What makes Montecatini different from other treatments?
Two words come to mind: It works. Okay, okay… why does it work? For my first meal at Montecatini , I knew something was different. At Montecatini, everybody eats. Everything. No "replacements" of Ensure for food left on the plate. At Montecatini meal, anorexia is overruled by positive peer pressure because at Montecatini, patients are not allowed to stay unless their meals are completed in a fairly unobtrusive manner. It is this competition, not to "get away" with practicing the disease, but for recovery that makes Montecatini successful.

My first day at Montecatini I was taken to an OA meeting (another crucial aspect of the program on which I will elaborate on later). At this meeting I saw recovery. I met Heather, who later became my sponsor, a girl around my age and might height. That day Heather was pretty down about "guy problems." So this was recovery! While in other programs, I had never seen anyone in recovery (people in recovery would obviously not be hanging out in mental hospitals). Even within Montecatini, I had the opportunity to meet girls with more recovery than I had who convinced me that I was not unique and that it was possible not to adhere to the sick voices in my head.

No one knows the games of this disease like those of us who played them. At Montecatini, the doctors, though they, in my opinion, are divinely attuned to our disease minds, do not act alone as the "disease police." Other girls in the facility are expected to confront each other. In other treatments, as well as at Montecatini from time to time, such confrontations seem hypocritical. However more often that not, there are girls with more recovery and serenity in treatment along with the "newbies." I cannot begin to convey the terror, but eventual relief that came from knowing that I could in no way practice any little-noticed aspect of this cunning disease. For a fellow patient to notice that I was purposely avoiding bananas infuriated me, but in the end relieve me of my nightly obsession of how I would escape ingesting the extra calories of the terrifying yellow fruit the following day.

Probably the most crucial difference at Montecatini is that it is long-term. The commitment of abandoning one's life, school, friends, etc. for an undetermined amount of time is the first step in surrendering. In retrospect I can see I needed every hour I spent at Montecatini (I was there for nine months). I hear the arguments that life in treatment is not reminiscent of life in the real world and that patients would benefit more from practicing what they learn in the real world, with help from an individual therapist and dietician of course. Life at Montecatini is the real world, just simplified. I'll explain: At Montecatini, life with food, {the rigid menu planning, cooking, measuring, meal times) provides a life model. I had enough time and practice in this very disciplined, if some what unrealistic way of life at Montecatini that while in the "real world" I recall like second nature the Monecatini way and strive to meet it as nearly as possible, keeping me on track.

The repetition solely with the food as Montecatini is crucial. I mean , it took me about 3 years to perfect my anorexic rules for living before coming to Montecatini, and I am a young one. A mere 30 days or 3 months was not nearly long enough to learn new truths. Now when I see a corndog and I think, "oh I know I'll gain weight if I eat this, " I think back to the months of eating corndogs and the like and my weight being stable. Just the precedent of having a good 6 months of stable weight while in treatment has been crucial.

Montecatini does not merely acknowledge that this disease is not merely about food, but treats it as such., Reaching goal weight has little relevance in the treatment plan. In fact, Montecatini admits girls who do not have a weight problem. I reached goal weight and even was free much of the time from food obsession after maybe 4 to 5 months. That was when the real recovery could begin. While in treatment I got to experience why I was using the disease. While practicing it, I really didn't know that I was irrationally sensitive, self-centered, and anxious socially, had an unhealthy manipulative dynamic with my dad, and oh so much more. After 3 months in other treatment centers I had merely reached healthy weight, however when I returned home the untreated mundane issues forced me back into the disease.

Montecatini treats eating disorders as addictions. Talking to psychologist at other top programs, I have learned that this is not the universal belief. I don't know definitions or psychological analysis or anything, but I have seen shocking relapses of girls with years of amazing recovery, and after about 3 years of maintaining weight and not deviating from my food plan (almost 2 outside of treatment) I still feel diseased urges, and I am certain that if Montecatini hadn't taught me that I would never be recovered and that I needed to attend 12 step meetings, follow my food and exercise plan precisely, and maintain a healthy fear of this disease, I 'd be back miserable, sick and probably in some other treatment now., The introduction to OA has been crucial because it keeps me close to my recovery and accountable in the real world.

Also vying for biggest difference at Montecatini is that it does not enable ANY aspects of this disease. While in other treatment, I had a lot of control over my food. I remember gaining weight eating nothing but tuna for lunch and dinner for 3 months. I could pick any diseased foods I wanted. I even remember doing sit-ups in my closet while at those facilities. No one found out because my weight obviously wasn't changing from that. At Montecatini, the disease is COMPLETELY surrendered. There's no easing into it either. My first week there, I ate pizza and KFC. I recall literally gagging and spewing yogurt simply because I honestly, disease or not, didn't like the taste. I was forced to get it down, given no pity, and now eat it regularly. Consequently, I learned I would not be treated like a victim and that in food, I had NO CONTROL. Food lost its power, and now me, the girl who had not tasted any fruit except green grapes, can eat anything without a fuss. I n giving up all aspects of the disease, from small bites, to shaking my leg, doing closet sit-ups, eating slowly, over-spicing, the list goes on. I have complete freedom, not just a normal weight. Other programs, in thing they're taking a loving and understanding approach in taking the disease one step at a time and prioritizing health issues over weird habits of anorexics cheat their patients out of experiencing true freedom from compulsive eating.

At Montecatini, there is little or no individual therapy. I was appalled at this. I mean, I loved individual therapy and actually had daily appointments prior to Montecatini. Obviously it wasn't working though. The group therapy keeps patients accountable, simulates real world relationships, forces patients to listen and get out of themselves, and much more.

I could writ for even more pages about the difference at Montecatini. I truly believe that their work is miraculous. Much of why Montecatini works and the thing that go on there I to this day don't understand. Nearly everyday I experience an "Aha! Moment" in the real world when I begin to realize that purpose of yet another crazy thing that I was forced to do or hear at Montecatini that I once thought was so irrelevant.

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