Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder. Anorexia and bulimia tend to strike mostly females who have certain personality characteristics which make them more vulnerable to these disorders. These traits include: perfectionism, harm avoidance, and obsessionality. Research is being done to identify the genetic underpinnings of these deadly disorders. Treatment involves learning to eat normal meals, reducing anxiety through cognitive behavioral therapy and medication, developing new coping strategies, and challenging distorted beliefs about food, body weight, and self-worth. For teens with eating disorders, family therapy is essential. Parents can learn how to support their adolescent's recovery process.

The UCSD Eating Disorder IOP program is designed for patients who are struggling with anorexia or bulimia. We provide individual, group, and family therapy. Each patient will participate in a dinner group at least once a week and nutritional education.

Program components are scheduled based on the individual patient’s needs. We have groups for both teens and adults. The IOP consists of at least 9 hours of treatment per week. Patients who already have outpatient therapists are encouraged to keep seeing them during non-program hours. Payment arrangements can be made by using insurance or cash payments.

As a university based program, we provide state of the art treatments based on research and new understandings of eating disorders. Genetic vulnerabilities to anxiety, obsessive and perfectionistic traits predispose individuals to develop eating disorders. These traits can be modified through new coping strategies, to allow these traits to become assets rather than liabilities.

Our staff consists of experienced professionals who specialize in eating disorder treatment. Disciplines represented include psychiatrists, psychologists, psychologist interns, psychiatric residents, and a dietitian. We specialize in treatment using individual, group, and family therapy. The program is structured to meet individual treatment needs. We have a teen as well as an adult track in the program.

This university-based program offers the assurance of scientifically-based treatments delivered in a warm and caring environment.