The treatment of eating disorders remains controversial, protracted, and often unsuccessful. Therapists face a number of impediments to the optimal care fo their patients, from transference to difficulties in dealing with the patient's family.

Treating Eating Disorders addresses the pressure and responsibility faced by practicing therapists in the treatment of eating disorders. Legal, ethical, and interpersonal issues involving compulsory treatment, food refusal and forced feeding, managed care, treatment facilities, terminal care, and how the gender of the therapist affects treatment figure centrally in this invaluable navigational guide.

This important new book details a strategic and systemic model for short-term therapy with adolescent sufferers of anorexia nervosa, a psychopathology that seduces patients into starvation as doctors and family look on with increasing desperation. Supported by the successful treatment of hundreds of cases over the past 30 years, the book is the culmination of a long-term intervention programme developed at the Strategic Therapy Centre of Arezzo, Italy. It begins by outlining the range of different eating disorders, before identifying the specific characteristics that adolescents with anorexia present. The variations of the pathology are then discussed. Not all patients present with the same symptoms; some sufferers over-exercise while others binge eat or self-harm. Substance abuse is also common, either with diuretics or chemicals; others self-induce vomiting. The therapeutic strategy will, of course, differ for each patient. Accessibly written throughout, the book concludes with two cases studies - complete with full transcripts - which illustrate the therapeutic process that allowed the patient to change their patterns of thinking, and the accompanying behaviours. An insightful and invaluable work on this vital topic, the book will be essential reading for any professional working with adolescents presenting with anorexia, as well as the families of sufferers.

Widely popularized images of unobtainable and damaging feminine ideals can be a cause of profound disjunction between women and their bodies. A consequence of this dissonance is an embodied performance of these ideals with the potential development of disordered eating practices, such as anorexia nervosa. This book develops a spirituality of anorexia by suggesting that these eating disorders are physical symptoms of the general repression of feminine nature in our culture. Furthermore, it puts forward Goddess feminism as a framework for a healing therapeutic model to address anorexia and more broadly, the "slender ideal" touted by society. The book focuses on the female body in contemporary society, specifically the development of anorexia nervosa, and what this expression communicates about female embodiment. Drawing upon the work of a variety of theorists, social commentators, liberation theologians and thealogians, it discusses the benefits of adopting female-focused myths, symbols and rituals, drawing upon the work of Marion Woodman and Naomi Goldenberg. Ultimately, it theorises a thealogical approach to anorexia aimed at displacing the damaging discourses that undermine women in the twenty-first century. Offering an alternative model of spirituality and embodiment for contemporary women, this book will be of keen interest to scholars of theology, religious studies, gender studies and psychology.

Helping Patients Outsmart Overeating, written by an eating disorder therapist and a physician, offers a new paradigm for doctors and health care providers who treat patients with eating and weight concerns. It describes how both parties are frustrated by weight-loss plans and programs that fail in the long term, and presents a science-based explanation for why diets fail and how they, in fact, may adversely impact patients' mental and physical health. The authors illustrate how providers can truly help patients by using empathy, compassion, and motivational interviewing. They explain how helping patients strengthen skills related to self-awareness, emotional management, stress reduction, appetite attunement, perseverance and effective self-care can improve self-efficacy and support sustained motivation in improving health and wellness promoting behaviors. The issue of weight stigma is addressed, along with how professionals' view of their own eating and weight affects the patient-provider relationship. This book introduces clinicians to tools from eating and success psychology, Intuitive Eating, Lifestyle Medicine, and Health and Wellness Coaching, within a weight-inclusive paradigm. It also details a collaborative model for working with ancillary disciplines to give patients and providers the comprehensive support needed for lasting success.

Food for Thought offers fresh psychoanalytic insights into treating clients with eating disorders. In lively and jargon-free language, Nina Savelle-Rocklin breaks down the psychoanalytic approach to give practitioners and general readers alike a deeper understanding of the theory and effective treatment of eating disorders. Those living with eating disorders often use food to express their inner feelings, and Savelle-Rocklin illustrates the importance of the therapeutic relationship in uncovering the nature of these internal emotions, and formulating them into words. Through an intensive and mutual process, clients can begin to understand the language of the eating disorder, identify and work through its underlying conflicts, ultimately eliminating symptoms, relieving distress, and transforming the way they relate to themselves and others. Thoughtful and highly engaging, Food for Thought provides invaluable methods for practitioners treating patients with eating disorders to achieve lasting change and true healing.

Amid the welter of clinical studies, memoirs, and other death-defying tales of eating disorders, we remain unclear about the relationships among trauma, anorexia, and bulimia, and about the psychological pathways to recovery. Creating Bodies offers the gripping story of healing and transformation detailed in one woman's diaries. Hannah wrote 18 diaries between the ages of 14 and 32. In the excerpts reprinted herein, we watch Hannah navigate violent adolescent friendships, descend into anorexia and bulimia, marry an abusive man, struggle to recover memories of sexual abuse, and finally to heal. And we learn of her interaction with Katie Gentile, who analyzed her diaries and met with Hannah to discuss the latter's own understanding of the diaries and of the diary analysis. Through a close study of both the content and structure of Hannah's diaries, Gentile shows how unspeakable, embodied remnants of sexual trauma become symbolized and how, within this process, Hannah's bulimia functioned as both an act of self destruction and a lifesaving form of resistance. Anchored in relational psychoanalysis and critical feminist theory, Creating Bodies provides a uniquely longitudinal account of the development of, and ultimate recovery from, an eating disorder fueled by childhood sexual abuse. An invaluable contribution to the literature on adolescent and adult eating disorders, it is also a thoughtful meditation on how the act of writing deepens issues of relationality and, over time, promotes cure. Psychoanalysts will be intrigued by the rich process issues embedded in prose journals, notes, and letters - both close to and distinct from clinical process issues - that Gentile uses to understand Hannah's projects of self-destruction and reconstruction.

Now in its third edition, Medical Management of Eating Disorders is the definitive text on the diagnosis and general management of patients with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and other related eating disorders. Providing up-to-date information and research on world-class treatments, this book helps health care professionals understand how to treat eating disorders and other subsequent medical complications that arise as a result of the patient's disorder. Each chapter begins with 'Study Questions' to focus the reader and put the relevant information into perspective, and concludes with 'Implications for Health Care Professionals' to summarise the key learnings of the chapter. 'Patient Information' sections are also included to give examples of how the topics covered can be presented to patients and families. This text is essential reading for all health care professionals involved in the care and management of patients with eating disorders.

For the first time in one volume, many of the world's most esteemed eating disorders prevention experts share their opinions and recommendations about future directions for the field. Employing "The Last Word" format of writing concise editorials about a focused area of research, authors from four countries contribute thirteen chapters with diverse points of view. The approaches range from large scale, macro-environmental calls for change through public policy to the more intimate promotion of positive youth identity for buffering against eating disorders. Included are retrospective looks at the development of prevention programs with an eye toward best practices moving forward, calls for integrating eating disorders interventions with existing efforts in the obesity and health promotion fields, examples of successful change through public policy and social justice, and a cry for gender inclusiveness, which has missing in female dominated strategies. More personal-level recommendations look at the efficacy of mindfulness, yoga, intuitive eating and exercise, and the importance of forming healthy self-identity. Informed by decades of investigation, the authors-all of whom have conducted numerous studies, programs, and research projects-offer the insights they've learned and the lessons that they each believe will make a difference in reducing eating disorders. This book was originally published as a special issue of Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention.

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.

Caring for a Loved One with an Eating Disorder: The New Maudsley Skills-Based Training Manual provides a framework for carer skills workshops which can be used by anyone working with these conditions. Based on the successful New Maudsley Model, which equips carers with the knowledge and skills needed to support those with an eating disorder, the book consists of two sections which will help facilitators to deliver skills workshops to carers. The first section provides the theoretical background, while the second uses exercises to bring the New Maudsley Model to life. The skills workshops provide a much-needed lifeline, giving carers an opportunity to meet in a safe, non-judgemental and confidential environment, and to learn to recognise that changes in their own responses can be highly beneficial. With session-by-session guidelines and handouts for participants, Caring for a Loved One with an Eating Disorder: The New Maudsley Skills-Based Training Manual will be of aid to anyone working with someone coping with these conditions.

Patients with eating disorders frequently feel that they aren't "sick enough" to merit treatment, despite medical problems that are both measurable and unmeasurable. They may struggle to accept rest, nutrition, and a team to help them move towards recovery. 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.

This book outlines a whole new approach to therapy for eating disorders based on neuroscience.

Many children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have a restricted dietary range, and this book provides parents with advice and training on how to deal with this condition and achieve a healthier and more balanced diet. Now described as Avoidant or Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), it is due to sensory hypersensitivity, and it can impact upon the health of the child, upon the family, and upon social integration. Based upon successful training packages the authors provide for parents and professionals, this book enables the reader to understand the condition and work with it, gradually increasing the range of food a child is able to eat. It includes 'box outs' with case studies, points of interest and action points to make this an accessible and resourceful read.

Who develops which eating disorder and why? When do eating disorders begin and what fuels them? In Hunger for Connection, psychoanalyst and eating-disorder specialist Alitta Kullman expands on the "body/mind" personality organization she calls the "perseverant personality," illustrating how food and thought are linked from infancy, and for some, can become the primary source of nurturance and thought-processing for a lifetime-leading to what we call an eating disorder. Writing in a highly accessible style, Kullman brings humor and gentleness to her interactions with patients, offering health professionals and mainstream readers alike an essential guide to understanding and/or working with cyclical eating disorders of all types. From psychoanalysts, psychotherapists, and counsellors, to eating disorder specialists, researchers, and students, Hunger for Connection not only provides guidelines for therapists of varying theoretical orientations and levels of expertise, but help and hope to people suffering with eating disorders and those who care for and about them.

Understanding Teen Eating Disorders introduces readers to common teen eating disorder scenarios, their warning signs, and treatment options. Each chapter examines a teen or tween and brings the factors, whether they be environmental, genetic, co-existing conditions, etc. that contribute to his or her eating disorder, to life, while seamlessly integrating the latest research in gene inheritance, brain chemistry, and eating disorders in accessible, reader-friendly language. Each chapter provides treatment options, including outpatient, group therapy, and in-patient programs, for both the young person and the family. Each also ends with a Q & A section that reflects the concerns a parent, loved one, or treatment professional may have.

Family Based Treatment for Restrictive Eating Disorders unpacks some of the most common dilemmas providers face in implementation of Family Based Treatment (FBT) across the spectrum of restrictive eating disorders. Directed towards advanced clinicians and supervisors, this manual is rooted in the assumption that true fidelity requires ongoing self-reflection and an understanding of the nuances involved in translating manualized interventions into rich clinical practice. Combining the key tenets of FBT with the best practices in supervision, it provides a framework to support each phase of the treatment process. Each chapter contains a wealth of resources, including clinical vignettes, a treatment fidelity measure, and other useful tools to assist both supervisors and advanced clinicians in becoming expert FBT practitioners.

Ecotourism and natural resource extraction may be seen as contradictory pursuits, yet in reality they often take place side by side, sometimes even supported by the same institutions. Existing academic and policy literatures generally overlook the phenomenon of ecotourism in areas concurrently affected by extraction industries, but such a scenario is in fact increasingly common in resource-rich developing nations. This edited volume conceptualises and empirically analyses the 'ecotourism-extraction nexus' within the context of broader rural and livelihood changes in the places where these activities occur. The volume's central premise is that these seemingly contradictory activities are empirically and conceptually more alike than often imagined, and that they share common ground in ethnographic lived experiences in rural settings and broader political economic structures of power and control. The book offers theoretical reflections on why ecotourism and natural resource extraction are systematically decoupled, and epistemologically and analytically re-links them through ethnographic case studies drawing on research from around the world. It should be of interest to students and professionals engaged in the disciplines of geography, anthropology and development studies.

This indispensable manual presents the leading empirically supported treatment approach for adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN). What sets family-based treatment apart is the central role played by parents and siblings throughout therapy. The book gives practitioners a clear framework for mobilizing parents to promote their child's weight restoration and healthy eating; improving parent-child relationships; and getting adolescent development back on track. Each phase of therapy is described in session-by-session detail. In-depth case illustrations show how to engage clients while flexibly implementing the validated treatment procedures. New to This Edition *Reflects the latest knowledge on AN and its treatment, including additional research supporting the approach. *Clarifies key concepts and techniques. *Chapter on emerging directions in training and treatment dissemination. *Many new clinical strategies. Family-based treatment is recognized as a best practice for the treatment of anorexia nervosa in adolescents by the U.K. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Ingestion of food is a physiological process among heterotrophic organisms to obtain nutrients for survival. The consumption of soil, clay and chalk by humans is labeled as geophagia. Ancient resources and modern references deliver valuable information concerning geophagia and pica in humans. This book takes a consistent, interdisciplinary approach for reviewing this aberrant behavior, crafting its etiology, charting its health effects and identifying the universal traits among the affected population. It puts forward a brief conceptual framework to achieve universality in its definition, history, epidemiology and multiple hypotheses thus help in adopting measures to control this habit. Key Features: 1. Systematic and meticulous flow of information on geophagia. 2. Guides general practioners, physicians, pediatricians to curb this practice in their patients. 3. A unique and concise treatise covering descriptive and research based work over a crucial health issue of worldwide prevalence.

Using Writing as a Therapy for Eating Disorders: The diary healer uses a unique combination of evidence-based research and raw diary excerpts to explain the pitfalls and benefits of diary writing during recovery from an eating disorder. In a time when diary writing remains a largely untapped resource in the health care professions, June Alexander sets out to correct this imbalance, explaining how the diary can inspire, heal and liberate, provide a learning tool for others and help us to understand and cope with life challenges. The book focuses on the power of diary writing, which may serve as a survival tool but become an unintended foe. With guidance, patients who struggle with face-to-face therapy are able to reveal their thoughts through writing and construct a strong sense of self. The effects of family background and the environment are explored, and the therapeutic value of sharing diaries, to better understand illness symptoms and behaviours, is discussed. Using Writing as a Therapy for Eating Disorders will be of interest to those who have recovered or are recovering from eating disorders or any mental illness, as well as therapists, clinicians and others working in the medical and healthcare professions.

In Pursuing Perfection, authors Margo Maine and Joe Kelly explore the emotional, social and cultural factors behind the ongoing epidemic of disordered eating and body image despair in adult women at midlife and beyond. Written from a biopsychosocial and feminist perspective, Pursuing Perfection describes the many issues women encounter as they navigate a rapidly changing culture that promotes unhealthy standards for beauty and appearance. This updated and expanded edition (originally published as The Body Myth: Adult Women and the Pressure to Be Perfect) is a unique guide for anyone seeking practical tools and strategies for adult women looking to establish health and body acceptance.

Because anorexia nervosa has historically been viewed as a disorder that impacts women and girls, there has been little focus on the conceptualization and treatment of males suffering from this complex disorder. Understanding Anorexia Nervosa in Males provides a structure for understanding the male side of the equation combined with practical resources to guide clinical intervention. Presented using an integrative framework that draws on recent research and organizes information from multiple domains into a unified understanding of the interconnected issues at hand, this informative new text provides a comprehensive approach to understanding and treating a widely unrecognized population.

Yoga and Eating Disorders bridges the knowledge and practice gaps between mental health providers and yoga practitioners who work with clients suffering from disordered eating. Combining the wisdom of 20 experts in eating disorders treatment and yoga practice, editors Carolyn Costin and Joe Kelly show how and why yoga's mind-body connection facilitates treatment and recovery. This invaluable resource for mental health and yoga professionals, as well as individuals and family members struggling with eating disorders, explores the use yoga in therapy, ways yoga teachers can recognize and respond to disordered eating, recovery stories, research into yoga's impact on symptoms, and much more.