Written by Registered Dietitian Vanessa Garcia, RD from Oliver-Pyatt Centers 

In this blog, Vanessa offers some tips in helping to maintain continued recovery during the summer months. 

Throughout the year, summer months can often be the busiest of times. Some individuals may be ending their current college year and transitioning towards their next, or even entering the workforce. Others may be parents with a new change in schedule as their children are on their summer break and spending more time at home. For many, summer is widely considered the perfect time to take a vacation! While this season is regularly known to be a staple of transition, change, and an opportunity for leisure, summer may also pose potential challenges for clients to face during recovery.

Typically, in a treatment setting, clients learn to adapt to a daily schedule and have a higher focus on meals, snacks, clinician appointments, and programming hours. This usual stability allows for clients to gain confidence towards their recovery and adhere to their meal plan. However, if clients are either discharging from treatment during the summer or experiencing their first summer outside of treatment, most likely there are some upcoming daily routine changes. Clients may find it more difficult to follow their normal daily meal plan. This may lead to deprivation of nutrition and variety, and higher risks for behavior engagement. Additionally, eating disorder behaviors and urges are known to rise during times of change.

Some signs for families or loved ones to know if their loved one may need residential treatment include fluctuations in weight, decreased variety and portions of meals or snacks, missing meals or refusing food, increased time using the bathroom, isolation from family or friends, eating alone or lying about eating, excessive exercise, rigid eating patterns, social withdrawal, and change of mood.

For clients that have recently discharged from treatment, it is highly recommended for them to continue scheduling routine sessions with outpatient team members including therapist, dietitian, psychiatrist and medical doctor. This way, ongoing support may be provided and potential summer challenges can be discussed during sessions while pursuing recovery at home. Additionally, for those seeking individual or family support during summer months, it is also recommended to seek outpatient care providers with possibility of a higher level of care for a loved one.

 For more information about Oliver-Pyatt Centers, please call 855.254.5642, visit our website, subscribe to our blog, and connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

This blog was originally published at http://www.oliverpyattcenters.com/maintaining-recovery-during-the-summer/ and is republished here with permission.