An excellent article by Roger Collier on canadian site cmaj.ca overviewing the struggles that men with eating disorders face and why many wait until it is too late before seeking treatment.
Treatment Challenges for Men with Eating Disorders
Men with eating disorders have far more treatment options than a decade ago but their needs still go largely unaddressed in what remains a female-centric realm. That’s cause for concern, warn experts on eating disorders, especially considering the difficulty of getting men into treatment in the first place.
"There is already enormous stigma for having something that is considered a ‘female problem,’" says Tom Wooldridge, assistant professor of psychology at Golden Gate University in San Francisco, California.
Though research over the past decade indicates men account for a quarter of cases of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia — far more than previously believed — treatment is still largely geared toward women. In fact, it even exists at the diagnosis stage. Among the factors identified as possible indicators of an eating disorder, for example, is irregular menstruation.
The traditional format of treatment programs may also be ill suited for men. Therapy often takes place in a group setting, in which women typically outnumber men by a wide margin. It’s no stretch to propose that an 18-year-old male with anorexia would be reluctant to share his fears and insecurities in such an environment. After all, it’s not as though boys are frequently encouraged to reflect upon their emotional well-being.
"Males are taught to repress their feelings to the point where they have difficulty even identifying what they are feeling," says Merryl Bear, director of the National Eating Disorder Information Centre, a nonprofit organization based in Toronto, Ontario. "So much of it has to do with how we manage our emotions and how we solve our problems. If we displace our emotions and problems onto our bodies, we are more likely to be at risk of harmful behaviours."
Discussions in group sessions dominated by women can also veer into territory foreign to men, focusing on subjects such as missed menstrual periods and distorted body images attributed to waif-like models in fashion magazines. The clinicians in charge likely have little experience working with male patients. Some men in treatment have even suggested there was a feminist bent to the group sessions they attended, making them feel more like intruders than confidants.
"It is really common for men to feel very alienated," says Wooldridge, who writes about male eating problems on his blog The Forgotten Gender (www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-forgotten-gender). "If it involves groups, they are likely to be the only male."
The majority of the physical and psychological problems associated with eating disorders, however, are similar for both genders. So the solution to ineffective engagement of men probably lies in modifying existing programs, rather than coming up with something brand new, suggests Wooldridge. "I’m not convinced we need entirely different treatment models, but we could develop a way of speaking to men that acknowledges the differences — to help in understanding the experience of what it’s like to be a man with this disorder."
Indeed, this appears to be one of the guiding tenets at Rogers Memorial Hospital in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, which offers an eating disorder program exclusively for men. "You have to facilitate a level of comfort for men. That seems to be an important thing," says Dr. Ted Weltzin, medical director of eating disorder services.
Read Full Article
At Fairwinds Treatment Center, we treat both adolescent and adult male clients to recover from eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and compulsive overeating.
For more information on the treatment options for males at Fairwinds Treatment Center, please call 727-449-0300 or email here.
If you’re living with a mental illness it is very important to keep yourself in good health to help yourself cope with the illness.
There are some simple things to do on a day-to-day basis to make sure you’re taking care of yourself.
Learn how to manage stress by slowing down and handling one chore at a time. You can make a list to help keep your priorities straight and not get overwhelmed by tasks. If you do get overwhelmed let your family and friends know that you can’t handle so much responsibility. You can also use stress reduction techniques to keep your stress levels low. You can try getting involved in a hobby that you enjoy, practicing yoga, meditating, reading a book, or taking a walk.
Also eating a healthy diet full of vegetables, fruit, whole grains and lean protein can help keep stress levels down by providing your body with proper nutrients. If you find yourself abusing drugs and/or alcohol to deal with the mental illness, please seek help. There are many treatment options available and there is help for an addiction.
The website mentalhealthamerica.net is full of information for people who live with a mental illness.
Fairwinds Treatment Center is a dual-diagnosis facility specializing in the treatment of drug additction and eating disorders. The treatment programs at Fairwinds are most effective due to the dual-diagnosis approach, meaning we identify and focus on the mental health issues an individual may be struggling with that attributes to their addiction or eating disorder. This approach helps to ensure a lasting recovery.
For more information on how Fairwinds Treatment Center can help you or a loved one, please call 727-449-0300 or through our website here.
RESOURCE:
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net
Below is an article written for by Tami J. Lyon, MPH, RD, CDE for Eating Disorders Magazine on 2002. Many of those struggling with an eating disorder find the holiday season to be stressful due to the food and eating associated with this time of year.
Surviving Holiday Meals
Holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hanukah pose unique challenges for people with eating disorders. Worries about holiday eating tend to fall into two major categories: (1) fears of familiar holiday meals and (2) fears of new and unknown meal settings and situations.
Familiar holiday meals
Familiarity with a holiday meal can be both an asset and a liability for clients. For many individuals, Christmas and other food-oriented holidays are a known entity. That is, they know who will host the meal, who will be attending, which foods will be served, and who will prepare them. And, for the most part, they also know in advance what will be the greatest challenges. For example, every year Brittany goes to her grandparents' home for Christmas dinner. Her Aunt Edna always makes pecan dressing with giblets, and it's always served with turkey and gravy. Every year Brittany is faced with platters of food and must decide how to handle so many choices. Because she has had her eating disorder for some time, Brittany's family members are focused on her eating and wait to see if this will be the year Brittany eats Christmas dinner. Brittany is familiar with this pattern and the many stresses it brings, and dreads it every year. The challenge here is to help Brittany use her familiarity with the experience to her advantage.
Planning ahead is the key to the challenges of holiday meals and should be started weeks beforehand. Advanced planning gives the client plenty of time for gathering information that can be used to develop realistic goals and menus. This in turn can really work to reduce anxiety about the meal. I begin by asking my client to describe the holiday meal in detail, including where it will be held, who will attend, and the foods most likely to be served. Then we list the foods and categorize each one as "safe," "risky," or "forbidden." Starting with the "safe" list, we then identify sources of protein, carbohydrate, and fat that could be included in a nutritionally-sound meal. After ruling out the "forbidden" foods and exhausting the "safe" foods list, we turn to the "risky" foods and try to incorporate safe portions of some of those. Next we assess how this meal will be assembled at the event. Will the client have to help prepare the meal or will the host prepare it without help from the guests? We talk about the importance of being able to decline some of what is offered without being insulting. Brittany needs to be able to meet her own needs without bringing excessive attention on herself.
Planning ahead is one key to enjoying the warmth of friends and family at holiday celebrations.
We then focus on the composition of the meal, including specific foods and estimating how much to take. A good tool is for Brittany to use her fist or palm as a way to estimate portion sizes. By doing so, she will always have her "measuring tools" with her, and we can also practice with sample portions in the office before the event. For example, her Christmas meal may be a piece of turkey the size and thickness of her palm, a roll, and a serving of salad the size of her fist. She can also plan on putting a spoonful or so of sweet potatoes and dressing on her plate to be polite, whether she tastes them or not. Food exchanges, established food plans, or a special food plan for the day also work very well in such situations.
Unfamiliar holiday meals or situations
For others in recovery, the holidays may mean encountering entirely new eating situations, where they not only do not know who is preparing the food but don't know what will be served. They may be spending their first Christmas with different relatives or celebrating the holiday at a restaurant. Just as with familiar meals, gathering information and planning ahead are the keys to success in this situation. Much of the fear and anxiety come from what is unknown about the situation.
As part of nutritional counseling, we identify the time, location, hosts, and guests who will be at the holiday meal. If it is appropriate, the client can call the host or restaurant and determine what's on the menu. If the meal will be at a home, it's often possible for clients to bring a food item they consider "safe." This can be used as an "anchor" from which to develop the food plan. For example, if Brittany is going to her cousin John's house for the first time, she can call ahead and ask about the meal menu and offer to bring a dish. She may choose to bring a salad with a "safe" dressing,so that she knows she has at least one food she can eat. For someonerecovering from an eating disorder, asking questions about the menu or bringing "safe" food along are necessary ways of taking care of themselves.
The rest of the meal plan can be assembled from foods known to be at the meal or those that probably will be served. For example, Heather will be celebrating Christmas at a friend's house for the first time. She has offered to bring rolls to the meal, which has relieved lots of stress because she now feels she has an alternative to mashed potatoes. From this food anchor, she can select a protein, such as turkey breast, and a vegetable, green beans.
If an unfamiliar restaurant is the setting, the client can call ahead and ask about their holiday menu. This information can be reviewed with your counselor and a meal plan can then be developed.
Fitting the meal plan to the type of eating disorder
The strategies that we develop during the counseling session will vary, depending on the pattern of the eating disorder. For a client with bulimia, who has a history of bingeing on holiday meals and doesn't want to fall into old habits, counseling will focus on factors that contribute to his or her binge-eating. For example, if Alex always binges on the coconut pie at Christmas, we would examine what his eating pattern is like on Christmas prior to dinner. What time does his family usually eat Christmas dinner? When and how do the binges occur? What other starches are served at Christmas dinner? How can Alex change the environment to prevent bingeing? He may repeat a positive affirmation to himself throughout the day and enlist a support person to help keep him on track at the meal.
Many people with eating disorders may avoid talking about these challenging holiday meals because it is just too stressful. However, planning ahead and using proactive nutritional counseling and family support can help them develop strategies to make holiday meals bearable and even enjoyable.
If you or a loved one are struggling with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulima, take the next step towards a healthy recovery by calling Fairwinds Treatment Center at 727-449-0300. Our admissions department will discuss your situation and if Fairwinds is an option, schedule an assessment.
Reference:
From Eating Disorders Today
By Tami J. Lyon, MPH, RD, CDE
Fall 2002 Volume 1, Number 3
©2002 Gürze Books
The Author
Tami J. Lyon, MPH, RD, CDE, has a private practice, Healthy Living, Nutritional Counseling and Consulting, in San Francisco, CA
The following article was posted on the Huffington Post this morning Craig and Marc Kielburger, co-founders of Free the Children. This article outlines the struggles of a young girl who lost her battle with bulimia and drug addiction and how her family noy honors her life by helping others who struggle with the similar illnesses.
Imagine watching a loved one slowly wither and having no idea what's wrong, or how to save them. Michale Cerswell was a beautiful teenager with a wicked sense of humour. Along with her sisters Leysa, Naomi, and Andrea, she grew up on her father Jim's dairy farm located in Simcoe County, north of Toronto, Ontario. Their mother, Kelly Hall-Holland, was a chartered accountant.
At 14, in 1996, the family began to notice that after meals Michale would frequently slip away to the bathroom. They could hear her throwing up.
Michale had fallen victim to one of Canada's most common mental illnesses -- an eating disorder. One in five Canadian high school girls and one boy for every 10 girls will develop an eating disorder. One in 10 of those who develop anorexia die. Yet without a source of information or support for eating disorders in Simcoe County, the Cerswell family was lost.
"It seemed so foreign, it was so easy to be in denial," Leysa recalls.
Because Michale was able to hide many of the symptoms of her eating disorder, the family accepted Michale's reassurances. And for almost nine years, she struggled in near silence with her body issues, never seeking treatment.
Years of near-starvation exacted a toll on Michale's body. In 2005, she developed chronic pancreatitis -- one of many complications that can arise from eating disorders, along with kidney damage and heart problems. For the Cerswells, practically every moment of their lives from then on would revolve around supporting Michale in her fight to heal.
Jim put his career on hold to become his daughter's full-time caregiver. When she wasn't in the hospital, Michale lived with him on the family farm.
The greatest challenge was finding treatment.
"I can count the number of available child psychiatrists who are trained to treat eating disorders on two hands," laments Dr. Leora Pinhas, a past President of the Eating Disorders Association of Canada and a Senior Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto.
Pinhas says there are only about 20 hospital treatment programs across Canada -- none in Saskatchewan, New Brunswick and P.E.I. There are approximately 20 hospital beds in all of Ontario.
As a further complication, Michale had become addicted to oxycontin, a powerful painkiller she was prescribed to manage the agony of the pancreatitis. Pinhas notes it's not uncommon for problems like drug addiction to walk arm-in-arm with eating disorders. Michale faced a catch-22 -- eating disorder programs wouldn't take patients with an addiction and addiction treatment programs were unequipped to handle eating disorders.
Click here to read the full article
Side note: Fairwinds Treatment Center is one of only a few treatment facilities in the United State fully equipped to treat patients with both eating disorders and additions.
If you or someone you know are struggling with an eating disorder it is crucial to get them into an appropriate care facility as soon as possible. The admissions team at Fairwinds can be reached at 727-449-0300 or admissions@fairwindstreatment.com
Craig and Marc Kielburger are founders of international charity and educational partner, Free The Children. Its youth empowerment event, We Day, is in eight cities across Canada this year, inspiring more than 100,000 attendees. For more information, visit www.weday.com
Follow Craig and Marc Kielburger on Twitter: www.twitter.com/craigkielburger
Join iaedp Tampa Bay for our 2nd Annual Gala
Presenting Johanna Kandel, Founder of the Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness and Author of “Life Beyond Your Eating Disorder”
Saturday December 1st, 2012
Rusty Pelican
2425 North Rocky Point Drive
Tampa, FL 33607
11am-1pm
Join us for Brunch, Silent Auction, Raffle, Networking and a Story of Recovery
Tickets $35 per person ( register by 11/16 )
$40 at the door
Please send Check to:
iaedp Tampa Bay
1569 S. Fort Harrison Ave
Clearwater, FL 33756
For information call:
Kourtney Gordon at 813-494-4151 or 727-449-0300 or email at wkourtney@hotmail.com
This week, September 24th - 28th, is BEDA's Annual Weight Stigma Awareness Week.
BEDA’s goal is to bring awareness to a common and entrenched social injustice that often results in serious physical and mental health consequences for those affected. Take part in the week by participating in activities suggested in our “Call to Action” and learning more about the effects of weight stigma.
Weight stigma has negative consequences for emotional and physical health. Children who are overweight and obese may be especially vulnerable. Negative attitudes towards obese children develop as young as three years old, and throughout preschool, elementary school, and high school, obese children are attributed multiple negative characteristics by their peers including being mean, stupid, ugly, unhappy, lazy, and having few friends. Obese youth who are victimized by peers because of their weight are at risk for poor body image, unhealthy eating behaviors, eating disorders, lower levels of physical activity, lower self-esteem, higher risk of depression and suicidal thoughts. Weight stigma can also lead to social isolation, poorer interpersonal relationships, and self-blame by those who are targeted. It can be inferred from data linking low social status to poor health that the low status assigned to the obese is a significant contributor to their excess morbidity.
Plenty of information on how to participate is here on the BEDA site here.
Fairwinds Treatment Center helps individuals and their families get their lives back on track. We specialize in helping people overcome dangerous and deadly disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, alcoholism and drug addiction. Being a dually licenced psychiatric facility, Fairwinds physicians and therapists engage an integrated treatment plan, incorporating several treatment models combined with psychiatric methods to identify the root of the disorder in order for specialized treatment to begin and to ensure a lasting recovery.
If you are concerned you may have an eating disorder, or know someone who is suffering, don't hesitate to contact Fairwinds Treatment Center today. Click here, or call 727-449-0300.
A story recently ran on Fox 13 news about the skinny mannequins at JCPenny and how their depiction of the human body may promote eating disorders such as anorexia due to their extremely thin builds.
The story covers how these mannequins inspired a local woman to start an online petition asking JCPenny to recosider the size and proportion of their mannequins.
(An exerpt from the story)
Jessica Russo says she never loved her body.
"I always remember growing up as a kid, I was the Tom Boy. I was into sports and never really felt that great about my body," she said.
She remembers looking at fashion magazines and cutting out the pictures.
"You see the magazine covers with the best and worst bodies. And I remember I would make this collage on my door. And cut out all the best and the worst, and it was always my goal to look like the "best" side" and not the "worst" side.
Her body image got progressively worse, from high school to college.
"Coming into college, is when I started acting out in bulimia," she said.
Jessica says the media had a role in her body image issues, and it even happened at retail stores when she saw mannequins with cute clothes on.
"I would think, ‘Oh, skinny jeans, I want those skinny jeans.' And I might try them on, and I have this athletic build so they might not even pull over my thighs," she recalled.
Jessica says that always negatively affected her.
"I would think, ‘what's wrong with me that I can't wear these jeans that are on this mannequin,that everyone else is wearing. There must be something wrong with me.' "
So when she saw a picture posted by one of her former USF professors, she almost screamed. Dr. Dae Sheridan, a licensed mental health counselor, professor at USF and a mother of two, was shopping for back to school clothes at JC Penney at Citrus Park Mall.
"I saw this mannequin, and it was like two poles with a pair of jeans on it. Very emaciated, not human like in any way, shape or form," Dae said.
She kneeled and took a picture, showing that the legs were smaller than her own arm.
"I feel the problem with the legs is children, and teenagers, men and women, we adopt these images. We see this thin ideal in our country become so pervasive," Sheridan said.
Dr. Dae specializes in body image issues and has counseled young girls and women with eating disorders. But she was also angry, as a parent.
"What I'm not okay with is retailers trying to sell my child on the fact that to be healthy and popular and to be good enough, that your legs have to fit in those jeans," she says.
She started a petition on change.org asking JCPenney to reconsider the size and proportion of their mannequins.
Full story here
Fairwinds Treatment Center has specialized in treating anorexia in both adolescent and adult females and males for over 15 years. Our specialized treatment plans focus on the patient and family, and offer individualized treatment in a safe, home-like atmosphere.
Our Mission on treating anorexia nervosa is to assist clients in finding "A Life in Living without an Eating Disorder."
Our Vision on treating anorexia nervosa- We will strive to facilitate clients in doing the following:
- Accepting the body the way it is regardless of shape or size
- Living in the moment without being a constant judge of food, eating, and weight
- Integrating therapeutic, experiential, nutritional, and mindful experiences to improve quality of life
- Living without comparison to others, and engaging families to support loved ones in their quest to live life without disordered eating.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, take the next step towards eliminating this devistating disease - contact Fairwinds Treatment Center here or call 727.449.0300.
A story ran by Andrew Reed with KMVT in Twin Fall Idaho reports child eating disorders are on the rise.
Twin Falls, Idaho (KMVT-TV) A national study reveals the number of children under 12, with eating disorders may be on the rise.
The study was conducted by the agency for healthcare research and quality.
Numbers show an increase of 119% between 1999 and 2006.
More recent numbers are unavailable, but experts say the problem isn't getting any better.
"The research shows indicates multifactor, there is a lot of things going on that are contributing to it. One aspect certainly is family attitudes around eating that plays a big role. The children learn from what their parents eat, if they eat a certain types of foods they tend to develop preferences for those types of foods” said Dr. Ted Gardner, Program Manager Season of Hope.
Some warning signs for parents include repeated conversations about a child or teen's weight or someone else's, disappearance after meals and skipped meals.
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Fairwinds Treatment Center treats adolescents with eating disorders starting at age 12. If you know a child who is exhibiting signs of an eating disorder it is crucial to seek guidance quickly and with a facility that specializes in treating these afflictions at an early age. For more information, contact Fairwinds Treatment Center here, or call 727-449-0300.
While the overwhelming majority of individuals who suffer from eating disorders are female, males account for a growing number of this population. At Fairwinds Treatment Center, we treat both adolescent and adult male clients to recover from eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and compulsive overeating.
A good story recently ran in the Chicago Tribune outlining one man's battle with an eating disorder as well as his treatment and recovery.
Read Story Here: Man’s Battle With Eating Disorder Breaks Stereotypes
Fairwinds has discovered that males respond well to treatment; in many cases, males gain weight at an accelerated rate compared to females. This positive outcome for males also contributes in a positive manner for many of our female clients who unconsciously improve in weight gain and desire for recovery.
Fairwinds Treatment Center generally several males in our eating disorders treatment program at any given time.
Whether you’re in need of treatment for eating disorders, drug or alcohol rehab or a combination of both, Fairwinds can guide you on the path to a happier, healthier future.Contact Fairwinds Treatment Center here, or call 1.800.226.0301