School has just begun, and already we are seeing a number of clients in high school, college, and graduate school seeking eating disorder treatment at our program. Many require partial day, residential, or inpatient treatment. But our recommendations for level of care often fall flat for one reason alone, “I can’t leave school!” Here is […]
Be compassionate after a lapse with ED
Working to recover from an eating disorder is not easy, quick, or perfect. It challenges your patience, belief that recovery is worth it, and strength of your support systems. Because it is so much work, it’s common for a client to beat themselves up for a lapse back into a behavior. The trick to avoiding […]
Male Body Image Concerns Are Not New
When I first opened an adolescent intensive outpatient program for eating disorders in Maryland, I expected to have a room full of struggling kids. Mostly girls, they all came with distorted body image, eating disorder behaviors, and underlying mental health concerns trying desperately to manage the demands of life, school, friendships, and family. I also […]
How trauma bonds affect eating disorders
At some time or other, most of us have seen the signs of abuse. Bruises on the arm. The black eye hidden behind sunglasses. The hyper-startle response to a raised voice. The quiet tears quickly wiped away. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will […]
Healing Body, Healing Mind: Yoga as a Therapeutic Complement to Eating Disorder Treatment
Across our nation, eating disorder treatment centers are catching onto the therapeutic benefits of yoga. Yoga is a practice rooted in eastern philosophy that involves mindful meditation, breath work and intentional body movement. Over the past several decades, Westerners have grown fond of yoga for its physical and mental benefits. And while we know yoga […]
The Power of a Father
“They don’t love him. They fear him. That’s the difference.” This line was delivered by Lorenzo, played by Robert De Niro, in the film A Bronx Tale as he tries to help his nine-year-old son understand the difference between a gangster, Sunny, who appears to be “loved” by the neighborhood citizens and his bus driver […]
Remembering it’s about health, not size or weight
It’s been some time since I saw the number on a scale when I stood on it. Normally I ask the nurses and techs who take my vitals not tell me the number and that I’ll step on the scale backwards. Sometimes I look, allowing myself the opportunity to challenge any lingering eating disorder thoughts […]
The work continues for males with eating disorders
I’m on a plane heading back to Baltimore after attending the International Academy for Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP) conference near Las Vegas. As is my habit, I use this time traveling home to process what I’ve seen and heard at the conference. Sadly, I’m no more hopeful for the field as it relates to men […]
What keeps you from getting help for binge eating disorder – It’s too much to deal with right now
What keeps you from getting help for binge eating disorder – It’s too much to deal with right now What keeps individuals from seeking treatment beyond shame and guilt for having a disorder and the stigma of living in a larger body? Plain and simple, it’s not being able to face the fear of what […]
What keeps you from getting help for binge eating disorder – Shame and guilt
We all wish we had more control. Control over our decision making, and control over our bodies. For those with binge eating disorder, the core issues is a loss of control around food. And the result is that person feels intense guilt and shame. “I should be able to stop eating!” “I’m such a loser […]
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 19
- Next Page »