The Hearth Center for Eating Disorders Sponsors Free Movie Screening

COLUMBIA ORGANIZATION SPONSORS MOVIE SCREENING TO GENERATE AWARENESS ABOUT EATING DISORDERS

By Liz Gunn || The Hearth Center for Eating Disorders is relatively new to Columbia, having only been operating for just over a year now. They are located on the campus of Carolina Children’s Home in the heart of downtown. The campus, with a 100+ year history of being home to a number of South Carolina’s children, sits on 55 acres with historic brick buildings and rolling green lawns.

Their goal is to “facilitate healthy lifestyles through eating disorders treatment, prevention, and education using family focused, evidenced based care.” They offer several different types of therapies for men and women, including a residential program for females ages eight to twenty-one. They provide clients and families with a warm and inviting space to better understand and begin their recovery journey.

It’s important to understand the severity of medical complications that can stem from an eating disorder like organ failure, infertility, heart disease and kidney damage. Eating disorders are also very often coupled with other issues like depression and anxiety. It has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Nationwide there are an estimated twenty-four million people battling this disease.

It can be a complex road to recovery, often requiring a team of medical and clinical professionals like The Hearth has assembled. On-site at the one of a kind facility for South Carolina, the comprehensive team includes a psychiatrist, therapists, a clinical dietitian and medical team. They have a combined 60 years of experience treating patients with eating disorders.

The center is hoping that the free screening of “America the Beautiful, 3” will bring awareness to the disease as well as The Hearth facility. The number of people battling eating disorders in South Carolina is still largely underserved and Executive Director of The Hearth, John Kessler, hopes to change that. The screening will include a reception as well as a question and answer forum after the film.

The Columbia screening will take place on October 1st at Senate’s End (316 Senate Street) from 6:30- 9:00 p.m.  The second screening is in Charleston on October 2nd at Sottile Theatre (44 George Street) from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. The reception, screening and Q & A following the film are free and open to the public, but you will need to register. Click here to learn more or to sign up.

If you or someone you know could benefit from treatment provided by The Hearth, call them today at 803-260-2854. You can learn more about the facility, admissions, programs and services provided by visiting their website, www.thehearthheals.com.

Liz Gunn is a wife, mom, author, businesswoman, travel enthusiast, food snob, fashionista, lover of great wine and the No. 1 Gamecock football fan … ever. A graduate of the University of South Carolina, she lives in Columbia, S.C. with her husband and daughter.