Kelly was 30 years old and her life was consumed by her eating disorder, which had started 15 years earlier. Eating disorders are becoming more common among women 30 and older, and many of them have had the disorder since they were teenagers.

"When Kelly started going to group therapy, she was with younger girls. It made her feel bad to be reminded of how at that age, she felt invincible to the effects of eating disorders. 'I was like "Look what happens. Do you want it to follow you?"', she said."

Women in their 30s are more likely to take responsibility for their eating disorder, and many in the medical community hope younger sufferers will follow their lead. The sooner responsibility is taken, the sooner treatment and recovery can begin. Source: Charlotte (NC) Observer

Labels: adults, recovery, therapy

A new program being offered in Queensland, Australia puts treatment for bulimia right in the hands of the patients. The six-step process involves cognitive behavioral therapy, diet plans and problem-solving:

"Over 20 weeks, the program involves sufferers writing down what they eat, creating a meal plan, intervening in bingeing or purging, using problem-solving, eliminating dieting and identifying beliefs surrounding the disorder. They also come up with plans to cope with stressful situations which may normally trigger an episode...."

Psychologist Cherie Dalton, who is currently treating three patients using the new program, told The Courier Mail that even though the program is self-guided, patients aren't going it alone. They still meet with healthcare professionals, but they are also given the tools to take a stronger ownership over their recovery. Source: The Courier Mail

Labels: support, therapy, treatment

A young woman writes in to an advice columnist looking for help in dealing with her parents. For years, she struggled with bulimia and now - thanks in part to counseling and antidepressants - she's healthy, has good relationships, and is genuinely excited about her life. But mom isn't supportive. How hard should this young woman try to win over her mom?

"Ask your counselor if it would be a good idea to bring your mother to a session. It might help her accept your choices if she hears from a professional."

The advice columnist goes on to say that if mom is still unsupportive, the girl needs to put her own health before her mom's approval. Source: SunHerald.com.

Labels: parents, support, therapy

A 16-week, internet-based program seems to significantly reduce the instances of binge eating among teens, according to the program's pilot study.

"[Megan] Jones and her team developed a 16-week online intervention modeled on an eating disorder prevention program. Known as SB2-BED, it uses psychoeducation and behavioral intervention such as stimulus control and self monitoring, all aimed at reducing binge eating and sedentary activities, increasing healthy eating and physical activity, and maintaining weight."

At the end of the study, students who participated in the program had significantly lower body mass indexes as compared to a control group. They also had fewer instances of binge eating and fewer concerns about their weight and/or shape. Read more at NLM.NIH.gov.

The Aspen Institute for Behavioral Assessment helps troubled teens and their families by accurately diagnosing a teen's issues and then creating a treatment plan. Learn more about their treatment programs for troubled teens at www.aspenassessment.com.

Labels: intervention, support, therapy

Researchers at the University of California in San Diego are hoping to design better treatments for families of teens with anorexia and other eating disorders.

Dr. Walter Kaye, professor of psychiatry, and his colleagues are recruiting 240 families with teens who suffer from eating disorders. The families will be divided into two groups. One group will receive family therapy, based on the theory that the child developed the disorder because of patterns of family interactions. The other group will work under the Maudsley theory that the family needs no psychological treatment, but parents do need to be taught how to help their child develop healthy eating habits.

"We may find different approaches work better for patients with a particular profile," Dr. Kaye said.

Anorexia affects about one in every 200 adolescents and has the highest death rate of any psychiatric disorder.

Adolescent treatment centers, like the Aspen Institute, can help diagnosis teens with emotional and behavioral issues and then, more importantly, create a treatment plan. Visit AspenAssessment.com for more information.

Labels: healthy_eating, therapy, treatment

For the past two years, psychotherapist Jane Baxter Cibel, Ph.D. has been treating patients with eating disorders, addictions and depression using an innovative approach called PsychFit. PsychFit combines psychological counseling with mild exercise such as walking on a treadmill.

"By conducting traditional psychotherapy during exercise and physical fitness coaching, PsychFit improves cognitive functioning at the same time it builds muscle, said Baxter Cibel. 'It repairs habitual negative and self-sabotaging thinking, which feeds depression and drives self-destructive behaviors.'"

Baxter Cibel believes that PsychFit works, in part, because physical activity is known to improve a person's mood and self-esteem.

Labels: exercise, therapy, treatment

Dr. Bomin Sun of the Center of Functional Neurosurgery in China has released the results of study in which brain stimulation was used to treat patients with advanced forms of anorexia. The treatment - called Deep Brain Modulation, is performed by implanting small electrodes onto a specific part of the brain, which is then electrically stimulated.

"Anorexia nervosa is a complex condition, involving sociological, neurobiological and psychological components,' said Dr. Sun. ‘This DBS treatment is very promising in that all patients had an improvement in eating behavior, psychiatric symptoms, or a combination of both."

Some side effects were documented in patients that had another surgical treatment, in addition to the DBS. There were, however, no side effects recorded in those who had the DBS treatment only.

A good residential treatment center, like Aspen Ranch, offers a treatment program for troubled teens that helps by offering a combination of therapy and academics. Visit AspenRanch.com to learn more about their programs for troubled teens.

Labels: brain_chemistry, therapy, treatment

Traditional eating disorder programs can take up to 10 years to make a difference in someone's life. And the rate of relapse is extremely high. But a new method being used in a San Diego clinic promises much better results and much fewer relapses.

"The clinic doesn't rely on psychiatric drugs or talk therapy. Instead, patients learn how to feel hungry and full. The key to success is this computerized device called the 'Mandometer'. It's customized for each patient... The Mandometer measures how much food is going on the plate, and how much and how fast food is being taken off."

Patients also learn how to ease their anxiety after a meal. The clinic has a "warm room" that's set to 108 degrees in which the patients go and sit after they've eaten. The warmth helps relieve stress. The relapse rate for this therapy is only 10 percent after five years, compared to 50 percent with most other types of therapy.

Schools for learning disabilities, like Cedars Academy, offer smaller classrooms and more personal attention from teachers. Visit CedarsAcademy.com to learn more about their non verbal learning disorder schools.

Labels: support, therapy, treatment

There are many treatment options available for people with anorexia. Various psychological, nutritional and medical treatments are offered, and choosing the "right" ones can be difficult. Parents who have teens with eating disorders may feel nearly panicked in their desire to find help for their children; a feeling that's exacerbated by the over-abundance of studies and opinions about different types of treatment.

"...a number of treatment methods are available to individuals with anorexia. The important thing is to diligently seek a mode of treatment that works for you. Right now, researchers may not know why one approach work and other one doesn't. Those are important things for us to learn. But on an individual basis, it's more important to find something that works than to know why it works."

Treatments like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) often work well in conjunction with some form of nutritional therapy. Consider out-of-the-ordinary additions to traditional treatment - like massage therapy, which some say helps anorexic patients not only relax but start to develop a healthier body image.

Residential treatment centers, like the Youth Care, offer cognitive-behavioral therapy for a variety of issues.

Labels: anorexia, therapy, treatment

Family-based therapy (FBT) has previously been proven a more effective treatment than supportive psychotherapy (SPT) for adolescent anorexia. Now, the same has been proven for treatment of adolescent bulimia, according to a study funded by the National Institute for Mental Health.

"Daniel le Grange, PhD, of the University of Chicago, and colleagues randomly divided 80 teenagers with bulimia, ages 12-19, into two treatment groups, FBT or SPT... Six months after the end of treatment, 16 of the 41 participants (39 percent) who received FBT were in remission, compared with 7 of the 39 people (18 percent) in the SPT treatment group."

Family-based therapy empowers a teen's parents to take action and help their child stop bulimia-related behaviors. It also helps the parents separate the behaviors from the child and work with - not against - the child.

Private schools can help teenagers in ways that public schools just aren't able to - with better academics, personal attention from teachers, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Find one at www.boardingschoolsinfo.com.

Labels: family, support, therapy

A University of Chicago Medical Center team has found that adolescents who seek treatment for bulimia significantly increase their chances for recovery if their parents are involved in the process. The randomized study involved 80 adolescents, half of which were assigned family-based treatment while the other half were assigned standard treatment.

"In the September issue of Archives of General Psychiatry [the] team... shows that almost 40 percent of participants in family-based treatment had stopped binging and purging compared to only 18 percent of those who received... the standard therapy. Six-months after treatment, almost 30 percent of participants who received family-based treatment were still abstinent compared to only 10 percent of participants who received supportive psychotherapy..."

The family-based therapy included clinic sessions with the patient and family members, while parents received instructions on to follow-up and encourage their children at home. The study shows that parents are uniquely positioned to help their children recovery from this potentially deadly eating disorder.

Copper Canyon Academy, a private girls residential treatment school, offers family seminars and workshops. Visit CopperCanyonAcademy.com for more information.

Labels: family, support, therapy

The Renfrew Center, which first opened in Philadelphia in 1985, has opened a new facility in Brentwood, Tennessee. Treatment plans focus not just on the physical, but other factors that may exacerbate an eating disorder.

"Jessica Samford Conley, director of the Brentwood facility, explained the Renfrew Center’s three-pronged approach. Patients at the center interface with psychiatrists, therapists, and nutritionists."

Psychiatrists work to determine if patients are struggling with any other issues or disorders such as anxiety or depression. Therapists help the patients discuss problems, and nutritionists help patients become more comfortable with food. Read more at Tennessean.com.

Labels: support, therapy, treatment

Buddhist "mindfulness" is a technique of developing a healthy acceptance of oneself and an awareness of one's response to emotions. It's a technique extolled by - among others - the Dalai Lama and that is being studied by Australian researchers as a possible treatment for eating disorders.

"[Michelle] Hanisch and [Angela] Morgan provided mindfulness therapy to 30 women suffering from bulimia, aged from 19 to early 60s, two hours a week for eight weeks... Morgan reveals that the women who went through the program showed 'clinically significant' progress and had made further improvement a month later."

The two researchers will present their findings at the World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies in Barcelona, Spain in July. Read more at News.com.au.

Students at Mount Bachelor Academy also practice mindfulness therapy as a tool for emotional growth and development of the critical thinking skills necessary to make appropriate choices. Visit www.mtba.com to learn more about their emotional growth boarding school program.

Labels: research, therapy, treatment

It's called FORM, which stands for 'Freedom Ordered Renewal Meditative Movement' and is a Pilates-type therapy that some facilities are using to help treat eating disorders. It's been found to help compulsive exercisers be more moderate in their routines while the deep breathing and stretching can relieve some of the aches and pains caused by eating disorders.

"Importantly, patients learn to distract from their eating disordered thoughts and behaviors and to relate to their bodies in a brand new, affirming manner. FORM is an excellent meditative outlet that benefits patients regardless of their faith."

Patients have given excellent evaluations of the therapy, stating that they're learning not to take their bodies for granted. Patients have also reported improvements in overall mood and stress relief.

Read more online.

Labels: education, therapy, treatment

When a teenager is diagnosed with an eating disorder, some form of therapy is usually included in the overall treatment plan. Doctors will often make referrals, but it's best to do some independent research as well.

"To find a good therapist, seek referrals from people you trust, such as friends and family, clergy, professional organizations, other health care providers and your insurance company. Then, check credentials..."

Different types of counselor and therapist are required to have difference credentials or certifications. It's important to make sure credentials and certifications are up-to-date and appropriate for the type of treatment being offered. Read more at DaytonDailyNews.com.

Labels: support, therapy, treatment

A group of psychiatrists from the Institute of Psychiatry in London, U.K. found that teens who suffer from bulimia or unspecified eating disorders respond better to a cognitive-based therapy than family therapy.

"After six months, the researchers found a more significant reduction of bingeing in the guided self-care group than in the family therapy group, but observed no significant group differences after twelve months."

The 85 adolescents were randomly assigned either the cognitive-based self-guided care or the family therapy. Researchers believe the cognitive-based therapy would be used best as part of an early intervention/treatment program. Read more at MentalHelp.net.

Labels: bulimia, therapy, treatment