A Parent’s Guide to Support Their Child Through Eating Disorder Treatment
This brief guide strives to assist parents in supporting their child through treatment.
Do I Have an Eating Disorder?
You are the best at knowing yourself and the degree to which your preoccupations with food and body image interfere with your life. If you answer yes to any of the questions in this questionnaire, it may be an indication that you may benefit from support around food, weight, and/or exercise.
Exercise and Eating Disorders
Exercise and movement play a complicated role with eating disorders. While exercise certainly has its benefits, when taken to the extreme, it may be a sign of destructive coping. This resource discusses healing one’s relationship to compulsive exercise.
Eating Disorder Warning Signs and Symptoms
Since early detection of an eating disorder is a predictor of sustained recovery, it is important to know ED warning signs and symptoms. If you notice several of the symptoms listed below, please seek an evaluation with a professional trained in treating eating disorders.
So Your Child Has an Eating Disorder – 5 steps to Get Started
Finding out your child has an eating disorder may be some of the most difficult news youve ever received. Eating disorders are clouded in misunderstanding and misinformation, and having one in the family can feel very isolating.
As you organize treatment and recovery for your child, here are five things you can do to set yourself up for success.
Pork Belly Tacos with a Side of Anxiety by Yvonne Castaneda
In Pork Belly Tacos with a Side of Anxiety, Yvonne Castañeda shares vibrant stories of her childhood growing up in Miami as the daughter of humble immigrants from Mexico and Cuba . . . and how she came to develop an unhealthy relationship with food.
You are Enough By Jen Petro-Roy
This nonfiction self-help book for young readers with disordered eating and body image problems delivers real talk about eating disorders and body image, provides tools and information for recovery, and offers suggestions for dealing with the media messages that contribute so much to disordered eating.
Not All Black Girls Know How to Eat by Stephanie Covington Armstrong
Stephanie Covington Armstrong does not fit the stereotype of a woman with an eating disorder. She grew up poor and hungry in the inner city. Foster care, sexual abuse, and overwhelming insecurity defined her early years. But the biggest difference is her race: Stephanie is black.
In this moving first-person narrative, Armstrong describes her struggle as a black woman with a disorder consistently portrayed as a white womans problem. Trying to escape her selfhatred and her food obsession by never slowing down, Stephanie becomes trapped in a downward spiral. Finally, she can no longer deny that she will die if she doesnt get help, overcome her shame, and conquer her addiction to using food as a weapon against herself.
The Jots of Becoming By Lucie Waldman
The Jots of Becoming captures the story of my recovery from my Eating Disorder using journal entries containing insights and messages of hope. As someone who grew up involved in the Jewish community, the Jots of Becoming features narratives on recovering while Jewish.
iMove: Helping Your Clients Heal from Compulsive Exercise By Amy Gardner
Pulling from her owen experience with compulsive exercise and from her work with many clients, Amy Gardner shows you how to help your clients move out of a compulsive exercise pattern.
Sick Enough By Dr. Jennifer Guadiani
Sick Enough offers patients, their families, and clinicians a comprehensive, accessible review of the medical issues that arise from eating disorders by bringing relatable case presentations and a scientifically sound, engaging style to the topic. Using metaphor and patient-centered language, Dr. Gaudiani aims to improve medical diagnosis and treatment, motivate recovery, and validate the lived experiences of individuals of all body shapes and sizes, while firmly rejecting dieting culture.
nalgonapositivitypride
Non-conventional eating disorder awareness organization run by Gloria Lucas (she/her). Her work focuses on eating disorder harm reduction.
newmoonrd
Meghan McGann, RD (she/her) is an anti-diet dietitian who advocates for inclusive care.
nic.mcdermid
Nic McDermid (she/her) is a fierce activist, feminist, advocate and content creator whose work focuses on disrupting the dominant discourse around weight and bodies, and challenging the ways in which certain types of bodies are both idolised and idealised.
pinkmantaray
Schuyler Bailar (he/him) is the first trans D1 NCAA men’s athlete. He is also in recovery from an eating disorder and self-harm.
projectheal
A national non-profit organization that provides resources and opportunities for individuals seeking treatment and recovery services.
queer.art_therapist
Wednesdae Reim Ifrach (They/Them) REAT, ATR-BC, ATCS, LPC, NCC, CLAT, LCMHC, LPCC is Fat, Trans/Non-Binary, Queer, Disabled. They hold a master’s degree in art therapy and their specialities include Their current specialties include gender affirming care, fat and body activism, intersectional social justice, complex trauma and eating disorder treatment.
resilientfatgoddex
SJ (they/them) is a Coach, Consultant, And Soon To Be Social Worker Focused On Fat Liberation Based In Anti-Racism And Anti-Colonialism.
theshirarose
Shira Rose (she/her) is an eating disorder therapist, LCSW who operates from a fat positive + Health At Every Size framework
Project Heal
A national non-profit organization that provides resources and opportunities for individuals seeking treatment and recovery services.
National Alliance for Eating Disorders
The leading national non-profit organization providing education, referrals, and support for all individuals experiencing eating disorders, as well as their loved ones
bodyjusticetherapist
Allyson Inez Ford is an eating disorders and OCD therapist. Social justice is an integral part of her work and she operates from a HAES lens.
heydrsand
Dr. Sand Chang (they/them) is a Nonbinary Somatic Therapist & DEI Consultant. Their work focuses on body liberation, trans health, and eating disorders
encouragingdietitian
Christyna Johnson, MS, RD, LDN is a non-diet registered dietitian specializing in eating disorder, disordered eating, intuitive eating, and body image. She sees the world through a liberation lens and advocates for collective care to move us forward.
edadhd_therapist
Stacie Fanelli, LCSW is an AuDHD eating disorder therapist who discusses neurodivergence, EDs, intersectionality & treatment reform
drrachelmillner
Dr. Rachel Millner is a psychologist, Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and Supervisor, and a Certified Body Trust® provider. Her work is trauma-informed, fat-positive, anti-diet and rooted in feminist theory, relational theory, social justice, and body liberation
drcolleenreichmann
Dr. Colleen Reichmann is a clinical psychologist whose writing and work focus on body image, eating disorders, motherhood, and feminism.
dr.jenniewh
Dr. Jennie Wang-Hall is a liberatory eating disorders psychologist creating community spaces for anti-carceral and agentic care
dietitiananna
Anna Sweeney, MS, RDN, CED-S is a relational nutrition therapist who specializes in eating disorders, disordered eating, and chronic illness
alliancefored
The leading national nonprofit organization providing education, referrals, and support for all eating disorders.
ANAD
The leading nonprofit in the U.S. that provides free, peer support services to anyone struggling with an eating disorder, regardless of age, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or background. ANAD has a free, Eating Disorders Helpline which is available for treatment referrals, support and encouragement, and general questions about eating disorders.
F.E.A.S.T.
A global community offering support, education, and empowerment to families of people affected by eating disorders. F.E.A.S.T. is an international non-profit ofo and for parents and caregivers fo loved ones affected by eating disorders.
Academy for Eating Disorders (AED)
The AED helps physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, nutritionists, academic researchers, students, and experts through lived experience connect and collaborate with each other and keep abreast of recent developments in eating disorders research.
Tips for Preventing Eating Disorder Relapse
Tips for Preventing Eating Disorder Relapse by Timberline Knolls Staff
Recovering from an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge-eating disorder, is often a process that can take a significant amount of time. The recovery process is different for each person, and for many people, relapse might be a part of that journey. However, there are measures you can take to help decrease your chances of experiencing relapse as you progress through your recovery journey.
Understanding Eating Disorder Relapse
Even after someone has participated in treatment for an eating disorder, they may still be at risk for relapse of some of the symptoms they struggled with previously. In fact, according to a 2016 study in the journal BMC Psychiatry, studies on relapse prevention have found that up to 41% of patients in recovery from anorexia nervosa experience relapse within 18 months.
Many different influences can trigger the compulsion to engage in disordered eating behaviors after treatment, including:
- Experiencing extreme stress or trauma
- Becoming pregnant or having a baby
- Being around someone who is on a restrictive diet
- Starting a new relationship or going through a breakup
- Experiencing an injury that keeps you from exercising
- Any weight gain, whether age or health-related
Eating disorders are complex illnesses that no two people experience the same way, so each person has their own personal triggers that may make them more vulnerable to relapse. What might be a trigger for one person might not be a trigger for another.
Eating Disorder Relapse Prevention Tips
Viewing recovery from an eating disorder as a journey rather than a
destination is the first step toward preventing relapse. This requires a firm
understanding that the healing process may take years depending on your unique
situation. Your journey might be shorter — or longer — than others’, but the
key is to prepare for the process. These are some of the most beneficial
relapse prevention tools to add to your recovery toolkit:
- Identify
your triggers: Understanding what situations and emotions trigger the urge
to engage in disordered eating behaviors can help you anticipate these
influences before they become triggers. Identifying your triggers can also help
you understand why you might be struggling to cope with specific situations.
- Turn to your support system: Two major factors of eating disorders are secrecy and isolation. To prevent these influences from creeping back in, turn to a trusted friend or family member when you’re feeling triggered and let them know you’re struggling. If the symptoms you’re experiencing start to become overwhelming, ask your support network for help.
If you do experience a relapse, it does not mean you have failed. There is hope for recovery no matter where you are in your wellness journey. With some preparation and self-awareness, you can minimize your risk for experiencing a relapse.
Maintaining Recovery During the Summer
Written by Registered Dietitian Vanessa Garcia, RD from Oliver-Pyatt Centers
In this blog, Vanessa offers some tips in helping to maintain continued recovery during the summer months.
Throughout the year, summer months can often be the busiest of times. Some individuals may be ending their current college year and transitioning towards their next, or even entering the workforce. Others may be parents with a new change in schedule as their children are on their summer break and spending more time at home. For many, summer is widely considered the perfect time to take a vacation! While this season is regularly known to be a staple of transition, change, and an opportunity for leisure, summer may also pose potential challenges for clients to face during recovery.
Typically, in a treatment setting, clients learn to adapt to a daily schedule and have a higher focus on meals, snacks, clinician appointments, and programming hours. This usual stability allows for clients to gain confidence towards their recovery and adhere to their meal plan. However, if clients are either discharging from treatment during the summer or experiencing their first summer outside of treatment, most likely there are some upcoming daily routine changes. Clients may find it more difficult to follow their normal daily meal plan. This may lead to deprivation of nutrition and variety, and higher risks for behavior engagement. Additionally, eating disorder behaviors and urges are known to rise during times of change.
Some signs for families or loved ones to know if their loved one may need residential treatment include fluctuations in weight, decreased variety and portions of meals or snacks, missing meals or refusing food, increased time using the bathroom, isolation from family or friends, eating alone or lying about eating, excessive exercise, rigid eating patterns, social withdrawal, and change of mood.
For clients that have recently discharged from treatment, it is highly recommended for them to continue scheduling routine sessions with outpatient team members including therapist, dietitian, psychiatrist and medical doctor. This way, ongoing support may be provided and potential summer challenges can be discussed during sessions while pursuing recovery at home. Additionally, for those seeking individual or family support during summer months, it is also recommended to seek outpatient care providers with possibility of a higher level of care for a loved one.
For more information about Oliver-Pyatt Centers, please call 855.254.5642, visit our website, subscribe to our blog, and connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
This blog was originally published at http://www.oliverpyattcenters.com/maintaining-recovery-during-the-summer/ and is republished here with permission.
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Every 52 min someone dies from complications due to an eating disorder and 28.8 million people in the US will struggle with an eating disorder.
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