a woman’s arrival at The Victorian, our caring staff members will perform an initial evaluation of her problem behaviors and start to assess her as a whole person.  Her eating disorder, along with her chemical dependency or other addiction will be looked at, but in addition, our team of experts will also learn her experiences in life that make her a unique and special individual.  They will consider and inquire about a variety of factors that make her who she is now, including her:

• family
• value systems
• cultural background
• religious or spiritual traditions
• influences from society

Following this initial assessment, she splits her time spent at the treatment center between meeting one-on-one with her counselor and group therapy sessions, and interacting with other housemates through performing constructive, positive, esteem building activities with each other.  12-Step based recovery meetings, which are hosted on-site at The Victorian, are also attended by patients.  They also go to “outside” neighborhood meetings, in order to reinforce their bond with other women in the area that are effectively recovering.

Starting from the very moment the patient sets foot in our facility, the entire team of clinical staff members will use their analysis of her initial assessment and personal history to tailor a personalized treatment program specifically for her unique needs.

The Victorian’s recommended stay is a minimum of 60 days.  For many women, the first couple of weeks after they refrain from their eating disordered and addictive behavior are spent as an adjustment period to abstinence and sobriety.  During this period, patients tend to say that they are “in a fog”.  When the third week of treatment rolls around all the way until the second month ends, we start to see extraordinary progress and healing.  It is usually the case that the longer someone stays at The Victorian, the better the likelihood is that they will achieve long-term abstinence.

Continuing Care

Working along with her case manager, every woman will plan a responsible program of continuing care that she will follow when she is prepared to move forward with the subsequent stage of care.  Staff members at The Victorian are always standing by to answer the phone and the patient’s progress during the first year after treatment will be closely monitored by the continuing care and alumni departments.  A Continuing Care Meeting is hosted weekly on-site in Orange County, CA.  Clients are entitled to attend these meetings anytime they wish and at any point.  Many of our clients make the trip back to California specifically to attend these meetings and commemorate their abstinence or sobriety milestone with others that have experienced the same.