Humans have eaten earth, on purpose, for more than 2,300 years. They also crave starch, ice, chalk, and other unorthodox items of food. Some even claim they are addicted and "go crazy" without these items, but why?

Sifting through extensive historical, ethnographic, and biomedical findings, Sera L. Young creates a portrait of pica, or nonfood cravings, from humans' earliest ingestions to current trends and practices. In engaging detail, she describes the substances most frequently consumed and the many methods (including the Internet) used to obtain them. She reveals how pica is remarkably prevalent (it occurs in nearly every human culture and throughout the animal kingdom), identifies its most avid partakers (pregnant women and young children), and describes the potentially healthful and harmful effects. She evaluates the many hypotheses about the causes of pica, from the fantastical to the scientific, including hunger, nutritional deficiencies, and protective capacities. Never has a book examined pica so thoroughly or accessibly, merging absorbing history with intimate case studies to illuminate an enigmatic behavior deeply entwined with human biology and culture.

This author, Amanda Smith, has a successful book (365-day wellness planner) for people who suffer with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Now, with this new book, the second in the Borderline Personality Disorder series, the author focuses on the helping the family members (spouses, parents, siblings, and even close friends, etc.) of the person with Borderline Personality Disorder, which is a relationship disorder with lots of emotion dysregulation, thereby making relationships with their BPD loved one very difficult. This book is a 52-week wellness planner for the families. It will help them to: - deal with their loved one without going crazy - help them learn about and utilize skills from the psychological treatments their BPD loved one is getting - get support, knowledge, resources, - hope for a healthier and happier future - keep the relationship from terminating

This accessible guide for clinicians and clinical students working in the fields of eating disorders and transgender health psychology offers useful tips, constructive case studies and reflective questions that enable readers to feel better equipped in supporting their clients' needs. The book addresses the clinical challenges a therapist may encounter, and provides advice on the key issues involved in therapeutic work with transgender, non-binary and gender-expansive clients, including trauma, minority stress, coming out, family support, appearance and body changes. This book will inspire clinicians to bridge the disconnect between the clinical criteria for eating disorders and the type of eating disorder manifesting in a client with co-occurring gender dysphoria.

From pioneering family-based treatment developer James Lock, this is the first comprehensive guide to adolescent-focused therapy (AFT) for anorexia nervosa (AN), an evidence-based individual approach. AFT is an effective alternative to family-based treatment that may be a better fit for some patients. Lock explains how AN serves as a maladaptive response to developmental challenges of adolescence. He presents a manualized framework for helping adolescents find more adaptive coping strategies, manage difficult emotions, and develop greater autonomy and a stronger sense of self, while reducing risky behaviors and restoring weight. AFT emphasizes the therapist-patient alliance and involves parents in a supportive role. Rich case material and sample dialogues illustrate how to implement each phase of the approach. AFT 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).

"[Beauty Sick] will blow the top off the body image movement...provocative and necessary." - Rebellious Magazine An award-winning psychology professor reveals how the cultural obsession with women's appearance is an epidemic that harms women's ability to get ahead and to live happy, meaningful lives, in this powerful, eye-opening work in the vein of Peggy Orenstein and Sheryl Sandberg. Today's young women face a bewildering set of contradictions when it comes to beauty. They don't want to be Barbie dolls but, like generations of women before them, are told they must look like them. They're angry about the media's treatment of women but hungrily consume the outlets that belittle them. They mock modern culture's absurd beauty ideal and make videos exposing Photoshopping tricks, but feel pressured to emulate the same images they criticize by posing with a "skinny arm." They understand that what they see isn't real but still download apps to airbrush their selfies. Yet these same young women are fierce fighters for the issues they care about. They are ready to fight back against their beauty-sick culture and create a different world for themselves, but they need a way forward. In Beauty Sick, Dr. Renee Engeln, whose TEDx talk on beauty sickness has received more than 250,000 views, reveals the shocking consequences of our obsession with girls' appearance on their emotional and physical health and their wallets and ambitions, including depression, eating disorders, disruptions in cognitive processing, and lost money and time. Combining scientific studies with the voices of real women of all ages, she makes clear that to truly fulfill their potential, we must break free from cultural forces that feed destructive desires, attitudes, and words-from fat-shaming to denigrating commentary about other women. She provides inspiration and workable solutions to help girls and women overcome negative attitudes and embrace their whole selves, to transform their lives, claim the futures they deserve, and, ultimately, change their world.

'This updated edition provides an excellent overview of the diagnosis, prevalence and causes of eating disorders, as well as a handbook for the application of evidence based interventions. A "must buy" for eating disorder services and individual practitioners '

"Sally Savage, Clinical Lead for Northamptonshire NHS Eating Disorders Lifespan Service"

Affecting thousands of people every year with potentially devastating consequences, anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorders are becoming increasingly evident in today's fast paced, high pressured society.

Drawing on over 20 years' experience as a practitioner, Sara Gilbert takes the reader through the complexities of working with eating disorders, drawing on practical, cognitive behavioural and educational approaches to theory, assessment, treatment and practice. Packed full of new resources for both qualified professionals and trainees, this new edition includes:

- A summary of new research on the causes of eating disorders, dual diagnosis and co-morbidity.

- New content on the best treatment for eating disorders and preparing clients for treatment.

- An updated chapter examining the effects of nutrition on physical and psychological well-being.

- New content on working with complexity and risk.

- A fully updated reference section.

This is a vital resource for practitioners in the mental health field, including psychotherapists, psychologists, counsellors, psychiatrists, mental health nurses and dieticians.

Sara Gilbert is a chartered clinical psychologist whose specialist interest in the field of eating disorders spans 20 years. She has worked for 12 years as a clinical lead in an eating disorder service in the NHS and is now in private practice.

The Oxford Handbook of Eating Disorders provides current insights from established experts into the phenomenology, epidemiology, prevention, and treatment of eating disorders. Fully revised to reflect new DSM-5 classification and diagnostic criteria, each chapter of the Second Edition has been updated to feature the latest clinical research findings, applications, and approaches to understanding eating disorders. An additional chapter on emerging issues explores critical questions pertaining to ethics and the use of technology in treating eating disorders. With information on newly documented syndromes and a new section on bariatric surgery, this handbook not only encapsulates where the field is at but also offers astute perspectives on how the field is changing. Including both practical specifics, like literature reviews and clinical applications, as well as a broad view of foundational topics, this handbook is essential for scientists, clinicians, experts, and students alike.

Thoroughly revised and updated with the latest research and methodologies, the fourth edition of the classic guide written specifically for parents, friends, and caregivers of individuals with eating disorders. For more than thirty years, this classic guide has been an essential resource for the "silent sufferers"-those affected by a loved one's eating disorder. This revised edition put family and friends at the center of the treatment process, providing the latest information on the methods and practices available to facilitate the recovery process. Surviving an Eating Disorder is the first book for family and friends to use a psychological perspective to understand eating disorders. Other treatment manuals or self-help books propose change but Surviving is the first to consider why change can be so hard for everyone involved. The factors that can hinder progress are discussed and the methods that can work are emphasized. Illustrated with case examples, this fourth edition explains the latest treatments and provides the necessary tools to carefully evaluate what can be most effective for each reader's individual care. The authors offer concrete advice and support, urging readers to care for both themselves and their relationships as they support their loved ones struggling with food and eating issues. With its combination of information, insight, and practical strategies, Surviving an Eating Disorder considers crisis as opportunity-a time for the possibility of hope and change for everyone involved.

At sixteen, Regina began cutting back on meals to the point where her hair started to fall out. Later, she began to binge at night while her family slept. For a long time, she was able to keep her eating disorder a secret, though hiding her problem didn't stop it from harming her emotional and physical well-being. The pressures of wanting to succeed as an artist led her to a nervous breakdown and, finally, a strong desire to start from scratch. In Fat, Austrian-born author and artist Regina Hofer documents her battle with anorexia and bulimia. This powerful and imaginative graphic novel follows Regina from her childhood home in Upper Austria, where food and family mealtimes were often associated with feelings of personal failure, to art school at the Mozarteum University Salzburg and a violent reckoning with her dysfunctional family. Vivid and courageous, this memoir will resonate with anyone living through or seeking to understand what it is like to live with an eating disorder.

Exposure Therapy for Eating Disorders is designed to augment existing eating disorder treatment manuals by providing clinicians with practical advice for maximizing the effectiveness of exposure, regardless of clinical background or evidence-based treatment used. Suitable for use with a range of diagnoses, this easy-to-use guide describes the most up to date empirical research on exposure for eating disorders, extrapolating clinical advice from the anxiety disorders literature in order to help busy clinicians become more effective in treating these challenging illnesses. Readers will gain solid understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of exposure therapy, as well as how to utilize this information to explain the rationale for exposure to patients. Specific types of eating disorder exposure are covered in detail, including exposure to food and eating, cue exposure for binge eating, weighing and weight exposure, novel forms of exposure for eating disorders, and more. The book also provides strategies for overcoming obstacles, including institutional resistance to implementation of exposure therapy.

If your loved one is one of millions of Americans who suffers from an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia, you may feel alone, without guidance or understanding. As a romantic partner, you need to know how to navigate issues such as parenting, sex and intimacy and running a household. This book provides that help by addressing your uniquely complex and difficult situation and provides much-needed support for growth and healing. In Loving Someone With an Eating Disorder, you'll find valuable information about eating disorders, diagnostic categories and common misconceptions. You'll also learn about the importance of self-care and boundaries for yourself and find writing and perspective-taking exercises to help you gain a greater understanding of your partner's struggle. You'll also learn skills to help you address specific problems, such as managing groceries and meals together, sex and intimacy issues and concerns about parenting. Finally, you'll find a practical discussion about treatment and recovery from disordered eating-making it clear that both you and your partner need healing-as well as information about seeking further support.

The Upside of Being Down shows the winding paths that are the thoughts that go through one's mind, and the debilitating symptoms that come alight with Anorexia Nervosa. Anorexia Nervosa is an illness misunderstood by many. At first glance it is seen as a trivial call for attention, but it is so much more. The Upside of Being Down is a memoir of a teenage survivor of Anorexia written in order to destigmatize this illness so that many more can be treated. Only one in ten sufferers will seek treatment because many people don't conceptualize what eating disorders truly encompass. What may come as a surprise to many, is that weight and looks are the most insignificant part of this illness. Through medical appointments and unique experiences, Carolina recounts the thoughts and actions that built up her diagnosis within The Upside of Being Down. Much like navigating unknown seas, Carolina writes about surviving an illness that is entirely abstract and has no simple way out, while also advocating for eating disorder awareness to encourage families and people who are on the verge of giving up.

Whether they are rich or poor, liberal or conservative, religious or atheist, thriving or stagnant, most American women have one thing in common--they want to be thin--or thinner. And they are willing to go to extraordinary lengths to get that way, even to the point of starving themselves. Why are America's women so preoccupied with weight? Is there more to this preoccupation than weight alone? What has caused record numbers of young women--even before they reach their teenage years--to suffer from weight obsession, poor body image, and disordered eating? Why are some young women able to resist cultural pressures to be thin when others are not? Are there factors within American society that have fueled current outbreaks of anorexia and bulimia? The Cult of Thinness, Second Edition--a revised and expanded version of Sharlene Nagy Hesse-Biber's award-winning book, Am I Thin Enough Yet? (OUP, 1996)--answers these questions and more.
Hesse-Biber goes beyond traditional psychological explanations of eating disorders to level a powerful indictment against the social, political, and economic pressures women face in a weight-obsessed society--a society that is, ironically, becoming increasingly more fat while worshipping a progressively more thin ideal. She examines the profit motives of corporate America that promote this paradox. Moreover, a new chapter on preteens, masculinity, ethnicity, gay and lesbian body image, and the globalization of body image issues align a refined cultural study of body image with the trends found in current research studies, demographic data, and popular culture.
Using the metaphor of a cult, Hesse-Biber conveys the intense, day-to-day involvement thatthe pursuit of thinness demands. Examining the testimonies of young women concerning the practice of body rituals, she observes the extent to which these women sacrifice their bodies and minds to the pursuit of the ultra-slender ideal. She looks at pressures coming from their families and friends that perpetuate their cult-like practices and evaluates a range of therapies and personal and collective actions available to help women overcome their weight obsessions and eating problems.
Hesse-Biber provides new frameworks for envisioning femininity and personal power, overcoming body insecurity, strengthening the inner self, and changing the cultural environment itself. Along the way, the reader is provided with important self-help tips to tackle the growing number of body image issues young women and new recruits to the "Cult of Thinness" continue to encounter.
There are alternatives to the Cult of Thinness and this book provides a strong antidote.

Eating disorders present diagnostic and treatment challenges to clinicians. While such disorders need both medical and psychological treatment, patients may be too medically ill for a thorough psychiatric evaluation and may be misunderstood by many primary care physicians. In this book, Drs. Philip S. Mehler and Arnold E. Andersen provide a user-friendly and comprehensive guide for primary care physicians, mental health professionals, and others who encounter patients who have eating disorders. Mehler and Andersen identify common medical complications that people who have eating disorders face and answer questions about how to treat them. They also cover such serious complications as osteoporosis, cardiac arrhythmia, electrolyte abnormalities, and gastrointestinal sequelae. Incorporating illustrative case studies, medical background on the complications, guidelines for diagnosis and treatment, and an up-to-date list of selected references, chapters cover important topics including team treatment and nutritional rehabilitation. Care of the patient who is very medically compromised is based on extensive experience. The authors also address special areas of concern, such as athletes who have eating disorders, males with eating disorders, and the pharmacological treatment of obesity. In this thoroughly revised and updated edition of Eating Disorders, Drs. Mehler and Andersen * discuss the results of recent randomized control trials* include new chapters on diabetes in eating disorders, osteoporosis, gastrointestinal complications, involuntary feeding, and innovative psychological strategies* present a fresh consideration of ethical conflicts, including involuntary treatment, harm reduction, palliative care, and futility* focus on evidence-based solutions* provide information pertinent to worried families and nonmedical professionals like teachers and coaches, including recent genetic findings* take a holistic approach that considers both the physical and mental health of the patient This classic foundational guide will help primary care and mental health professionals to understand and more effectively address the complex concerns of patients who have eating disorders.

This work presents the adaptation of mentalization-based therapy for use in Eating Disorders (MBT-ED). The book starts with a presentation of the theoretical concept of mentalization and describes eating disorders from this perspective. This is followed by a discussion of the place of MBT-ED in eating disorders practice. MBT is first presented as the original model for borderline personality disorder, and then the model is further developed to address specific symptoms found in eating disorders, such as body image disturbance, restriction and purging. The original MBT model consists of outpatient treatment combined with individual and group psychotherapy, and psychoeducation in groups. The book then looks at supervision and training, and how an eating disorders team can develop a mentalizing focus. It goes on to describe the training required for practitioners to deliver individual and group MBT-ED and to supervise therapy. Lastly, it examines the implementation of the approach in different clinical settings, including inpatient services, and how management can be involved in negotiating barriers and taking advantage of enablers in the system. The authors have conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial and qualitative research in MBT-ED and have extensive experience in providing and supervising this novel therapy. MBT-ED is one of the few therapies for eating disorders that links theory of mind, and attachment and psychodynamic therapies and as such will be of great theoretical interest to a wide variety of clinicians and researchers.