Alsana

"Alsana saved and changed my life. It's the most trauma informed ED center out there and has such incredible, informed clinicians (specifically at the Birmingham location I was at). In my experience, they embraced all genders, sexualities, bodies (HAES informed), etc. Even though I came in angry, confused, and stubborn, they stayed with me and let me heal at my own pace without forcing me to be at a place I simply wasn't at the time. They gave me the space, with support, I needed to choose my own recovery; I'm now able to continue heading towards it on my own. I highly recommend Alsana to anyone struggling with an eating disorder who wants to receive compassionate, trauma-informed care."

"Alsana has been an exceptional program for me and many others, and the staff was phenomenal support. I got the help I needed in a kind and compassionate manner. I have gained so much knowledge and insight into the things I struggle with, and have been able to put those to work in my daily life in recovery!"

"I have been to Alsana Birmingham twice during my recovery process. Once for 10 months in 2019/2020 and again in late 2020/early 2021. I feel like I have the personal experience to write a truthful opinion of their care. While no program is without faults or shortcomings, Alsana by far saved my life in many ways. My time there was infused with ups and downs, but they stood beside me through it all. They personalized my care so much that I finally felt like a human not another number. My therapists and dietitians very tenderly cared for me throughout my stay. They never “pushed” me to talk about things before I was ready. They patiently waited and offered support until I finally learned to trust them and open up. They advocated for me on many occasions with my insurance, truly fought for me to get the amount of care I needed. I found their groups very helpful because each group is unique. While we may have had the same groups each week, we rarely repeated content. Each group was a very individualized group, tailored to the clients needs at that moment. I felt heard, seen, and supported at alsana for the first time in my life. When I discharged the first time, I still felt supported by staff from afar. When my father took his own life a couple months after my first discharge, my Alsana team were the ones to help me pick up the pieces. They remained in contact with me weekly until I could be readmitted. When I arrived that second time, I was met with the most compassion and love by the team members. They gently assured me they would be there to help me start this new healing journey. And that is exactly what they did. Supported me in my every need through the coming months. If it weren’t for Alsana and it’s care for me over those few months I have no doubts I would be dead. They truly saved my life. They encouraged me and let me know almost on a daily basis how strong I was and that they knew I had a fighter inside of me to make it to recovery. I received many a pep talk from the staff over those months. And something finally clicked for me. If not for their assurance and support, I wouldn’t be in the place I am now...the strongest place of recovery I’ve ever been in, feeling the best mentally I’ve ever felt, and finally living with some peace. I am eternally grateful for their support and help along the way during both of my stays, but especially this last time. My only negative things are that I think the food and snacks are really repetitive, so it gets redundant quickly having the same things over and over each week. And also my experience regarding my substance and alcohol abuse. Alsana recommended I get officially assessed by a substance abuse center, which I did willingly. However it has had some negative repercussions. I am now on probation with the board of nursing, and have to do daily checking for drug screens. Financially it has taken a toll on me, as I’m tested weekly if not more than that. And also it’s caused some problems obtaining a nursing job. They had good intentions, and I did the assessment willingly. However looking back, it was not needed and kind of made my life more difficult in ways. And lastly, they have a pretty high turnover with direct care staff ( those charged with overseeing and supporting clients throughout the day and night). That’s hard to get acclimated to staff and then as soon as you do they are gone. Literally in every other way, Alsana has helped make my life into one worth living and fighting for. I highly recommend their program, especially their Birmingham program. They truly saved me and I’m so thankful for my time there."