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 […]
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 […]
Danger of social media
We are slaves to social media. Twitter. Facebook. Instagram. YouTube. These are less than handful of the ones that exhaust our data on cell phones and tablets. Every like of a post gives us a little dopamine push in our brain. Every post we find distasteful raises our blood pressure and adrenaline. It’s become our […]
Your young athlete and eating disorders
I recall being 10 years old, standing on the pitching mound of a little league field and chucking my best fastball to Daniel behind the plate. Swing and a miss! It was good fun. We got dirty, learned teamwork, self-esteem was built, and athletic skills were enhanced all while having fun. Somewhere along the way […]
Rolling with the wave of resistance
Your kid has an eating disorder. You know it. They know it. Friends and family know it. But your child just doesn’t want to get better. It’s the most common phenomenon in eating disorders treatment. Let me help you understand what this is like for them. Your child, even your adult child, is drowning in […]
Bullying of a little boy leads to his suicide
Daniel Fitzpatrick was a young boy, age 13, who lived in Staten Island with his family until he killed himself. He was the victim of bullying by his classmates and teachers alike. First it was about being heavy, then about his grades, and eventually about his depressed and anxious state of mind. Even though he […]
Midlife eating disorders
My mother has never been happy in her body. From the time she was 12 years old in 1952 and developed anorexia to her mid-70s now as a cyclical binge eater and restrictor, she has been unable to look at her body or the number on a scale and hear a kind word in her […]
Cultural issues in getting treatment
One of things we struggle with as professionals is bridging the divide between the cultural norms of a family and how that allows an adolescent’s eating disorder to flourish. As a social worker by training, I spent much of my graduate education emphasizing respect for cultural norms and differences in family relationships. As a result, […]
Take control, parents
Here’s the truth. I went undiagnosed and untreated for my depression, anxiety and eating disorder until I was a 20 year old college drop-out. My parents didn’t know what to do with me as a depressed teenager, and my despondency only led to their arguing over who was a worse parent. We all felt bad, […]
Keeping kids healthy and happy
In the April 2015 issue of Parents on page 47, there is a lovely picture of a happy young boy riding his skateboard on a ramp. He’s even got his red helmet on protecting his shaggy blonde locks. Scroll to the bottom of the picture of this lad you read the following: Weighty matters. Even […]