The Eating Disorders Review recently send out this review of ICED in Montreal. A very insightful look at how necessary it is to consider all variebles leading up to and including the treatment of a patient struggling with an eating disorder.
A few key topics highlighted below:
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A Transdisgnostic Approach
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Emotions Role in Eating Disorders
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Men with Eating Disorders
Reprinted from Eating Disorders Review
July/August Volume 24, Number 4
©2013 Gürze Books
Taking a New Look at Old Boundaries in Eating Disorders
The International Conference on Eating Disorders (ICED) in May offered a program filled with practical and research-oriented presentations. Following this year’s theme, “Crossing Disciplinary Boundaries in Eating Disorders,” sessions included a keynote address reminding the audience about the challenges of overlap and similarities among eating disorders, a look at how emotions can drive eating disorders, and an analysis of why male patients are so infrequently involved in eating disorders treatment.
Developing a Transdiagnostic Approach
In his keynote address, David Barlow, PhD, ABPP, professor of psychology and psychiatry, and founder and director emeritus of the Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders at Boston University, told audience members that a transdiagnostic approach to psychiatric and psychologic disorders is slowly but surely developing.
“We have thousands of protocols,” Dr. Barlow noted, adding that the “time has passed for one protocol after another with only a slight twist.” There is no way that such an approach can ultimately be useful, he said. At the present time there may be effective treatment but there is plenty of room for improvement, he said, adding that there are still too many protocols and manuals, and these protocols are still relatively complex, which interferes with effective dissemination.
He also pointed to work by Dr. Chris Fairburn and colleagues a decade ago, which marked the beginnings of taking a transdiagnostic approach to eating disorders. By honing in on overvaluation of shape and weight and control, the researchers hypothesized that the remaining disorders follow this same pattern. Research on the comorbidity of anxiety with bulimia nervosa is another example. Various researchers showed a high comorbidity rate of anxiety with bulimia nervosa.
Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a characteristic predominantly associated with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD); however, emerging evidence indicates that IU may be a shared element of emotional disorders, Dr. Barlow said. He explained that a synergy of several types of vulnerabilities leads to stress, and in turn to generalized anxiety, and depression. It is thought that the vulnerabilities come together, perhaps triggered by stress, to find their phenotypical outlet as anxiety and/or depression, the flip side of generalized anxiety, he said. Dr. Barlow said that emotions are not meant to be suppressed; instead, they are present to motivate us to engage in certain behaviors. If the vulnerability is not present, mood recovers naturally and more quickly in response to stress, he said.
Dr. Barlow also shared a unified protocol approach illustrating the principal of transdiagnostic unified treatment for anxiety. This approach features eight treatment modules, including: motivation enhancement for treatment engagement; psychoeducation and treatment rationale; emotional awareness training; cognitive appraisal and reappraisal; interoceptive awareness and tolerance; situational exposures; and relapse prevention.
Dr. Barlow also addressed a question about the interdependence between biological vulnerability and psychological vulnerability. Splitting apart biological and psychological vulnerability does have empirical support, he said because there are recognizable differences in the brain. The fact that specific brain circuits are activated is an argument for keeping disorders separate, as in the case of obsessive-compulsive disorders. However, he added, his group wonders if these vulnerabilities are continually influencing each other.
Emotion’s Role in Eating Disorders
In a plenary session, Steve Wonderlich, PhD, Director of Clinical Research at the Neuropsychiatric Institute, Fargo, ND, said that the study of emotion may be very important to the diagnosis and treatment of persons with eating disorders. The role of emotion in eating disorders is still being debated, and “emotion” is a slippery term, Dr. Wonderlich said. Very significant questions have to do with the possible functional relationship between emotion and eating disorder behaviors. Do emotions precipitate or modulate disordered eating behaviors?
Dr. Wonderlich, a Past President of the Academy for Eating Disorders and a member of the EDR Editorial Advisory Board, described a technique, ecological momentary assessment (EMA), that his group and others have used to collect data about patients in a real-world environment. Patients use a handheld computer or a cell phone to record current states, events, and emotions and thus are able to record events as they occur.
To gain a richer view of a patient’s life, the device signals the patient to record their behavior and emotions 6 to 10 times a day. Thus binges, components of meals, and emotions can be recorded at or near the time they occur. According to Dr. Wonderlich, the real beauty of such devices is that the connection between emotion and behavior can be studied at a very precise point in time, which will help establish whether emotions are driving the behavior, or vice versa. This method also establishes a record of emotions and behaviors for longitudinal study. In a 2007 study of 131 adult female volunteers diagnosed with DSM-IV criteria for BN, 90% of the time patients responded within 45 minutes or less. Other researchers who examined the trajectories of emotion before and following the bulimic behavior found that during the 6 hours before a binge episode, a steady increase in negative affect occurred, and culminated in a binge.
Do different emotions have specific relationships to bulimic behavior? Dr. Wonderlich also briefly described the work of Dr. Kelly C. Berg et al., who explored the connection between four negative emotions--guilt, fear, sadness, and hostility-- and bulimic behavior. Guilt was linked to the highest degree of negative affect, and was significantly associated with binge eating; this was not the case with the other emotions. Another question concerned individual differences, and whether certain characteristics of people with specific forms of disordered eating made them more vulnerable to behaviors triggered by negative affect. Increasing evidence suggests that negative emotional states may play a role in precipitating eating disorders behavior across diagnoses, he said.
What are the implications for treatment? Some implications for treatment include:
- Consider treatments that directly reduce the intensity of emotion (example, psychotropic drugs).
- Promote more adaptive regulation of high-risk emotion moments. This may be accomplished by targeting events that increase negative affect in persons with eating disorders and\or to enhance their ability to clarify, accept, and tolerate negative affect states (distress tolerance), and...
- Promote inhibition of impulsive behavior, especially in times of heightened negative affect.
Does it matter if the eating disorder behavior reduces the negative affect or produces negative reinforcement? Dr. Wonderlich quoted B. F. Skinner, who said, “Although antecedent conditions help to establish a behavior, consequences maintain it.” However, Dr. Wonderlich asked, if this is true, why does a person who pursues low weight engage in behaviors such as binge-eating, which directly interfere with attaining the goal of low weight? Biologically induced binge eating counteracts a physiological state connected with starving, as Ancel Keys noted.
Binge eating and other disordered eating behaviors are maintained because they help the person escape from or avoid the precipitating negative emotional states. If eating disorder behaviors actually function to reduce/avoid a negative emotional state, clinicians have two treatment options, he said. The first would be to identify and help patients develop alternative behaviors that promote the same emotional reward; the second option would be extinction of the behavior.
He described a 2008 study evaluating extinction as a functional treatment for binge eating (Behavior Modification 2008; 32:556). Dr. Ray Miltenberger and colleagues at the University of South Florida trained bulimic patients first in the lab and then at home. Patients listened to a tape recording they had made after a previous binge, one that made them feel badly about the binge. As a result, some of the trainees became abstinent and remained so, Dr. Wonderlich said. He also cited a very recent paper by Dr. Tim Walsh and colleagues that described AN as a well-entrenched habit and reported that with habit acquisition, rather than reward, the brain shifts. Thus, habit formation appears to be critical to the persistence of the dieting behavior. (Am J Psychiatry. 2013; 170:477-484. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.12081074 ).
Finally, Dr. Wonderlich offered several conclusions about emotion and eating disorders. First, emotion variables and eating disorder behaviors co-vary at a momentary level. Next, antecedent emotional states may be meaningful clinical targets for eating disorders treatment, but the impact of eating disorder behaviors on emotional states still needs much study. Finally, he noted that eating disorder treatment interventions may benefit from a greater focus on specific situations, affects and actions that occur in a momentary timeframe and promote conditioning or reinforcement that perpetuates eating disorder behaviors.
Where Are All the Men?
Men face a number of barriers to obtaining treatment, according to two clinicians who specialize in treating men with eating disorders. In a special plenary session on eating disorders in men, Roberto Olivardia, PhD, and Mark Warren, MD, PhD, FAED, explored some of the reasons that men with eating disorders are often overlooked or never seek treatment.
First, there is a misperception that only women have eating disorders. According to Dr. Olivardia, clinical instructor of psychology at Harvard Medical School and co-author of one of the first books to deal with eating disorders in men, The Adonis Complex, there is a wide misperception that eating disorders only affect women; another misperception is that eating disorders affect only gay men. Sexual orientation can be a huge issue, he said, noting that shame and secrecy also keep many young men from seeking help for an eating disorder. Gay men are more likely to discuss their disorders with peers, while heterosexual men are far more secretive, and even their spouses are often unaware of the problem.
When men do seek help, they may find themselves in treatment centers that cater to women, and they may have problems dealing with a female physician as well. And, since so many treatment centers cater primarily to women, treatment may not be available for men, even if they do want help.
Dr. Olivardia noted that eating disorders can appear in boys as young as 9 or 10, and disorders very often focus on muscle mass rather than with weight alone. They may see themselves as too thin and scrawny, and seek anabolic steroids to “bulk up.” Just as with women, cultural influences are powerful-- muscularity is seen as a core element of masculinity, dominance, and attractiveness. For example, in the 1980s, a shift in the movies occurred at which time bigger bodies became important commodities and important currency; this was accompanied by an explosion of “muscle magazines,” men’s fitness magazines, and even video games stressing male bulk. He pointed to an extreme example of newer action figures, wherein even Star Wars action figures were re-mastered to be much more muscular. It is estimated that from 4 to 6 million males are affected, and the onset of these disorders is around the time of puberty. He added that much more data are needed about incidence, race, and socioeconomic status.
Men are less likely to seek treatment because of shame about having what is “a female disorder,” according to Dr. Olivardia. Males with eating disorders are often self-conscious and find themselves in settings with few other male patients. The good news is that once these men get into treatment, they do as well if not better than do women, he said.
Men need to be included in the conversation about eating disorders. Dr. Warren, Medical Director of the Cleveland Center for Eating Disorders, traced the history of eating disorders in men, noting that the first two reported cases of anorexia nervosa involved one female and one male. Our culture focuses on gender, food, and bodies, he said. For example, even the story of Adam and Even featured nakedness and food and how genders are affected. He added that men have been excluded from the current narrative of eating disorders because the criteria, screening tools, and treatment have all been based upon the histories of women patients. He added, “For men to be included in the conversation, we have made many attempts to distinguish how eating disorders are different in men. We need to accept that men have eating disorders and then to find how biology and genetics exist to present a different clinical picture in men.”
Dr. Warren also said that there are compelling reasons to improve studies of eating disorders in men; these problems are serious, potentially life-threatening conditions that are extremely challenging to diagnose and treat and they are increasing. He praised Dr. Arnold Andersen, a longtime member of EDR’s Editorial Board, for his pioneering work in the treatment of men with eating disorders. Dr Warren also shared with the audience that he himself had anorexia nervosa in his teens and knew nothing about the disease at the time. He said that his recovery was a matter of luck and that even now most men recover as a matter of luck rather than as a result of clear diagnosis and treatment. Men started “disappearing from the equation when the focus turned to amenorrhea and “hysteria,” neither of which applied to men. In the late 1970s, Dr. Gerald Russell’s work on bulimia brought men back into the eating disorders world, Dr. Warren said. However, even today most research articles are written exclusively about women, he said, showing that we have not progressed in the way we might want to.
What else can be done? Dr. Warren told the audience that one positive step in the future would be to always include men in every eating disorders study. Clinicians can also ask themselves what it is like to be a man with an eating disorder. In most treatment centers, male patients only see women patients, and a woman clinician typically asks a male patient to discuss his body, feeding, and intake. He added that most males are asked if they are gay before they are asked if they are afraid their illness will kill them.
Shame is such a powerful emotion, he said, which keeps men with eating disorders from seeking help. Health care providers can be more mindful and sensitive to eating disorders in males. They can remember to ask male patients more about their body goals and use gender-neutral language. Treatment centers can be more welcoming, for example, by including men in their ads. Men also need to know about the history and sociocultural beliefs that underlie eating disorders and how culture affects us all, he said. Having a male clinician to talk with and to be validated by is also a powerful way to help a man with eating disorder feel more comfortable about seeking treatment and sticking with it. The chemistry of the treatment team is extremely important, Dr. Warren said.
Full article here...
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Fox 4 in Kansas City, MO resently ran a story about a mother coping with the lose of her daughter following a long battle with anorexia and bulimia. The story is all to familiar for those of us involved in eating disorders and mental health. The following is an exerpt from the story.
LEE’S SUMMIT, Mo. — Eating disorders are deadlier than any other mental illness. The disorders can result in heart attacks and organ failure, but there’s also a high risk of suicide.
In junior high, friends noticed that Emily Heim was going to the restroom during lunch. They were concerned she was purging. The diagnosis of bulimia came a year later. The Lee’s Summit girl received treatment, but her mom says it was never enough. Insurance limited the days Emily could spend in a treatment center.
“They get you stable and it’s like a band-aid fix, but they really don’t get at the root of the problem,” says Suzi Heim.
Behind Emily’s smile, an agonizing struggle with bulimia and also anorexia went on for seven years.
“I think she came to a point she was just really, really worn out and exhausted,” says Suzi.
Emily took her life two years ago at the age of 21. Suicide is estimated to be 23 times more common in people with an eating disorder compared to the general population.
“The pain never goes away, but you learn to cope and go on and that’s one reason why we’re doing the walk,” says Suzi.
Suzi is an organizer of the first walk in Kansas City for the National Eating Disorders Association. It will be Saturday at Berkley Riverfront Park. For details, click here.
The goal is to raise money for advocacy for better insurance coverage and earlier, more comprehensive treatment. Money also goes for the association’s helpline (1-800-931-2237) and people-to-people support.
Suzi thinks Emily’s message would be this.
“Please try to help others help themselves because I couldn’t help myself.”
A devastated mother wants others to have hope.
Here is the video from ABC affiliate KSHB Action News 41, covering the NEDA Walk Suzi is helping to organize. It's great to see coverage of these types of events in the local media.
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Fairwinds Treatment Center, located in Clearwater Florida specializes in the treatment and recovery of eating disorders, full spectrum. As the article states above, it can be difficult to get the right treatment due to insurance coverage. If you or a loved one are stuggling with an eating disorder such as anorexia and/or bulimia, contact Fairwinds Treatment Center at 727-449-0300 / 800-226-0301 or through our webiste here.
The earlier you seek treatment, the better the results and chances for a lasting recovery.
Huffington Post UK blogger and student Rhiannon Morgan just posted the following article explaining the confussion and often misrepresentation surrounding anorexia nervosa.
Below is an exerpt from the article:
Last month we witnessed Mental Health Awareness Week - a week dedicated to mental health campaigning. Like many of you, I followed all the campaigns almost religiously. However, now that it's all blown over - are things any different?
It is taking a long time, but mental health is gradually on its way to becoming less of a 'taboo topic'. This is due to the amount of effort put in by campaigners and activists. Last month it was a delight to see news reports on mental health issues, and my Twitter feed was flooded with blog posts and articles. It was fantastic seeing stigmas broke down by this new social movement. But the hard work isn't over yet.
One mental health issue facing misrepresentation and discrimination is anorexia nervosa. When portrayed in the media, anorexia sufferers are often depicted as obsessive teenage girls who made the choice themselves to stop eating, or celebrities driven to starvation through their strive for perfection. The reality is far more complex, yet the same media image continues to appear - day after day.
Myth busting
I made the mistake this week of typing in the search-term "anorexia" into an online Q&A discussion site. This particular site was based on the concept of females asking males questions, and vice versa.
Sufferers of anorexia were asking the community what they thought about the illness. Common responses? "Men like meat - not bones!", "Why do you intentionally starve yourself?", "Why do girls feel like they have to be perfect?", "Why don't you just eat?"
In about five minutes, my blood was boiling to the brim and I closed the tab. It's 2013. Why is there still a common belief that anorexia is intentional? Why do people still think that it's a choice or a decision that can be solved by choosing to eat? If it was that simple, experts wouldn't dedicate years to research, people wouldn't be dying, and sufferers would be cured by a couple of words and a pat on the back.
It is an issue close to heart, having suffered the mental torment myself. A couple of months ago, I discharged myself from a mental health ward. In hospital, I didn't have the option to starve myself, so I "just ate". But did the anorexia go away? Do I feel cured? No. It isn't a "phase", isn't a simple "hiccup", or a seasonal cold. And it is definitely not a choice.
I see the disease as a thief, robbing people of their lives - metaphysical and physical. People don't ask to be robbed.
If anorexia was a choice, like many sufferers, I would have chosen against it. I would have chosen friends, college and freedom over social isolation, growth over a weak body, and living life over facing death.
Anorexia has the highest mortality rate out of all mental illnesses. Various studies have been conducted, and most statistics show that between five and 20% of sufferers die.
The most agonizing part of recovery is weight restoration. At this point, many sufferers are unable to cope with their feelings around reaching a healthy weight, and some even try to take their own lives.
This leads to another misconception - the misconception that people have to be severely underweight to be diagnosed with an eating disorder.
Anorexia is a mental illness which is experienced, on a personal level, through intrusive thoughts and obsessive cognitions.
Personally, my mental state was at its worse at the beginning, when my BMI was in the normal range and my mind was in agony, engulfed by possessive thoughts. It felt like the GP shook everything off as a phase, and this pushed me to further restriction, and eventually physical damage.
This is why there needs to be more early intervention, and experts need to keep a look out for not just the physical symptoms, but the painful psychological ones too.
Where do we go from here?
It's about time that we stop discriminating against an illness just because it is an illness of the mind. We're currently moving forward on all forms of discrimination - women rights, racial issues, LGBT and physical disabilities. Society needs to continuing progressing; so we should add "mental illness" on to that list as well.
One thing I would like to see (and I hope you all agree) is more politicians supporting our campaigns.
Read full article here...
Fairwinds Treatment Center specializes in helping people overcome dangerous and deadly disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, alcoholism and drug addiction. Being a dually licensed 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.
For more information or to discuss your situation with an admissions counselor, contact Fairwinds Treatment Center at 727-449-0300 / 800-226-0301 or through our website here.
Fairwinds Treatment Center Offers Both DAY and EVENING
Intensive Outpatient Programs for Eating Disorders
Day IOP at Clearwater location
Monday, Wednesday 9:30am - 4pm and Friday 8am -2pm
Family Nights: Thursday 4:30pm – 7:30pm
Patients will eat meals prepared and planned with our Dietician.
Evening IOP at Tampa Location
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 5pm - 8pm
Family Nights in Clearwater: Thursday 4:30pm – 7:30pm
Patients will bring their own food to this program, meals are planned with our Dietician.
IOP programs include one-one one sessions with our Psychiatrist, Dr. Pauline Powers
The program is designed for 6 weeks, but the length is based on what the individual’s needs are for treatment. Further time may be requested.
Some groups topics include:
CBT/DBT, Art Therapy, Life Skills, Medical Issues, Process Groups, Experiential Activities, Mindfulness, Family, Meal Support
Fairwinds is proud to be a Bronze Sponsor with the National Eating Disorders Association
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is the leading non-profit organization in the United States advocating on behalf of and supporting individuals and families affected by eating disorders. Reaching millions every year, we campaign for prevention, improved access to quality treatment, and increased research funding to better understand and treat eating disorders. We work with partners and volunteers to develop programs and tools to help everyone who seeks assistance.
NEDA was formed in 2001, when Eating Disorders Awareness & Prevention (EDAP) joined forces with the American Anorexia Bulimia Association (AABA) – merging the largest and longest standing eating disorders prevention and advocacy organizations in the world. The merger was the most recent in a series of alliances that has also included the National Eating Disorder Organization (NEDO) and the Anorexia Nervosa & Related Disorders (ANRED).
A new law in Israel is leading the charge to protect models from eating disorders, writes Suna Senman of the Huffington Post.
At four years old, I was deliberating over whether I should be a princess or a ballet dancer when I grew up. Ultimately, I chose the latter. By my twenties, I was the stereotypical anorexic ballerina.
Ballerinas must conform with a waif-thin look to avoid getting booted out of the profession. Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia compensate for the gap between reality and fantasy, and are therefore endemic to the world of ballet.
They are not, of course, confined to that world alone. Eating disorders affect 1.6million people in Britain, according to charity Beat. Of that number, 89 per cent are women.
These disorders run the gamut – anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS). In addition, the problem starts early. In the US, 46 per cent of girls aged nine to 11 are on diets, according to the National Eating Disorder Awareness Association (www.nedawareness.org).
Beat is unable to give an equivalent statistic for British girls but a spokesperson says: ‘We are aware children are developing problems around body image and low self-esteem at a much younger age. Daily we are bombarded with so-called “ideal” images that apparently we should all aspire to. It’s no surprise that this permeates through to young children, who are much more media-savvy and exposed to these messages than ever before. The main influence is the relentless promotion of a body ideal that is very thin. Young people compare themselves to the ideal and feel it is their fault that their bodies look so different.’
According to Adi Barkan, an Israeli fashion photographer who has worked with top modelling agencies and corporations throughout Israel and Europe, eating disorders are a direct result of images promoted in the fashion world. ‘We are the problem,’ he says simply.
Barkan broke ranks after a social worker approached him with a 15-year-old anorexic girl in tow – Keti, a 72lb (5st) wannabe model. ‘Take me to Adi,’ Keti had challenged the social worker. ‘He will tell you that I have to be this thin to be pretty.’ Deeply moved to take action after meeting Keti, Barkan subsequently went to her home four days a week, encouraging her to eat, until she was a healthy weight again.
Word got out and a national TV show invited Barkan and Keti to share their story. Immediately, anorexic girls and women across Israel called Barkan, asking him to save their lives too. Each one, Barkan recalls, repeated the refrain that they just wanted to be pretty like the women in his photos. Suddenly Barkan understood his role in contributing to poor body image and dangerous eating habits, and he decided to do something about it.
In an about-face, Barkan turned against the tide of the fashion industry and approached the ministry of health, armed with his portfolio of stick-thin women. The ministers initially refused to believe that the incidents of anorexia were high enough for alarm. But Barkan challenged them and they finally agreed to his proposal: an advert would be placed in the paper saying he was looking for a young woman to cultivate into Israel’s newest supermodel. The catch was, every woman who applied had to undergo a health screening at the ministry of health. ‘About a quarter of the women were so anorexic that they were ready to be hospitalised,’ Barkan recalls.
Read full article...
Suna Senman is a blogger for The Huffington Post.
Fairwinds Treatment Center is a dual-diagnosis eating disorder treatment facility located in Clearwater, Florida. If you or a loved one are struggling with an eating disorder such as anorexia (anorexia nervosa), it is crucial to seek treatment as soon as possible. For more information on contact out admissions team at 727-449-0300 or through our website here.
As a follow up to our recent announcement regarding the opening of our IOP opening in Tampa, we would also like to announce Dr. Pauline Powers has re-assumed her role as Medical Director of the Fairwinds Treatment Center Eating Disorder Program. "We are excited to have Dr. Powers back on staff, her background and experience makes Fairwinds the most qualified and effective eating disorder program not only in the 67 counties in Florida, but one of the best recovery centers in America." said Mazhar Al-Abed, CEO Fairwinds Treatment Center.
Pauline Powers, M.D. is nationally and internationally recognized as a leading researcher, educator and trainer in the ongoing battle to end eating disorders. With over 40 years of experience in the field of eating disorder treatment, Dr. Powers was the founding President of the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED), past President of the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), a founding member of the Eating Disorders Research Society, is on the Editorial Board of the Eating Disorders Review, and is apublished author on the subject of eating disorders.
Dr. Powers is on the Scientific Board of Directors of the National Eating Disorders Screening Program. As an active board member for NEDA , she recently served as the President in 2005 and was awarded the Life Time achievement award in 2006. She is a member of the American Psychiatric Association Committee preparing Guidelines of the Treatment of Eating Disorders. Dr. Powers was recognized as the Outstanding Clinician in 2000, by the Academy for Eating Disorders. She is the immediate past president for the National Eating Disorders Association.
Fairwinds Treatment Center Intensive Outpatient Program Opens Monday, March 4th 2013
Lead by Dr. Pauline Powers, the Fairwinds Treatment Center intensive outpatient program (IOP) is held 3 nights per week, 2-3 hours per night, for a duration of 6 weeks.
Treatment at this level allows for individuals to continue with work and or schooling, and also continues the healing process.
PLEASE CALL 727-449-0300 FOR ASSESSMENTS
Hours of Operation:
MONDAY, TUESDAY AND THURSDAY EVENINGS
4:30PM-7:30PM
For questions contact Kristin Reagan at kreagan@fairwindstreatment.com or call 727-449-0300.
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.
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
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.
National Eating Disorders Association Conference will be held in St. Petersburg
Fairwinds Treatment Center is excited to be a partner of the 2012 NEDA Conference in October, and it’s in our own backyard! This year’s conference will be held from October 11 through 13 at the beautiful Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg. The NEDA Conference is a great chance for people affected by eating disorders such as families, people in recovery and professionals to get together to learn, connect and support each other.
The 2012 Annual NEDA Conference, What About Us?: Diversity and Complexity in Eating Disorders, brings together professionals, researchers, educators, people in recovery and their families to connect and learn from one another. You can tailor your conference experience by choosing sessions from 6 tracks: Treatment, Family, Co-Occurring Conditions, Diversity & Special Issues, Educator & Outreach and the NEDA Organization Track. Sessions led by top eating disorder experts from across the country are compelling for first-time and previous attendees alike. It’s an ideal opportunity to come meet others, share stories and foster connections in a warm, welcoming environment.
Please visit the NEDA website for more information and to register for the event.
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
As always, if you have any questiond for Fairwinds Treatment Center, please call Kristin Reagan at 727-449-0300 or email here.