A Day in the Life:
Starting Treatment at Lotus
April, 2026
“I wish I knew that I didn’t have to be anxious, that Lotus is a safe space. Recovery is longer than one often thinks. It is not graduating from a treatment center, it’s not just weight restoring. It is everyday. It’s is an awareness that you want more for your life than what your ED can give you, and the commitment that you will work everyday to achieve that.”
- Previous client
Making the decision to get help can feel overwhelming. For many people, the days leading up to treatment are filled with anxiety, shame, exhaustion, and uncertainty. You may spend time coping the only ways you know how, then feel stuck wondering what to do next.
At some point, something shifts. You start looking at treatment options. You read websites, compare programs, and imagine what it might be like to actually make the call.
Then you find Lotus.
With lots of insight from our clinical team, we’ve put together just one example of what beginning treatment can look like. Every person’s story, timeline, symptoms, needs, and treatment plan are different. If you’re considering treatment and want to learn more about what your next step could look like, our team is here to talk.
The Turning Point
Sunday: you feel anxious, stressed, and overwhelmed. You find yourself using food to self-soothe throughout the day, whether that means bingeing, restricting, or cycling between the two. You feel out of control.
Monday: guilt, shame, and fatigue set in. You feel uncertain about what to do next, the thought of asking for help feels distressing, and you avoid things like dinner with friends, choosing instead to keep everything to yourself.
Your First Call
Tuesday: you’re fed up with feeling tired and alone. You start looking at the websites of different treatment programs, trying to imagine what help might actually look like. Then you find Lotus, read about their approach, take a deep breath, and call (855) 852-4968.
That’s when you meet Gabe. He calmly answers your questions, explains the free, no-commitment assessment process, schedules a virtual assessment for the following day, and sends a Zoom link to confirm.
The Assessment
Wednesday: scared, uncertain, perhaps regretful, you log on to the assessment and meet Sue. Over the course of 60 minutes, she asks questions about food, trauma, and other lifestyle factors, and you share as much as feels comfortable.
Sue explains that the Clinical Director will review the information and determine the appropriate level of care, and that she will call back with the recommendation. She also goes over next steps, including insurance, and lets you know that in the meantime you’ll need medical clearance. You feel a bit of relief, but you’re still uncertain. You can’t concentrate at work or school, and you schedule an appointment with your MD.
Behind the Scenes
Thursday: you feel numb and distressed. Behind the scenes, Kayla is reviewing your information, consulting with providers, and determining the appropriate level of care. Then Sue calls back with the recommendation: PHP6. She talks you through the recommendation and what the next steps would look like, and you decide to accept.
The In-Between: Medical Clearance & Waiting
Friday: you go to your MD appointment, where you complete a physical exam, EKG, and labs. Afterward, your doctor faxes the medical clearance form to Lotus.
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday: you wait on paperwork.
Admission
Tuesday: Lotus receives your medical clearance, and Kayla reviews all of your data. Sue calls with a proposed admission date, Thursday! She sends over your admission paperwork, along with a welcome email from the admissions team.
Wednesday: you go grocery shopping and attend a virtual orientation with Gabe. He explains the program expectations, answers any questions you have about the admission paperwork, and helps you feel a little more prepared for your first day.
Day One and More
Thursday, Day 1: you feel nervous and anxious. You arrive at Lotus at 9:50 a.m. and ring the doorbell. Rone welcomes you in, orients you to the space, explains the schedule for the day, walks you through the check-in form, and helps you get settled.
At 10:10 a.m., you meet Angel for your first snack. There are fun intros, your peers are nice, and you sit back in the group space. At 11:00 a.m., your individual therapist, Jill, comes to get you from group for your initial session. She is nonjudgmental, focused on building rapport, and validates just how overwhelming all of this feels!
At 12:00 p.m., it’s time for lunch. At 1:00 p.m., you meet with psychiatry and are introduced to Dr. G. At 2:00 p.m., you return to the group, and at 3:00 p.m., you check out and head home.
Friday, Day 2: you come back! The daily theme is body image. You attend group at 11:00 a.m., lunch at 12:00 p.m. (still feels scary), and at 1:00 p.m. you meet Kalia for your first individual nutrition session. At 2:00 p.m., you rejoin group.
Saturday: it’s your day off and the first day you try following your meal plan on your own. It’s really hard, and it doesn’t go perfectly. Your supporters attend Friends and Family Group with Kim.
Sunday: you return to program feeling unsure about how to talk about what you ate, or didn’t eat, on Saturday. You learn that the process is not punitive, and that honesty is more important than perfection. You also get to do a fun outing and meet Melissa.
Monday: you have a follow-up session with Jill, along with groups and the rest of your usual programming.
Tuesday: you continue settling in, possibly have a follow-up with Dr. G, and receive your schedule for the upcoming week.
Wednesday: Anna sends out the weekly email with your schedule and reminders.
Thursday: Friends and Family Supported Dinner with Rone.
And then, slowly, the rhythm starts to become more familiar. You keep showing up.
About two weeks later, you step down to PHP5. Around three weeks in, you begin planning collaboratively with your team for IOP and get connected with a outpatient psychiatry provider if needed. About five weeks after admission, you start IOP five days a week. The schedule changes, and it can still be a struggle, but that’s okay.
By around eight weeks, you may step down to IOP3. At that point, discharge planning begins, your outpatient team is set up or reconnected, appointments are scheduled, and a discharge date is set.
Reach out to admissions to learn more about our programs and services.
📞 Call 855-852-4968
📧 Email info@thelotuscollaborative.com
📋 Fill Out a Consultation Request Form
*We’re currently in-network with Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross, Cigna, United Healthcare, and Kaiser Permanente. We also accept Medi-Cal. For clients covered by other providers, we’re always happy to explore an SCA, and we tend to have a very high success rate.
Written & Created by Lea Horsley & Anna Riverso
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