A place to heal: Eating disorder recovery in Saskatchewan

Eating disorders come in many shapes and forms, with more than two million Canadians affected by the disease each year. According to Mental Health Research Canada, while eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, the disease is not an easy one to spot.

“Eating disorders can impact anybody in any socioeconomic class, gender. They can be in all shapes and sizes in terms of bodies,” shares Lauralyn Blackburn, clinical program director at BridgePoint Center for Eating Disorder Recovery. “I think that is a stereotype and a myth that’s really dangerous and can get in the way of people accessing services, but also people providing the services that people need.”

This means finding care that fits one’s personal needs can become challenging. To help open the doors to healing, BridgePoint Center for Eating Disorder Recovery is providing Saskatchewan residents with a safe space to recover.

“BridgePoint is a bit of a hidden gem,” said executive director Carla Chabot. “For almost 30 years now, we’ve offered free programs for individuals in the province to come and do some discovery and some recovery.”

Located around one hour outside of Saskatoon in Milden, BridgePoint has shown hundreds of patients that recovery revolves around more than simply just food. It can be centered around beliefs about body image, self-worth and healthy ways to cope.

“It’s important for some people to be able to step away from their regular lives and the demands, to have some space to get curious about what tools they can incorporate and what recovery can look like for them,” adds Chabot.

The work at BridgePoint takes many forms but the main basis of the program revolves around working together as a unit.

“They’ll be doing a lot of group work because eating disorders thrive on secrecy and isolation. So, we bring people together and work as a group in connection,” explains Blackburn.

This can look like cooking and sharing meals together, group chatting sessions, teatime and yoga. BridgePoint also has a large art room, allowing patients to express their thoughts and emotions without the need of putting it into words. Once finished with the program, each patient paints a tile to be displayed on the walls, often donned with inspirational messages for those still on their healing journey.

“When I walk down these halls, there’s tiles of individuals that have come throughout the years and just seeing that this work matters. And their lives matter. It’s just really an honour to be a part of it,” said Chabot.

However, there is one special element that makes BridgePoint a little different than your average centre, with equine assisted learning available onsite.

“It really just entails having a horse there and they don’t judge. They’re not going to go tell anybody what’s going on. There’s no comparison…  it feels really safe to be with the horses alongside them,” said Kara Carlson, BridgePoint’s recovery support manager.

Staff at BridgePoint say healing is not linear, but healing is possible. Anyone who may be struggling, or knows someone who is, can find in-person or online programming on their website.

Watch the video above for an inside look at BridgePoint and their programs.