For All of Us
Written by Ashley Beck
For some of us, treatment for our eating disorder does not start when we enter the hospital's threshold. For some of us, our fight begins with finding treatment and finding a way to the treatment facility. This is where the battle began for me. The road to recovery is a fight in and of itself, and when the very real logistics of cost, insurance, location, transportation, and living expenses are also a factor, advocating for yourself and fighting for the life you deserve can feel like a near impossible feat. This is where Project HEAL came in.
My eating disorder has been with me since adolescence, waxing and waning with each phase of my life. Taking on different shapes and forms to accommodate the prevailing distortion of that season. Sometimes I would be “fine.” At other times, life was unmanageable. Sometimes nurturing myself brought on debilitating fear; other times I was a bottomless pit.
Now in my early 30s, I have finally accepted that I need and deserve intensive specialized treatment for my eating disorder. I am grateful that my therapist was the catalyst that incited my search for a treatment center. It was through her urging and my own research that I came across Project HEAL and learned of their insurance navigation and treatment placement program.
Before learning about Project HEAL, I was convinced that eating disorder treatment was not an option for me.
Countless calls to nearby facilities resulted in lengthy intake assessments that often ended with them informing me that they were outside of my insurance network. I could barely uphold my professional duties while also finding time to wait on-hold with my insurance company for extended periods of time or travel an hour and a half to complete a treatment placement assessment. I was losing hope. I remember thinking to myself, The intensive care and support of ED treatment centers is a privilege reserved for other people. I remember feeling like my circumstances as a business owner who lived alone and used Medicaid meant that I didn’t have the right to the same standard of wellness as others. I felt defeated.
When I applied to Project HEAL’s treatment placement program I was shocked by how quickly they reached out and how eager they were to offer guidance and resources. Eunice connected me with an insurance navigator who helped me to understand my options and find a treatment center that was in network. I was also placed with an Eating Disorder Recovery Coach who has been a life-changing support. My hope was restored. It felt so reassuring and encouraging to know that I finally had a team of dedicated health advocates in my corner. But barriers still loomed. The next challenge was the commute and logistics. The only treatment center in-network with my insurance was more than an hour away from where I lived, and my car had recently broken down.
I was overwhelmed with so many questions. How will I get there? How can I continue to pay my rent and care for myself if I’m not working? Will this program be a good fit for me? If not, will I have other options?
I’m so grateful that I can now share how Project HEAL helped me answer all those questions. They gave me a cash assistance grant that helped me physically get to the treatment that I had fought so hard for. Having the assistance of the insurance navigator made me feel more supported in my search for placement. The guidance from Noelle, my recovery coach, has been a priceless gift and a key contributor to the progress I have made in recovery. I am overwhelmed with gratitude that Project HEAL could provide transportation assistance when I needed it.
I started off in the Partial Hospitalization Program in mid-August. It was, and continues to be, very hard work. Now, as I prepare to discharge out of treatment, I know that I am healthier than I’ve been in a very long time. The tools and knowledge that I have gained while in treatment are reinforced and supported by my recovery coaching.
For the first time in decades, I feel a sense of freedom that I believe could only have been accomplished with the help of the passionate and compassionate team at Project HEAL.
Thank you so much for all that you have done to support my journey. I hope that my story can serve as a living testament of the value of Project HEAL and their vital role in the recovery of countless individuals fighting for freedom. Thank you for demonstrating and affirming the truth that recovery from eating disorders is an entitlement for all of us.
Ashley Beck is a business owner residing in the Chicagoland Area. Her journey to ED recovery began in August of 2022.
