Your experience at Rosewood is life changing and recovery is a lifelong journey, as a result, Rosewood has an Alumni Program offered to clients once they leave the program.  The program provides resources such as information on meetings, therapists, dieticians, helpful websites and many other useful tools to aid alumni in the success of recovery. We want to continue support from the Rosewood staff and connect alumni to offer eating disorder support from one alumni to another. Rosewood’s Alumni Program offers reunions to enable you to connect as well as serve as a refresher on your recovery and the disease Also a Facebook page has been developed and available for Rosewood alumni only, this exclusive Facebook page provides a safe environment to communicate and connect with one another. The program gives alumni the opportunity to get involved in the recovery of others by starting up meetings in your local community as well as coming back to Rosewood as a guest speaker to share your story with active clients. The Alumni Program is open to all former clients of Rosewood Centers for Eating Disorders and we strongly encourage you to get involved.

Featured Alumni Story By Erin V.

You know, some people credit going to treatment with giving them their life back, but for me, Rosewood gave me a quality of life I never had. Food and weight obsession fill every memory I have from childhood through young adulthood. My earlier years included cycling through every fad diet I could get my hands on. This resulted in learning the art of restricting followed by binging on whatever was the “forbidden” food of the week. I seemed to be better at the binging part because I was always the overweight kid.

At the age of 18, I fell in love. Bulimia became my best friend, my obsession, and my go-to relief for everything. The next eight years were pure hell. After a while my bulimia was harder and harder to conceal and running off to the bathroom after meals was simply out of the question. So, to avoid family suspicion, I began restricting in front of others and engaging in marathon binging and purging in private. Throughout those eight years, I tried everything and anything I could think of to escape the eating disorder prison. Being a determined and self-reliant person, I was extremely resistant to considering residential treatment. I was convinced that I could fix this “thing” on my own. I tried one-on-one therapy sessions mixed with meal planning with a registered dietician. But, I just couldn’t stop the addictive cycle of binging and purging. Next I tried an intensive outpatient program, and while I was able to suspend the binging and purging behavior, I was still consumed by the eating disorder thoughts. I held on tightly to some other non-vomiting behaviors, and before I knew it I was back in full swing bulimia. Even after a frightening admittance and stay in the hospital, I still wasn’t ready to try residential treatment. In hindsight, had I been able to set aside some pride and stubbornness, I could have found recovery much sooner and gained back years of my life.

Nevertheless, finally though, the day did come when I realized it was either recovery or death, there was no in-between for me. I am a perfectionist, and there would always be one more pound to lose. I phoned my mother across the country and poured out to her for help. This was a first. Thankfully, she seized the fragile opening and began researching residential treatment facilities. We both came across Rosewood in our research and knew it was the right place for me. I left the Midwest for the Arizona dessert determined to either find recovery or to die. A part of me didn’t think recover was even an option, but I figured there was nothing to lose in trying. I distinctly remember telling my mom before I left that I would give as much energy as I had given to being sick and losing weight, which was a lot, to my recovery at Rosewood. It paid off.

Rosewood was sort of like reentering the womb and trying this “life thing” over again. With very little outside contact, it was a time to do nothing but rebuild me, and what a task that was. Every day was something new.  I learned who I was, what makes me tick, why I had engaged in the self-destructive eating disordered behavior that I had and, most importantly, how to not repeat it. Rosewood gave me so many skill sets. Because their therapeutic model included everything from equine therapy to drum circle, the tools and coping skills I have to keep me healthy are remarkably diverse. What works one day might not work the next, but because I am so broadly equipped, I always have something to fall back upon. There is no way I could describe how much I learned at Rosewood, so the best I can do is tell you how I feel. I feel amazing, I love myself, I am optimistic about the future, I have love in my heart, I am engaged in life, I have meaningful relationships and I know joy. I remain in contact with many of the people whom I went through treatment and love the encouraging spirit and unbreakable bond we share.

I could never adequately express the gratitude I have towards Rosewood, but I do know that recovery is possible and I’m worth it. I’ll never give it up.           

Alumni Reunion

We are very excited to announce that our second annual Alumni Reunion just took place!  The weekend was be filled with great programs and some old fashioned fun.  This weekend was not only for alumni, but also for their friends and family.  On Saturday, the group came to Rosewood Ranch for a BBQ with good food, music and fun games for all ages.  It was also a great experience to go back to the place where many of alumni's journey to recovery began.  On Sunday, Jenni Schaefer, author of "Life Without ED", was our special guest and breakfast speaker.  

Stay Connected

  
Join our Facebook Eating Disorder Recovery Group for social connection and peer support.

 
Follow us on Twitter for information on Rosewood Programs and Eating Disorder information and statistics.
 

Meetings

EDA 
Wednesday night @7:15pm 
521 W Wickenburg Way 
Wickenburg, AZ 85390
Call 928-684-9594 for more details
Held at Rosewood Capri
 

EDA
Thursday nights @7:30pm
20 E. University Drive, Suite 301
Tempe, AZ 85281
Call Kim at 480-363-1314 for more information 
*Held at the Rosewood IOP location in Tempe Towne Centre
 
EDA
Friday night @7:15pm 
521 W Wickenburg Way 
Wickenburg, AZ 85390
Call 928-684-9594 for more details
Held at Rosewood Capri
 
 

 Check out the photos from the Alumni Reunion Here