When Your Child Has an Eating Disorder

When Your Child has an Eating Disorder is the first hands-on workbook to help parents successfully intervene when they suspect their child has an eating disorder. This step-by-step guide is filled with self-tests, questions and answers, journaling and role playing exercises, and practical resources that give parents the insight they need to understand eating disorders and their treatment, recognize symptoms in their child, and work with their child toward recovery. This excellent and effective resource is one therapists can feel confident about recommending to patients.

Acknowledgements ix

Introduction xi

How to use this book xv

Part One The Truth About Eating Disorders 1

1 Learning all you can 3

2 Recognizing signs of disease 37

Part Two Taking Action 57

3 Beginning the dialogue with you child 59

4 Understanding treatment options 92

5 Reaching out for professional help 133

Part Three Recovery 169

6 Understanding the recovery process 171

7 Recognizing and overcoming recovery setbacks 207

Appendix A Answers to exercises 243

Appendix B Taking and eating disorder to college 250

Appendix C Resources 255

Notes 265

About the author 271

Index 273

“…written in a confident and approachable style, avoiding jargon, and the text is well broken up… a valuable book..” (www.edr.org.uk, 23 November 2004) ABIGAIL H. NATENSHON For 25 years, psychotherapist Abigail Natenshon has specialized in eating disorder treatment with individuals, families, and groups. As cofounder of Eating Disorder Specialists of Illinois, A Clinic Without Walls, she provides consultation for parents, schools, social service organizations, and mental health professionals. Work together toward recovery"When Your Child Has an Eating Disorder provides parents with hope as well as direction to aid their eating disordered child."-Vivian Hanson Meehan, president and founder, National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders"This book provides parents with invaluable information about eating disorders and concrete steps to take in pursuing the best treatment option for their child. It is a much needed Andorsement of the positive role families can play in treatment."-Daniel le Grange, director, Eating Disorders Program, The University of Chicago"Practical, informed, comprehensive, and highly readable. This is a book that will be equally valuable to parents, patients, and clinicians."-Craig Johnson, director, Eating Disorders Program, Laureate Psychiatric Hospital, Tulsa"The wonderful workbook format will help families gain a deeper and more personal understanding of the illness and assist them in developing commonsense interventions."- Patricia Santucci, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry, Loyola Stritch School of Medicine and founding member, Academy for Eating DisordersDear Parent,Eating disorders know no boundaries. With indiscriminate cruelty they can crush friAndships, splinter families, and ravage health. I have watched my husband, and then my daughter, in the grips of this puzzling affliction. Like a small ship lost on a thundering sea, a person who is witness to a family member's eating disorder can be overcome by fear, discouragement, or grief. For me, Abigail Natenshon's book has been like a lighthouse in that storm.With knowledge that comes from experience, she guides us on this difficult journey with skill and courageous optimism. She increases our knowledge, teaches us about treatment options, and arms us with the tools to be the best advocates we can be for our child. She invites us all to look beyond the symptoms of this disease to see what's at its core-the suffering Work together toward recovery

"When Your Child Has an Eating Disorder provides parents with hope as well as direction to aid their eating disordered child." —Vivian Hanson Meehan, president and founder, National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders

"This book provides parents with invaluable information about eating disorders and concrete steps to take in pursuing the best treatment option for their child. It is a much needed endorsement of the positive role families can play in treatment." —Daniel le Grange, director, Eating Disorders Program, The University of Chicago

"Practical, informed, comprehensive, and highly readable. This is a book that will be equally valuable to parents, patients, and clinicians." —Craig Johnson, director, Eating Disorders Program, Laureate Psychiatric Hospital, Tulsa

"The wonderful workbook format will help families gain a deeper and more personal understanding of the illness and assist them in developing commonsense interventions." —Patricia Santucci, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry, Loyola Stritch School of Medicine and founding member, Academy for Eating Disorders

Dear Parent,
Eating disorders know no boundaries. With indiscriminate cruelty they can crush friendships, splinter families, and ravage health. I have watched my husband, and then my daughter, in the grips of this puzzling affliction. Like a small ship lost on a thundering sea, a person who is witness to a family member's eating disorder can be overcome by fear, discouragement, or grief. For me, Abigail Natenshon's book has been like a lighthouse in that storm.
With knowledge that comes from experience, she guides us on this difficult journey with skill and courageous optimism. She increases our knowledge, teaches us about treatment options, and arms us with the tools to be the best advocates we can be for our child. She invites us all to look beyond the symptoms of this disease to see what's at its core-the suffering in the heart of our loved one. She reminds us that this disease can, and usually is, conquered. Your child can recover from this illness, as did mine. The ship you share can arrive safely to shore. —With understanding and best wishes for you and your child, An Anonymous Parent

"I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the spectrum of eating disorders. Parents, teachers, doctors, and therapists will find just what they need in Abigail Natenshon's comprehensive exploration of this most puzzling disorder." —Mary Ann Kirk, licensed clinical professional counselor