Living Hope Eating Disorder Treatment Center is located in Oklahoma. They offer residential, PHP, IOP, and outpatient.
Any reviews or info? Please post in comments below. You can check out the FAQ and Guidelines for suggested questions. Thank you!
Living Hope Eating Disorder Treatment Center is located in Oklahoma. They offer residential, PHP, IOP, and outpatient.
Any reviews or info? Please post in comments below. You can check out the FAQ and Guidelines for suggested questions. Thank you!
This place is hell and an absolute scam. I chose this program for myself and went voluntarily. I’m an adult with autism that lives with parents and I struggle with ARFID. The intake doctor misled and straight up lied to my family and I about several things. I was promised specific accommodations for my autistic needs, but as soon as I arrived at the residential facility I was told they wouldn’t give me “special treatment.” Accommodations for a disability are not special treatment. They claimed to be knowledgeable about ARFID and had information about it on their website, but instead I was treated for anorexia despite never binging or purging in my life. They forced me to suppress any stimming, claiming I was exercising to burn calories. I’ve never given a shit about calories, that’s basically a nonsense word to me.
Their discipline system is very culty- strikes are called “graces” for some ungodly reason and you get punished for literally anything and everything. Don’t ask any questions or you’re just asking to be punished with no explanation.
The doctors, nurses, dietitians, all the staff are awful and seem to enjoy watching you suffer. They will not work with anyone currently in your care team, they insist on completely replacing them so you cannot seek outside help when you realize how awful this place is. I was there for two weeks and never saw the doctor, but she prescribed me new psychiatric meds without even speaking to me. I’m bipolar 1 and staff even tried threatening to withhold my mood stabilizers to force me to cooperate better. The dietitian forced me to eat by threatening me while I sobbed and gagged, claiming it was exposure therapy. I’m so grateful I had prior experience doing exposure therapy before Living Hope with a therapist I had built trust with or I would be too traumatized to ever try it again.
The food is absolutely disgusting and borders on inedible. Good luck trying to choke it down if you end up in this hellhole. Also say goodbye to fresh air and sunlight, because you can’t even go near a window much less step outside until you reach “level 2” and they refuse to tell you what requirements you have to meet to level up. I felt like a wild animal in a cage.
After my two weeks of being tortured and traumatized I realized I was getting worse instead of better and decided it was time to leave so I could find better treatment. They refused to let me leave but I told them I’m an adult and I chose to come here voluntarily. They claimed they were getting an AMA release form for me to sign but unfortunately I would soon find out that was a lie. My dad just happened to show up to drop off a prescription for me and they asked him to convince me to stay, and he did at first until I explained how horrible they were treating me. He told them I was set on leaving but they said if I wanted to leave they were going to transfer me to a mental institution instead of doing an AMA release. My dad called my mom to come help, he told them she could convince me to stay but when she got there he told us to get in the car and drive away. He simply told them I had left and demanded my belongings. They gave him my stuff but said they were calling the police. We were expecting them to show up at our house to do a wellness check but luckily that didn’t happen.
They billed us for an average stay, 6 months apparently, even tho I was only there for two weeks. They also claimed insurance wouldn’t cover any of it bc I left early, which was a lie. We checked with insurance and they did pay most of it, Living Hope was just trying to get extra money.
So yeah, this place sucks ass. Don’t give your money to these sick fucks. All you’re paying for is horrible trauma you’ll have to pay a therapist to help you heal from.
There are a lot of negative reviews of Living Hope, and I’m sure most of them are warranted- in my time in residential and php/iop, I have seen things that left me less than satisfied. However, when I compare these things with all of the positives of Living Hope, I find myself incredibly grateful. This is going to be a lengthy post, so I’m going to divide it into positives and negatives.
Positives of residential:
My treatment team. They are absolutely amazing, and I am incredibly grateful for them. They have provided so much support, not just regarding my ED, but with a lot of other personal issues as well. All of the therapists and dietitians are wonderful.The full-time support staff that have been there for a long time are incredible. The techs and nurses that have been around are really good at their jobs, and you can tell they care (more on the agency techs later)The location is really pretty, though I do wish it was better kept.The meals are pretty good, and once you get to level 2 you get to pick out your own snacks. They also do grocery group once a week, where the patients get to pick out snacks they want for the week.The groups are typically either really fun or very helpful (of course, they’re only effective if you actually participate and engage).Most weeks, patients that are level 2 or 3 get to go on an outing with a staff provider- usually they go to a coffee shop and then go shopping.Every weekend, a provider is assigned to work the weekend, so patients never go a day without a provider (therapist or dietitian).Everybody gets two sessions a week with the dietitian, three sessions a week with their therapist, and one session with the doctor.All level 2s and 3s have the option to go on pass during the weekend. The pass does have to get approved by the doctor, who decides how long you can be gone, but when you’re on pass you can do whatever you want.They are incredibly flexible about payments, and the billing office and doctors will fight for you when it comes to insurance coverage. From first hand experience, I can tell you they truly care.The doctor who owns and runs the place sees all the res patients once a week- so if you have an issue, you get the chance to take it directly to her. She is very empathetic and good at listening.When you go up to level 2, you are allowed to go outside (as long as it’s been at least an hour since a meal/snack) in the backyard, which is really pretty. Also, most of the providers will take the patients on walks around the property if you ask, as long as it isn’t too hot or too cold.All patients get to have visitors on the weekends, you just have to sign up for a time slot. They also have family day once a month, where the provider working that weekend facilitates groups for the patients and their family members.If you have school, work, or even other appointments (like the dentist or even a haircut), they will work with you and make sure your needs are met. They even have a staff members whose entire job is to take patients to appointments.On holidays, everybody gets the chance to apply for a pass, even level 1s. They don’t make anybody stay, but those who choose to will be with a provider who will make the day fun.It’s not a hospital setting- everybody lives in a house together, and it’s a very comfy and cozy place. Also, the max number of patients the house can hold is 12, so you get to know everybody really well and will likely for bonds and friendships with some of the other patients.
Negatives of residential:
Living Hope is understaffed, which means that sometimes the tech or nurse on duty is agency, meaning they don’t work for Living Hope. Most of the time they are unfamiliar with eating disorders, so they might say something hurtful or ignorant.Everybody starts on level 1, which means that you have to be supervised in the bathroom, and you don’t get to go outside alone or get your electronics. Most people are only on level 1 for about a week (depending on when they were admitted), and once you level up you get more privileges.If they consider you at risk of trying to harm yourself, they will put you on line of sight or 1-to-1. LoS means you have to be in the same room with a staff member at all times, and 1t1 means you have a staff member assigned to you who cannot leave your side. Both mean that you have to sleep on one of the couches in the living room at night. If they deem it necessary, they will assess you for these every 24 hours (not everyone gets assessed; it depends on the numbers on your meal processing sheets)If you don’t finish your meal, they will make you drink boost. if you refuse the boost, you get a grace (which is like a demerit). Likewise, if you get sick and throw up, you have to boost for the meal/snack after vomiting.They wake you up at 5:30-6 every morning to take vitals. It sucks, but you do have the option to go back to sleep in the living room until breakfast.The residential program accepts patients as young as 13, and patients of all ages are grouped together in the same house. Depending on when you go, you may be around mostly teenagers for much of your stay. This can be fun sometimes, but it can also cause a lot of drama.The psychiatrist on staff seems to treat medication as a cure-all, so if you tell her about a problem you’re having she will probably just give you some pills to take for it.
Keep in mind that this is an eating disorder treatment center, so if you go here you’re going to be treated like someone with an eating disorder. Overall, I had a really good experience here, and most of the people I know who have gone here have too.
People would not believe this place in E Robinson. Norman, OK. has so many patients in this little makeshift-house, and too many different types of doctors. It’s specially made for ED Patients, but it feels like a “fun-house” for people with All-of-the-above-mental-disorders. There would be only two very nice nurses and the rest, they would just overpower you with guilt of “just being in here” on their patients. The Nurses do try to keep things organized for everyone, but the Rules of the place are different from all the nurses, (Can’t tell if some are new here) but some do gaslight patients about different rules like “You can’t walk around the living room or else they’ll boost you.” Or “If you throw up your food, we will force you to eat more.”
They believe every patient is “crying wolf” when they’re pleading they are not feeling well. Which is understandable, patients do intend to lie. But if a patient vomits and is threatened, if they do not swallow their vomit. They will be forced to eat more and take a boost. Contradicts them helping for their ED. in-fact worsens for both Mental and Physical Health for the patient. Imagine this happened every week, and only allowed to see your parents once a week. (if the doctor accepts it). Not being told what the rules are until finding out the hard way. Even showing self-care in here, just doesn’t bring any approval from the doctors “point of view.” (Whatever that means). Just trying to get well here feels impossible when the patient is limited to move on to the next level. Even asking what the rules here are, are even more impossible. They would even judge you from asking. they’ll gaslight you by saying they’ve gotten a paper stating most of the rules, but they have it in a different room or they say you’re “not a smart one.” for not knowing that one rule.
The Cameras in this place are creepy, they’re in every single room (thankfully not in the bathroom (You would of course hope not, but you are still watched)). They treat patients like they shouldn’t be here. But you are, so they “have” to take care of you. It just makes the patient want to leave, but they’re not allowed if your parents put you in. And they will not let the parents know either. There’s not an easy way to cope here. you can’t connect with the patients because they’re there for other reasons than yours. Feel lucky that they don’t force tube feed you on your first week. This place should not be open to anyone but sociopaths for all ages. It’s false-advertisement if they say “The sooner an individual suffering from an eating disorder receives treatment, the more likely they are to recover.” when they try to lure parents into this place. or other adults.
If you’re not Sick, or Have loved ones,DO NOT go here. It would make Patients home sick, and miserable, and find no purpose in going here.–G.
4/29/2024
21:40:00
Do not go to Living Hope OK or let a loved one go here, especially if it is your child. Even if that child is “of legal age.”
You will be told the medical professionals will contact you weekly with updates on your loved one’s medical and mental health. Not true.
You will be told the stay is expected to be 4-6 weeks. Also not true. Expect much longer.
Your loved one will be given multiple medications at the maximum dosage. If they are over 18, you will not be informed and will have no idea. Legal? Yes. Ideal? Absolutely not when you have a “child” in this situation.
Slowly, through the group and individual counseling, it will become your fault your family member needs this help. They will be encouraged not to speak to you.
You will look up and it’s been 12 weeks, then 14 that they have been inpatient, you will have no idea on a discharge date. No one from this group, even the front office will return your calls, texts or emails. You may not even see your family member over the holidays. You’ll be told “they did not ask for a pass.”
You will ask about second opinions or consults with your original doctors and be told directly by nurses that they do not want you or your loved one talking to anyone outside of their organization.
It will wreck your soul, ruin your family and drain your insurance. Go elsewhere.
This place is the absolute worst. I was there for almost two months. I did not in fact have an eating disorder. But “Doctor” *** gaslighted me into believing I had one. I was doing every single thing she told me to and still wouldn’t let me go home. So when I FINALLY called her out for being a fake and enjoying watching people suffer (because it’s true.) she put me on “elopement”. If you don’t know what that is, they take away all of your privileges and treat you like nothing until they feel like you deserve it back. You know why I was put on it? They thought I was going to “run away”. Mind you I’m from florida. I couldn’t run away if I tried. Hell, they have cameras everywhere. Including in the bedrooms. I had no way to run away. But she told the nurses and techs that i was gonna run. I cant run. I can barely walk without my knees hurting. She used scare tactics like telling me I was gonna die if i left her facility. Even though I was eating everything they put in front of me. No matter how burnt or disgusting it was. DO. NOT. SEND. SOMEONE. HERE. especially if you love them. I was fighting when my family took me because I KNEW i didn’t have an eating disorder. So instead of HELPING me, they told my family to leave. No hug. No goodbyes. No i love you. Nothing. Gone. She told me i had an eating disorder but couldn’t give me a name of one. I was in pain. And that’s why I couldn’t eat. But they sent me to eating disorder treatment. My favorite analogy is that you wouldn’t send someone with a broken toe to drug rehab for taking Tylenol, so why would you send someone with SEVERE stomach pain to eating disorder treatment because they CANT eat. Patients while I was there used to tell me how amazing the place was and how they’d been there a few times before. But if it was so great, why did they have to go back? I thought it worked? Turns out it doesn’t. I’ve been out of there since October 26th and I’m still traumatized. I’m surprised by the lack of lawsuit because of the treatment there. No one deserves to go through that. Not even my worst enemy.
***name redacted by admin per site policy
Review:
So, I personally would not recommend residential. As an adult, they kept me there over 5 months, and each time I tried to leave AMA, I was threatened with being sent to a psych unit.
It’s so unorganized. They can’t keep techs or nurses, so they use “agency” a lot. So they have no clue about eating disorders. We had a tech ask us “So, you don’t like food?” And another crazy woman telling us we were all sinners. I had to have several NGs b/c nurses weren’t flushing it appropriately. At one point every 4 days it would clog.
Additionally, they allow 15-17 year olds with adults. So adults have to be very careful, while the kids are there against there will, and cause all sorts of trouble. I did not like that they were together.
Additionally, there are cameras everywhere, including bedrooms. It was creepy.
You don’t get electronics unless you have moved up to level 2. I was on level 1 a long time.
I will say, the therapists and dietician are amazing.
The doctor who is in charge of everything not so much. There is a lot of gaslighting that goes on and fear mongering≥
I do however, recommend the php and top programs. They are much more organized.
This is my personal experience. Decide for yourself what’s important and make your decision.
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I just happened to check this place for someone online, & as far as I can tell it NOT corporately owned, which means many good things, including the fact that it offers outpatient care (something corporations are cutting because it doesn’t make them the big bucks) – if I lived in that area I’d check them out