There is no singular or universal remedy for eating disorders. In fact, eating disorders are as diverse as the individuals who suffer from them, which is why it’s so important that eating disorder treatment programs be designed on a case-by-case basis. The plain fact of the matter is that no two victims are ever exactly alike, and no eating disorder treatment facility should care for them as if they were. If you’re going to overcome anorexia or bulimia, in other words, it’s going to have to be on your own terms.

Remember too that the decision to seek eating disorder treatment is only the beginning of the recovery process, not the end. Eating disorders are fierce diseases, and overcoming them demands both effort and patience. As important as it is to take the first step, you’ll never get where you need to go if you aren’t willing to stay committed over the long run. You already know what you have to lose. Now it’s time to find out just how good victory can feel. Here’s hoping you can find the wherewithal to finally do what you must.

The only successful eating disorder treatment program is the one that engages the active efforts of an eating disorder treatment patient. Anorexia and bulimia, after all, are both profoundly personal diseases. Beating them demands a profoundly personal effort, one that can only come from eating disorder victims. If you want your eating disorder treatment program to work for you, in other words, you’re going to have to work for your eating disorder treatment program. In the end, there’s simply no other way for eating disorder recovery to happen.

The point here isn’t that eating disorder treatment facilities are unimportant. On the contrary, the help you get from the professional caregivers at an eating disorder treatment center will be vital in helping you muster the strength and the courage to get where you need to go. But you’re the only one who can actually do the mustering. Your future, then, is very much in your hands here. How you shape it is ultimately up to you.

No one beats an eating disorder without professional eating disorder treatment. Remember, an eating disorder is a disease, not a choice. Victims don’t decide to be sick. By the same token, no one can ever decide to get better. Eating disorder recovery invariably begins with a personal decision to enter an eating disorder treatment center. Given the stakes, anything short of that is simply unacceptable.

The good news is that there’s plenty of help out there. The only catch is that you have to be willing to admit that you have a problem. Even the best eating disorder treatment center in Los Angeles can’t do anything for a patient who refuses to seek treatment. Your long-term health depends on your willingness to recognize the truth about yourself and your condition. Doing the right thing may just save your life. It’s hard to imagine that anyone could need more encouragement than that.