For nearly fifty years, Sara Somers suffered from untreated food addiction. In this brutally honest and intimate memoir, Somers offers readers an inside view of a food addict's mind, showcasing her experiences of obsessive cravings, compulsivity, and powerlessness regarding food. Saving Sara chronicles Somers's addiction from childhood to adulthood, beginning with abnormal eating as a nine-year-old. As her addiction progresses in young adulthood, she becomes isolated, masking her shame and self-hatred with drugs and alcohol. Time and again, she rationalizes why this time will be different, only to have her physical cravings lead to ever-worse binges, to see her promises of doing things differently next time broken, and to experience the amnesia that she-like every addict-experiences when her obsession sets in again. Even after Somers is introduced to the solution that will eventually end up saving her, the strength of her addiction won't allow her to accept her disease. Twenty-six more years pass until she finally crawls on hands and knees back to that solution, and learns to live life on life's terms. A raw account of Somers's decades-long journey, Saving Sara underscores the challenges faced by food addicts of any age-and the hope that exists for them all.

Increasing numbers of children and young people are presenting for treatment of an eating disorder, but there are many different types and they are often confused, making it difficult to know what support to offer. This easy-to-read guide presents all the vital information on a range of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, selective eating, and avoidant and restrictive intake disorders. Each eating disorder is clearly defined, making it easy to draw distinctions between them. The book covers their origins, characteristics and typical development, letting teachers and parents know what signs to look out for. There is practical advice on how to help young people, strategies for overcoming common difficulties, as well as information on available treatments. Vignettes feature throughout to help teachers and parents apply knowledge to real-life situations. This is an essential resource for teachers and parents of children and young people with eating disorders.

Do you or does someone you know, suffer from an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or a less typical set of symptoms? The most effective, evidence-based treatment for adults with eating disorders is cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). This book presents a highly effective self-help CBT programme for all eating disorders, in an accessible format. It teaches skills to sufferers and carers alike. This book is relevant to any sufferer, if: * You are not yet sure about whether to seek help * You are not sure where to find help * Your family doctor or others recommend that you try a self-help approach * You are waiting for therapy with a clinician, and want to get the best possible start to beating your eating disorder

An astonishingly moving and mature account of a young woman's struggle with anorexia nervosa, a serious mental illness affecting 1.1 million people in the UK. At fourteen years of age, Constance Barter was admitted as an in-patient to a specialist eating disorders unit where she remained for seven months. During that time, she kept a diary which sheds light on what it means to have anorexia, how it affects your life, and how it is not just a faddy diet or attention seeking disorder. Constance is an example to anyone suffering from this potentially life-threatening illness that with perseverance and support it can be beaten and sufferers can go on and lead a fulfilling, everyday life. This inspirational diary will help and inspire other sufferers to seek help and overcome their illness as well as providing an invaluable insight into the nature of the illness to families and friends.

'Hunger is the loudest voice in my head. I'm hungry most of the time'. One January morning in 2003, William Leith woke up to the fattest day of his life. That same day he left London for New York to interview controversial diet guru Dr Robert Atkins. What started out as a routine assignment set Leith on an intensely personal and illuminating journey into the mysteries of hunger and addiction. "The Hungry Years" charts new territory for anyone who has ever had a craving or counted a calorie. This story of food, fat, and addiction will change the way you look at food for ever.

If Your Adolescent Has an Eating Disorder is an authoritative guide to understanding and helping a teenager with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, or other eating disorders. It is designed for parents of teens who have recently been diagnosed with an eating disorder, or who are at risk of developing one, and for other adults, such as teachers and guidance counselors, who are regularly in contact with at-risk adolescents. The book combines the latest science-including the newest treatments and most up-to-date research findings on eating disorders-with the practical wisdom of parents who have been in the trenches raising teens with eating disorders. Written in a clear and approachable style, Drs. B. Timothy Walsh and Deborah R. Glasofer explain exactly what eating disorders are and describe their characteristics, as well as signs and symptoms. They outline the right way to go about getting help if you suspect your child may have a problem, about when and where to get treatment, and about how to navigate the healthcare system. There is also advice on how to handle everyday life-both at home and at school-once your child is diagnosed, and on how to communicate with your teen and her or his siblings about issues related to the eating disorder. Complete with red flags to look out for, warnings on the dangers of doing nothing, and a comprehensive list of additional resources, this book will help parents and other adults face and deal effectively with adolescent eating disorders before they become life-threatening.

The majority of individuals with eating disorders also experience symptoms of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic reactions, and/or obsessive-compulsive disorders. Most research-supported treatments for eating disorders, however, do not integrate interventions for these co-occurring conditions in a unified way. The Renfrew Unified Treatment for Eating Disorders and Comorbidity was developed to help people who struggle with any type of eating disorder as well as intense emotions like anxiety, sadness, anger, and guilt. Eating disorders include symptoms such as efforts to restrict eating, binge eating or overeating, and compulsive or unhealthy efforts to lose weight, alongside strong, distressing feelings about the importance of shape, weight, or eating control. The goal of this Workbook, which is designed to accompany the companion Therapist Guide, is to help people overcome their individual eating and emotional issues using a common set of scientifically tested tools. The steps and exercises in this book are intended to help readers identify and better understand how eating and emotional issues interact, to address some of the core thoughts and behaviors that underpin both eating and emotional disorders, and to develop new flexibility and capacity in areas of life that have been affected. The strategies included in this book are based on common principles found in existing empirically supported psychological treatments, and have been extensively tested in research studies. The research to support these interventions is included in the companion Therapist Guide.

Based on the popular anti-diet program, Intuitive Eating, this guided companion will help you pay attention to your body's natural hunger cues, and develop a healthier relationship with food. Do you use food to comfort yourself during stressful times? Do you deny yourself the pleasure of eating because it causes you to feel guilt or shame? You aren't alone. Many people today have a complicated and difficult relationship with food. But there is a way to change. Intuitive Eating is a comprehensive, evidence-based program to help you pay attention to your natural cues of hunger and satisfaction, and cultivate a profound connection with your mind and body. This illustrated journal will give you all the tools you need for eating intuitively, and will show you that you are the expert of your own body. You'll also discover ways to distinguish between physical and emotional feelings, and make peace with food-so that you no longer have constant 'food worry' thoughts. Most importantly, you'll find powerful writing prompts to help you explore yourself as a whole person-regardless of what you eat. Now is the time to move beyond diet mentality, honor your hunger, and make peace with food-and yourself. This journal will help guide the way.

Embraced by Oprah, the #1 "New York Times" bestselling guide that explains the connection between eating and emotion from Geneen Roth--noted authority on mindful eating.
"No matter how sophisticated or wealthy or broke or enlightened you are, how you eat tells all."
After three decades of studying, teaching, and writing about our compulsions with food, bestselling author Geneen Roth adds a powerful new dimension to her work in "Women Food and God." She begins with her most basic concept: the way you eat is inseparable from your core beliefs about being alive. Your relationship with food is an exact mirror of your feelings about love, fear, anger, meaning, transformation and, yes, even God.
A timeless and seminal work, "Women Food and God "shows how going beyond the food and the feelings takes you deeper into realms of spirit and soul--to the bright center of your own life.

It happens to all of us. One minute you're happily going about your day and a few seconds later you're a snappy, illogical jerk. The culprit? Hanger. We're living busier lives than ever before, and when you forget to eat - or eat well - due to stress or unhappiness, your extreme hunger can negatively affect your emotional and psychological well-being. And the worst part is that when you're overly hungry, you're more likely to make bad food decisions (ever grabbed a big, greasy slice of pizza just because it was the fastest, easiest thing?), which sets you up for another hanger crash later on. Hanger Management is the book to break this dangerous and unhealthy cycle. In Hanger Management, New York Times bestselling author and clinical psychologist Susan Albers sheds light on the causes of hanger and shares 45 of her best tips for managing emotional eating. By learning to stay on top of your hunger cues, cultivating a better understanding of your appetite and creating a better overall relationship with food, you'll become a happier - and healthier - person for life.

Eating disorders are potentially life-threatening psychiatric illnesses commonly accompanied by serious medical problems. They typically appear during adolescence or early adulthood, a time when young people are heading to college or interviewing for a first job. Many people recover fully from eating disorders, but others become chronically ill, and symptoms can continue into middle age and beyond. Written by leading authorities in eating disorders research and treatment, Eating Disorders: What Everyone Needs to Know answers common questions about eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder, as well as a newly described condition, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). Practical yet authoritative, the book defines the eating disorders, explains what we know about them based on the latest science, and describes how treatment works. Importantly, the book dispels common myths about eating disorders, such as the notion that they occur only amongst the affluent, that they affect only girls and women, or that they simply result from environmental factors such as the fashion industry and society's obsession with thinness. In reality, as the book explains, there is substantial evidence that eating disorders are brain-based illnesses that do not discriminate, and that they have been around for a very long time. Eating Disorders: What Everyone Needs to Know is essential reading for those seeking authoritative and current information about these often misunderstood illnesses.

This practical guide enables those working with young children to better understand, manage and support children's relationship with food. Revealing the different ways in which children can relate to food, it gives accessible guidance and advice about how to help children to develop psychologically healthy eating habits and behaviours, and how to tackle feeding issues such as picky eating, obesity and food anxiety. Included is an easy-to-use reference section for trouble-shooting, which contains advice on how special needs such as autism can affect children's feelings about food.

Eating Disorders: The Facts is a comprehensive and accessible guide to the major eating disorders namely anorexia nervosa, anorexia nervosa not for weight or shape, exercise disorder, bulimia nervosa, purging disorder, rumination disorder, binge eating disorder and atypical. Sympathetically and clearly written, this guide considers why eating disorders occur, and then looks at each in turn, describing the eating behaviours, diagnosis, and treatments available.The opening chapters tackle adolescent eating behaviours and infertility, pregnancy and the postpartum period. Case histories and patient perspectives provide insights into the mind of the eating disorder sufferer, making it easier for patients and their families to relate to the topics discussed. Revised and updated new topics include contribution of epigenetics (in utero contribution), attachment in perinatal and early years, and the negative and positive impact of the internet and social media. Eating Disorders: The Facts provides an authoritative resource on eating disorders that will prove valuable for sufferers and their families.

Getting Better Bite by Bite is an essential, authoritative and evidence-based self-help programmethat has been used by bulimia sufferersfor over 20 years. This new edition maintains the essence of the original book, while updating its content for today's readers, drawing on the latest knowledge of the biology and psychology of bulimia and its treatment. The book provides step-by-step guidance for change based on solid research. The use of everyday language, stimulating contemporary case study story-telling and evocative illustrations in Bite by Bite provide encouragement, hope and new perspectives for all readers. This handy-sized book fills a need for easy-to-understand information about Bulimia Nervosa, a serious and prevalent eating disorder. Ulrike Schmidt and Janet Treasure are world-renowned researchers and authorities on eating disorders, and June Alexander, a former sufferer of anorexia and bulimia, is a respected writer and internationally-known eating disorder awareness advocate. Getting Better Bite by Bite is a valuable resource - for sufferers, for their families, and for the health professionals and carers treating them.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been proven effective for treating Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder. However, this type of program requires at least 6 months of weekly sessions with a qualified mental health professional. If you suffer from an eating disorder and want to get treatment, but have little time to devote to therapy, a shorter, time-limited program may be right for you.
This workbook outlines a Guided Self-Help (GSH) program based on the principles of CBT. Although sessions with a therapist or clinician are required, there are usually no more than 12 and each one is only 25 minutes long. You will do much of the treatment on your own using the workbook as your guide. You will learn and practice the skills you need to overcome your eating disorder and establish healthy habits, while consulting with your therapist for encouragement and support. Through daily self-monitoring of your eating patterns, and strategies such as challenging negative thoughts and formal problem-solving, you will reduce your desire to binge and purge. GSH is hard work, but the benefits are well worth it. If you have the desire and the drive, you can use this workbook to eliminate your eating disorder once and for all.

'Fee writes with stunning honesty ... utterly breathtaking' - Bustle

A beautiful memoir from an exciting young writer, Meg Fee, on finding her way in New York City. Full of the dramas and quiet moments that make up a life, told with humour, heart, and hope.

In Places I Stopped on the Way Home, Meg Fee plots a decade of her life in New York City – from falling in love at the Lincoln Center to escaping the roommate (and bedbugs) from hell on Thompson Street, chasing false promises on 66th Street and the wrong men everywhere, and finding true friendships over glasses of wine in Harlem and Greenwich Village.

Weaving together her joys and sorrows, expectations and uncertainties, aspirations and realities, the result is an exhilarating collection of essays about love and friendship, failure and suffering, and above all hope. Join Meg on her heart-wrenching journey, as she cuts the difficult path to finding herself and finding home.

Break free from the vicious cycle of anorexia nervosa Anorexia nervosa affects both men and women, of all age groups and social classes, internationally. For both the sufferer and the friends and family who care for them, the impact of the illness can be devastating. However, it can be treated effectively using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). This self-help book provides support to battle this notorious and widespread eating disorder and has been used effectively with many patients in clinical settings. Using CBT techniques, you will learn to: Understand the many forms and causes of anorexia nervosa Challenge negative thinking and behaviour Improve your body image Develop coping strategies for the future These clinically proven tools form a complete recovery programme, with practical exercises and worksheets. Overcoming self-help guides use clinically proven techniques to treat long-standing and disabling conditions, both psychological and physical. Many guides in the Overcoming series are recommended under the Reading Well scheme. Series Editor: Professor Peter Cooper

Studies show that the reason why many people gain weight - and keep it on - is emotional eating, not physical eating. Now Dr. Roger Gould, a psychotherapist and a leading authority on emotional eating, shows how to overcome fear, anxiety, and other stresses and stop using food as an over-the-counter tranquilizer that can cause weight gain. With 12 practical ways to stop emotional eating and an eight-session program, Dr. Gould helps you become your own eating therapist and shrink yourself for good.