One of my favorite books is edited by Aimee Liu and the title is Restoring our bodies, reclaiming our lives: Guidance and Reflections on Recovery from Eating Disorders.
The foreword is written by Judith Banker, past president of the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED) - the underwriter of the wonderful new booklet for doctors and laypeople alike found here:
I'm going to quote from the Foreword.
"Not one patient I've ever treated for an eating disorder believed at the outset of treatment that she or he was capable of recovering. Not a single one could imagine being free of the relentless obsessing, the perpetual weight-loss algorithms, the self-loathing, shame or despair that accompany these excruciatingly complex and devastating illnesses."
"....In Restoring Our Bodies, Reclaiming Our Lives Aimee again joins the wisdom of personal experience and the knowledge of research and clinical experts to provide a keenly illuminating, in-depth journey in the recovery process....[This book] forges new ground by walking the reader through the entire recovery process, from the initial turning points at the start of the odyssey to the 'wise minds' that reflect on the experience of reclaiming one's life after an eating disorder."
The review on Amazon to which I provided the link above states, "Author Aimee Liu has woven together dozens of first-person accounts of recovery to create a break-through roadmap for healing from an eating disorder. Restoring Our Bodies, Reclaiming Our Lives answers key questions including: How does healing begin? What does it feel like? What supports and accelerates it? Will I ever be free of worry about a relapse?
Throughout the book are informative sidebars written by leading professionals in the field, addressing essential topics such as finding the right therapist, the use of medications, exploring complementary treatments, and how family members can help"
Throughout the book are informative sidebars written by leading professionals in the field, addressing essential topics such as finding the right therapist, the use of medications, exploring complementary treatments, and how family members can help"
I bring this here because already in the commentary response to Dr. Ravin's post titled "Got Hope?" and in blogs like those of Extra Long Tail, Giant Fossilized Armadillo, and Ed-Bites (all shown as blogs I follow, found on the right hand side of this site), people are sharing their own experiences and paths to recovery - what works and what doesn't. An admirable thing, indeed.
For example, Extra Long Tail responds to Dr. Ravin's post (and touches on the points noted in the Foreword to Aimee Liu's book):
I had a relapsing course of restricting anorexia nervosa (AN) for 28 years before receiving any help that was of use. During those 28 years I remained significantly underweight (sometimes dangerously so – i.e. BMI < 13) and as time wore on, my physical state became increasingly compromised. I was 'treated' for some of the physical complications of long-term semi-starvation, yet a number of medical professionals deemed me 'chronic', or stated that I would only get better "when I decided to".
There was no way that I could get better on my own…. It was not that I didn't know what to eat to gain weight; it was that I didn't know HOW to eat more food without feeling panic-stricken. That level of panic was so great at times that I felt suicidal. And it was not 'about' body image. AN in anxiolytic.
The key to recovery from long-term AN is de-sensitisation to the panic associated with eating and weight restoration. I have had therapy too, which has been enormously helpful, but therapy without weight gain is pointless.
For example, Extra Long Tail responds to Dr. Ravin's post (and touches on the points noted in the Foreword to Aimee Liu's book):
I had a relapsing course of restricting anorexia nervosa (AN) for 28 years before receiving any help that was of use. During those 28 years I remained significantly underweight (sometimes dangerously so – i.e. BMI < 13) and as time wore on, my physical state became increasingly compromised. I was 'treated' for some of the physical complications of long-term semi-starvation, yet a number of medical professionals deemed me 'chronic', or stated that I would only get better "when I decided to".
There was no way that I could get better on my own…. It was not that I didn't know what to eat to gain weight; it was that I didn't know HOW to eat more food without feeling panic-stricken. That level of panic was so great at times that I felt suicidal. And it was not 'about' body image. AN in anxiolytic.
The key to recovery from long-term AN is de-sensitisation to the panic associated with eating and weight restoration. I have had therapy too, which has been enormously helpful, but therapy without weight gain is pointless.
[***And here is an article about the relationship of anxiety to eating disorders, especially anorexia, published late in 2010 in the European Eating Disorders Review.]
[***And here is a link to an article by Dr. Janet Treasure and colleagues titled "Eating in Eating Disorders" with the goal of the importance of eating/supported eating back "into the centre of the eating disorder discourse" that includes a wonderful compilation of knowledge to date.]
We can all learn from them. I know I can, too, because although I am in recovery from bulimia, my path and my make-up have been/are unique in many ways. Some things worked for me that might not work for others but other things may. The more we can read what has been written and presented by those in recovery, the broader an understanding we can gain and the more knowledge there is out there to help therapists, psychiatrists, nutritionists, parents, friends and the person fighting the eating disorder.
[***And here is a link to an article by Dr. Janet Treasure and colleagues titled "Eating in Eating Disorders" with the goal of the importance of eating/supported eating back "into the centre of the eating disorder discourse" that includes a wonderful compilation of knowledge to date.]
We can all learn from them. I know I can, too, because although I am in recovery from bulimia, my path and my make-up have been/are unique in many ways. Some things worked for me that might not work for others but other things may. The more we can read what has been written and presented by those in recovery, the broader an understanding we can gain and the more knowledge there is out there to help therapists, psychiatrists, nutritionists, parents, friends and the person fighting the eating disorder.
There needs to be more of this and more reaching out to those who fear they are forever entrenched so they, too, can get on the path.
As I've said before, the path is wide. There is room to fall down and get up again. The key is to get up again.
1 comment:
One of my friends contributed to that book! I so want to read it :)
Post a Comment