5/24/2006

Spiritual Treatment Helpful to Patients with Eating Disorders
Remuda Ranch, Nation’s Leading Eating Disorder Treatment Center, Treats The “Whole” Person – Body, Mind and Spirit

PHOENIX, May 24 /Christian Newswire/ -- In the past, mainstream professional psychology was skeptical about spiritual issues and therapy. In the last decade, there’s been a major shift and mental health professionals are beginning to understand the importance of treating the whole person, including those parts that are defined as spiritual.

“At Remuda Ranch we believe people are spiritual beings, we have a spirit and our spiritual nature needs to be cared for in a specific way,” said David Wall, PhD, director of psychological services at Remuda Ranch. “Spirituality is concerned with the purpose and meaning of who we are as individuals and examines the questions such as: ‘Why am I here?’, ‘What makes me special and unique?’, and ‘Where is my life going?’”

Our culture is complex, chaotic and often dehumanizing. We have never-ending activities that produce physical, mental and emotional fatigue. Our lives are filled with deadlines and routine and we seek to be entertained. Failure to deal with the spiritual issues of life can be dangerous for our mental health and our ability to deal with and accept life transitions and stresses, such as the aging process which we all must face.

There are three primary ways avoiding spiritual issues can harm one’s mental health. They are:

• When our attempts to amuse ourselves fail, depression and anxiety develop as the emptiness and lack of meaning surface like a water leak that can no longer be plugged.

• Some people develop ways of avoiding spiritual issues by drugs and alcohol. This can lead to relationship and work problems, depression, and serious medical problems.

• Thirdly, in the absence of spiritual wellness, there’s an inner drive for status that causes us to seek materialistic solutions in culturally defined ways that are not capable of filling this void.

“Eating disorders can develop when we seek acceptance through physical appearance and thinness,” adds Dr. Wall. “Self worth and acceptance become locked into the pursuit of the perfect body, or being thinner than anyone else.”

Through its Christian-based treatment, Remuda Ranch’s program includes classes to explore spiritual issues in great depth. Patients attend chapel daily, including a devotional message and songs of spiritual praise and worship. Support group models are taught and opportunities are given to experience these groups. Remuda also uses scientific methods to assess individuals’ spiritual needs. Additionally, Remuda’s patient-care staff are compassionate, spiritually-committed people, highly skilled and fully credentialed in their professions.

“We’re often in awe of our patients because of their courage and strength,” adds Dr. Wall. “They’re not afraid to ask hard questions about God, the purpose of life and the mystery of death, and they want answers that make sense and that they can count on throughout their lives.”

Remuda Ranch emphasizes an individual’s worth is not based upon appearance or accomplishments, but has its foundation in the innate God-given value of each person. Remuda emphasizes the Biblical concept of working through issues, forgiving, and letting go. Additionally, the concepts of grace, faith and hope are vital to a patient’s recovery.

About Remuda Ranch Programs for Eating Disorders Remuda Ranch is a caring place for women and girls who are suffering from eating disorders and related issues. Remuda Treatment Programs offer Christian inpatient and residential treatment for women and girls of all faiths suffering from an eating disorder. Each patient is treated by a multi-disciplinary team including a Psychiatric and a Primary Care Provider, Registered Dietitian, Masters Level therapist, Psychologist and Registered Nurse. The professional staff equips each patient with the right tools to live a healthy, productive life. For more information, call 1-800-445-1900 or visit www.remudaranch.com .