Product Description
Early treatment literature on anorexia nervosa and bulimia reported almost exclusively on brief treatment approaches that entailed either psychopharmacological or cognitive-behavioral interventions. While this literature demonstrated that one-third of these patients were treatable with brief therapy and another one third showed improvement, the final one-third of these patients did not respond to brief interventions. Recent research indicates that this last group of patients may also suffer from significant personality disorders or Axis II co-morbidity. Considered difficult to treat, these patients require longer term, informed individual psychotherapy. Designed specifically to address the challenges of this difficult-to-treat population, this volume is the first to focus exclusively on exploring eating disorders from a psychodynamic perspective. ... Read more

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Simona Giordano presents the first full philosophical study of ethical issues in the treatment of anorexia and bulimia nervosa.Beginning with a comprehensive analysis of these conditions and an exploration of their complex causes, she then proceeds to address legal and ethical dilemmas such as a patient's refusal of life-saving treatment.Illustrated with many case-studies, Understanding Eating Disorders is an essential tool for anyone working with sufferers of these much misunderstood conditions, and for all those ethicists, lawyers, and medical practitioners engaged with the widely relevant issues they raise. ... Read more

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Product Description
Institute of Psychiatry, London, U.K. Books for sufferers, families and other caregivers. Softcover. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

This book saved my life (and my sanity)!!
I'm a recovering anorexic (thanks to this book)It's full of great information on the psychological, physiological, and social effects of this horrifying disease.It provides great information for friends and family on how to support those suffering from anorexia, and dedicates an entire section to "the sufferer".I wanted to recover so badly, but I didn't know where or how to begin, and I was too humiliated to see anyone professionally.I had forgotten how to eat: when to eat, what to eat, andI didn't know what eating again would do to my body.This book told me all that, and helped me to differentiate my self from the "anorexia minx"This book is sympathetic, supportive, informative, and a must for sufferers and their friends and families! ... Read more

Product Description
Starvation eating disorders such as anorexia not only affect your body, but also take a devastating toll on your mind. Constantly feeling anxious about your weight, your appearance, and your self-worth can leave you mentally exhausted. And no matter how thin you become, it's impossible to be happy when you are controlled by anxious and obsessive thoughts.

If you're ready to stop letting your eating disorder run your life, Feeding the Starving Mind can help. As you work through the program in this book, you'll discover the source of your eating disorder, identify the compulsive thoughts that contribute to it, and take steps toward developing a healthy relationship with food and exercise.

• Develop a personal eating disorder profile
• Learn how to eat without purging and restore your weight
• Learn cognitive behavior therapy skills for managing weight-related anxiety and fear
• Create a treatment plan to restore your health and happiness
• Keep destructive thoughts and patterns of behavior from coming back

Product Description
Dr. Sacker and Dr. Zimmer explain in full detail the causes and symptoms of these disorders and how and where to find help. Using case histories and first-person accounts by patients, their families, their physicians and friends, Dying To Be Thin is the complete resource for anyone concerned with these dangerous disorders. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Dying to be thin
This is a great book and very informative. There are accounts of what anorexia is truly like from people who suffered from this. It made it less difficult to see how and why they become this way.

A Life Vest Thrown Into A Stormy Ocean
With society placing the stress it does on females being physically thin, I think the numbers this book quotes for the totals of US women with serious eating disorders is, if anything, on the low side. I along with virtually every woman I know has at one time or another had what amounts to an eating disorder and in a few cases, had them to a serious extent. With body image being as important as it is, particularly with teenage girls, I'm pessimistic that this book or anything else can do more than try to spur the one suffering from this insidious disease to WANT to do something about her affliction. I read this book because I was curious to see if things have gotten any better in the last decade as far as treatment of eating disorders goes, and also in the level of collective recognition among young women that a disorder is there in their own lives. From what I read here, I'd say the answer to both is no. On the positive side, this book did one of the better examples of addressing this life-threatening situation and if it can be gotten to the right hands, it could truthfully save some lives that might be in danger right at this very moment.

Amazing - the authors have an in depth view of the disease
Dying to be Thin helped me in ways beyond measure. I knew that a lot of what I was doing to my body was destructive, but only after reading the book did I want to seek help to end the disease- or try to at least. A big thank you and hugs to the authors.

Wonderful book. It gave me the courage to quit.
I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially those who suffer from anorexia or bullemia.I purchased this book at the height of mydisease in 1997 and it gave me the courage to quit.The stories are realand so easy to relate to.I cried through half the book realizing howpathetic I was.I would love to someday personally thank the authors...

Excellent and complete case studies-format; packed with info
I read this book as my daughter was hospitalized for anorexia.The fear and guilt were HUGE as I began reading (they still are) but Zimmer's and Sacker's work as an M.D. specializing in Eating Disorders has provided much-needed insight into sufferers' motivations and pain.My daughter, age 14, marked all the pages that "spoke" to her...she marked MANY pages. Authors Zimmer and Sacker attempt, and for the most part succeed, in explaining all variations of EDs. Esp poignant for me were the comments from a mother, and her powerlessness to stop her daughter from destroying herself through starvation.I bought several copies to distribute to family members so that they can support my daughter in recovery.Very useful is a section for educators on how they can assist a student who has an ED. ... Read more

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More than five million adolescent girls struggle with eating dis-orders, and more than 80 percent of American women are unhappy with their bodies. Christie Pettit knows these statistics firsthand. As a college student with a tennis scholarship, she found herself eating less and less, compulsively exercising, and spiraling downward in a dangerous battle against anorexia. She was starving--but she didn't know it.Now with a two-color interior, Empty recounts Christie's gripping story, incorporating new statistics, reflections from her journal, and biblical insight. Her candid retelling of her experience shows the spiritual dimension of eating disorders and describes how Christie turned to the Bible as a source of strength and encouragement to help her overcome anorexia. Pastors, parents, counselors, and those battling anorexia--especially teen girls--will find hope and wise counsel in Christie's compelling story. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

ugh
I could not get into this at all. I had to return it in the end. It just didn't grab my attention, no matter how hard I tried.

Not very good
Very hard to read..did not get much from this at all...seemed to have no point

Oops should have read the reviews first
My review mirrors most others.Not only is it primarily bible verses (which is MY fault for not reading the reviews first) but the layout is so crazy that it's difficult to read. A book should be have a flow to it.Unfortunately this one is chopped up so badly with "journal" images and paragraph comments from others that it's not worth the effort.

Don't read if you're not ready to recover
This book is more about recovering than actually going through the anorexia process. I don't suggest the book if you're not ready to recover. Although, it occasionally gives out some tips and tricks, it's just not worth it. I would recommend reading Wasted by Marya Hornbacher or The Best Little Girl in the World if you're still on your journey to becoming a skinnier you.

Horrible!
This book, Empty, is by far-the worst book I have ever read.It is written extremly poorly with no real "story".She is very vague on her journey, no good details, no visuals.More about God than I thought when I purchased it.I couldn't wait to be done reading it.Sorry for the rant, but I hated it.I don't recommend it to anyone.I think the author needs to take a better look at her life and just stick to journaling on her own time...instead of publishing it. ... Read more

Product Description
This title explains our current knowledge regarding anorexia in general, and activity anorexia in particular, which, the authors argue, any person can develop under certain conditions. The book first provides a critical review of the diverse medical and psychological perspectives regarding anorexia nervosa, and contends that many traditional viewpoints on this problem can be misleading: anorexia is often not a mental illness and should, therefore, not be treated as such. The authors suggest that excessive activity in anorectics is not a secondary symptom, but rather a central feature in understanding the disorder. From the results of laboratory experiments on animals, and from clinical observations of patients, the authors suggest that people in sports, athletics, and fitness programs may develop eating disorders due to the impact of excessive training on patterns of food intake. The authors also present and evaluate methods of treating and preventing anorexia, which integrate their findings. ... Read more

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Anorexic Bodies is an unprecedented feminist and sociological study of the historical and political context of anorexia. MacSween begins with the premise of the body as a "concept" rather than a physical organism, analyzing different body concepts across time to show how dominant social categories shape the culture's understanding of the body. MacSween also looks at how gender divisions are reflected in current perceptions of the body by examining representations of women's bodies in rape and pornography. Also discussed are current explanations of anorexia through an examination of popular and feminist analyses of anorexia. ... Read more

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Why are so many women and girls distressed about their bodies, about food and about being a woman? The Thin Woman offers new feminist and post-structuralist insights into the problems of anorexia nervosa.Helen Malson draws on historical and contemporary literature to complement the findings of her own original research, based on the findings from a series of interviews with women diagnosed as anorexic. What does the medical profession "know" about anorexia? This volume questions the diagnosis of this eating disorder as a medical pathology, and asks the best way to understand this problem. In reviewing the history of diagnosis concerning anorexia along with her interviews, we can begin to see the problem as one socially situated in the conceptions of gender, subjectivity and control. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

read it (with a dictionary)
The book is good, but be warned: the language is not intended for the lay person.This is even more unfortunate, because the author has really great, wellbuilt arguments. They sometimes get lost in the jargon of academia.Still, I have gone back to it many times as a reference.The historical research is unparalleled, and fascinating to find examples of aesceticism and self-stavation in the middle ages, for example.It's brave to take the unapologetic step into examining thinness as an aesthetic. Definitely worth it. ... Read more

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My Kid is Back explains how family-based treatment can greatly reduce the severity of anorexia nervosa in children and adolescents, allowing the sufferer to return to normal eating patterns, and their families to return to normal family life.

In this book ten families share their experiences of living with anorexia. Parents describe their frustrations in seeking help for their child and dealing with their behaviour and sufferers discuss how the illness gets into their mind and takes over their personality.

By focusing on the Maudsley family approach and expert advice from Professor Daniel Le Grange, and including clear lists of illness symptoms, strategies for parents and carers to follow, and information on getting further treatment and support, this book proves an essential resource for families who want to win the battle with anorexia nervosa.

Customer Reviews (2)

Helpful and hopeful advice for parents of kids with anorexia nervosa
My Kid is Back: Empowering Parents to Beat Anorexia Nervosa by Australian author and journalist June Alexander will be a valuable resource for parents dealing with anorexia nervosa. June, inspired by her own experience with the illness, talks with leading experts and ten families about family-based treatment. These stories will feel familiar to anyone who who has confronted an eating disorder.Parents will identify with their fear and confusion as each family struggles to understand this baffling illness and find the help they need. The voices of the young people emerging from the disorder are heard as well.Just how do they manage to overcome anorexia nervosa? These resourceful families pull together and work out solutions. My Kid is Back will provide hope and inspiration toparents. These moving accounts will provide insight into anorexia nervosa and the real-life difficulties families face for eating disorder professionals, as well.

The families in the book all live in Australia, but the book is truly global in perspective. Professional advice is offered by leading experts on three continents. Daniel le Grange, author of Help Your Teenager Beat an Eating Disorder, contributes an introductory chapter explaining the Maudsley approach, its history, and research support, and a second chapter in the book's "What are Parents to Do?" section with practical strategies for parents. Ivan Eisler of London's Maudsley Hospital writes the forewordand offers the UK perspective on anorexia treatment. June also talks with Westmead Children's Hospital and Oak House to provide Australian treatment picture.

Parents need good information and real-life examples of success
Parents, if your loved one has been diagnosed with an eating disorder I very much recommend this book. I've read them all in my years of writing and talking with families, and I wish all families facing this diagnosis in their child had the benefit of this kind of experience and inspiration. Alexander tells the story of these families with great compassion and insight, and useful information.

Parents facing an eating disorder need and deserve good information and inspiration. This book offers both. The information is evidence-based, and the experiences of these ten families provides a wonderful training in how to face this daunting illness and seek good help. ... Read more

Product Description
Living in a culture obsessed with body size and shape, it can be hard to feel good about the way you look. But eating disorders caused by unrealistic body image ideals create much larger problems--diminished self-confidence, unhealthy eating and exercising habits, and an inability to see yourself as a person rather than a number on the scale.

What's Eating You? takes aim at the motivations behind your relationship with food and helps you to better understand how your need to control what you eat can end up controlling you. As you complete the worksheets in What's Eating You, you'll learn more about the beliefs and experiences that contribute to your disorder. Each worksheet includes questions and exercises targeting the cultural myths, perfectionism, stress, and lack of self-confidence that are often at the heart of a dysfunctional relationship with food. Once these issues are addressed, you'll be able to gather the strength you need to make peace with your body, exude confidence, and live a healthy life.

Customer Reviews (2)

Great "support system" book
I have found this book to be fairly helpful. Their are many different kinds of exercises and the book is easy to figure out so it's simple to flip through and pick and choose rather than having to read the whole book cover to cover. The only thing that is a little unfortunate is that their are activities for those who suffer from overeating as well as anorexia and/or bulimia. While I understand why they're all put together in one book, I personally can not relate to the activities which do not apply to my disorder and I just wish that it had been separated into two different books.
While I purchased this book because I have been diagnosed with an eating disorder, I can also see how it would almost be even more helpful for someone who hasn't been diagnosed because it helps to advise teens as to what kind of behavior is normal and can make someone aware of behavior which may be leading them towards a more serious problem.
Overall,I would say this is a worthwhile purchase.

Extremely Helpful!
I recommend this book to every client I have with teenagers, and every friend I have with kids!Creating a great body image is paramount to growing children in this day and age.Tammy Nelson does this in such a way that kids and adults alike are left with more confidence and self esteem than they ever thought possible!

Melanie Barnum, CH
Certified Hypnotist & Intuitive Counselor ... Read more

Product Description
Research suggests that anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders, whilst not prevalent in the population, have the highest mortality rate of all psychological problems. The development of effective treatment programs is therefore an important priority for health care professionals. This flexible book has been designed for use by therapists as part of a programme when working with young people with eating disorders. The aim is to help young people understand more about their own experience, and alongside guidance ofr therapists it includes a complete workbook for use by the young persons themselves. This presents tasks ranging from reflective thinking to drawing to promote engagement with difficulties as a first step to overcoming them. The workbook will also be available as an electronic supplement so that therapists can select which sections should be used with whom, and when. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Hunger for understanding
Wiley publishing house has over the years published several good books on eating disorders and especially anorexia nervosa. Alison Eivors, a clinical psychologist working in mental health services in Leicester, and Sophie Nesbitt, also a clinical psychologist, have produced a wonderful workbook as a therapeutic tool for work with young people referred with eating disorders.
"Hunger for understanding" should be used by mental health professionals working with adolescents (11-16 years old as the target group) with anorexia nervosa as one of the toolboxes in the intervention and treatment. All the resources are available on the Wiley website ([...]) and can be used in clinical sessions.
This book has four sections to explain the workbook: The purpose, psychological interventions, therapeutic challenges and discussion of the contents of the workbook, which fills the first 32 pages. The workbook in itself is in eleven sections with many work tasks for the adolescent to perform.
This is an important tool for the therapist and not a book for the patient to read alone, but rather to work together through the intervention process.

[...] ... Read more

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Product Description
Explores the truth and misconceptions regarding anorexia nervosa by examining its history, causes, considerations, treatment, and related eating disorders. ... Read more

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In this wide-ranging book, Julie Hepworth casts a critical light on our contemporary understanding of anorexia nervosa. She locates contemporary discourses of anorexia nervosa within their historical context, showing how current practices continue to be influenced by medicine, psychology, ideology and politics. She argues that anorexia nervosa must be considered within the political, social and gendered relationships that continue to contribute to its definition. The book demonstrates the need for a new conceptualization of anorexia nervosa which would draw on the insights of discourse theory, feminism and postmodernism to create new understandings of anorexia nervosa within contemporary health care practices. ... Read more

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'The book is immensely reassuring to any parent who has experienced at first hand the problems that a young boy already caught up in the maelstrom of adolescence can both experience and cause when anorexia arrives. Any parent or carer concerned about a boy who may be developing or has already developed an eating disorder will find this book useful and supportive even when it is talking about the most difficult problems that affect sufferers and their families' - Signpost

`This is a detailed observational account of severe Anorexia Nervosa in a boy, and the effect on his family. It documents their emotional and torturous journey through treatment back to full health. The descriptions of the disorder are written without jargon and with great accuracy. The book is packed with practical tips on how to manage everyday situations. This is truly a book that adolescents, their families, and clinicians should read' - Dr David Firth, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist

`'Boys don’t get anorexia' is a phrase that any parent who is concerned about a son who is losing too much weight or exercising excessively will hear at some time or other. Well, boys DO get eating disorders and in this very personal and insightful book, Jenny Langley looks at what it means to have a son who does in fact have anorexia. Jenny writes about the way in which the disorder crept up on her family and then seemed to take over the household. The slow painful climb of [her] son back to recovery is recounted in uncomfortable detail. Ultimately however this is a story of hope. Joe does recover eventually and although life is by no means the same as before, it does return to a new normality' - From the foreword by Steve Bloomfield, Eating Disorders Association

Eating disorders are usually associated with females but there are an increasing number of males affected by anorexia and bulimia. Often there is a link between male eating disorders and athletic prowess, and the quest for physical perfection can result in damaging behaviours associated with diet, supplements and exercise.

This unique and important book combines a mine of information with a readable and engaging case study. The author was shocked and horrified when her son developed anorexia at the age of twelve. Having a research background, she naturally turned her attention to finding out as much as she could about how best to combat this terrifying illness. Her son is now fully recovered and has supported this book that not only describes their experiences, but also provides a practical guide on how to cope with male eating disorders.

A much needed resource for other parents in similar situations, the book will also be of interest to people working in health centres, clinics and hospitals. It will also be invaluable for youth support groups, teachers and sports coaching staff, who are often the first to be aware of concerns about eating disorders in young men.

Jenny is a Chartered Accountant who worked in the pharmaceutical industry for many years. Latterly she has also worked in the Financial Services Industry (for six years) as a pharmaceutical and healthcare analyst and salesperson.She is a member of the Eating Disorder Association and a volunteer member of their Self Help Network. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

SOURCES in USA?
Well-written, well-explained--especially that some kids can have problems, growing up, whether it's depression or substance abuse or ANOREXIA. Now, can someone please annotate it with definitions in American English--and--SOURCES in the USA.(This subject is too important to risk misunderstanding "Brit Speak"!) ... Read more

Product Description

My name is Lucy. I am in recovery from anorexia nervosa and major depression, each of which almost killed me.

So begins this extraordinary account of a teenage girl's descent into the tortured existence of anorexia and her arduous, remarkable recovery. Much of this unflinchingly candid memoir is ripped directly from the pages of author Lucy Howard-Taylor's diary as she struggled with the torturous condition, offering a rare glimpse into the thoughts and fears that grip the minds of those struggling with anorexia, the most fatal of all psychiatric illnesses.

Tinged with a wicked sense of humor, Lucy's beautifully written, penetrating insights capture the overpowering anxiety that comes with anorexia and reveal the challenge of recovery. This courageous and compelling story will inspire and support those troubled with the condition, and their family and friends, the world over.

... a graphic yet poetic insight into the pain and suffering experienced by sufferers of eating disorders.
--Claire Vickery, CEO and founder of The Butterfly Foundation ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Brief but intimate insight into the illness...more of a literary masterpiece than memoir
I have read over 20 Eating Disorder memoirs and this is probably my favourite one. However it is probably my most favourite for the author's witty and intelligent writing style which I found incredibly engaging. The author was young when she wrote this...only 19..yet she has written a book that shows considerable maturity and literary talent. Not only that, but she's incredibly interesting and unique, and has an amazing ability to write in the most illuminating and poignant way.

Her descriptions and way of explaining her illness and the nature of anorexia are spot-on, and she does an incredible job of being entertaining while giving her account.

I found it delved less into the intricate details of having an eating disorder than other books, and instead, gave a few important and basic recounts. Yet these were described with such insight and candour, that they herald the quality of the book.

This book is unique in it's field, with great insight and witty, intelligent dialogue. It demonstrates how some people can be caught for only a relatively short period of time with this illness (I think the author was very lucky in her experience), and go on to become amazing scholars and vibrant people who truly impact upon the world.

Which is what the author is: A vibrant, unique soul, - incredibly passionate and intelligent.

Biting Anorexia - A Book Review
This book is an exceptional, ongoing memoir of a woman who has dealt with eating disorders, depression, and other significant cognitive issues most of her life.This is not a book on "How to Overcome Your Eating Disorders," and this is not a narrative suggesting the disorder has been completely remedied in the author and is now only being considered in the past tense.Ms. Howard-Taylor suggests she expects to deal with her complex issues for the foreseeable future and she is in recovery rather than recovered.

For anyone looking for a feel-good religious-style transformation out of eating disorder issues, this is not the book for you.However, if you feel you are in a space where you'd like to read a frank and articulate narrative about the perceptions and actions of someone who has actively struggled with eating disorders, this is an extraordinarily good book.

A word of caution:I highly recommend this book for anyone who has dealt with or is dealing with someone else in their life with eating disorders.I also highly recommend this book to professionals who are counseling clients with eating disorders.However, this book is so candid, and it deals so intimately with day to day eating disorder considerations and experiences, that I would strongly encourage anyone who is personally dealing with eating disorders to read this book with notice and consent of the professional counselors with whom they are working.

The intent of this memoir is not to explain the root causes of eating disorders.The author suggests there are no singular and dominant sources that lead to eating disorders.

The book helps us understand how people with eating disorders are often also brilliant and talented.Anyone who stereotypically thinks a person with an eating disorder is somehow stupid or lacking education should have many of those myths dispelled by reading this book.Ms. Howard-Taylor is a more clear, educated, counseled, and organized writer than most people twice her age.

Ms. Howard-Taylor regularly has made the decisions TO WRITE out her internal conflicts.And that process of writing is a valuable expression and reference tool, a saving force for herself and others who struggle with similar internal issues.

I have less fear for people who are regularly writing and expressing their dramatic and life-threatening internal dialogues than I fear for people who are comparatively silent toward themselves and others on those issues.When people stop dialoguing and struggling, that concerns me much more.Ms. Howard-Taylor's life, her actions and her book champion the concept that expressing uncommon and "unacceptable" internal battles may be part of good therapeutic processes.

This is not a "Memoir of Blame" or a "Memoir of How I Was Mistreated in My Childhood."This is a memoir of someone actively and daily expressing their "internal war" involving core issues of self-perceptions, self-definitions, and survival.

This book ends with some summarizing observations, but it does not end with singular or simple solutions.The author gives the honest impression that her issues will stay with her and will likely be patterns she will continue to confront.

I have personally been intimately involved with people with eating disorders, depression, and suicidal thoughts.Depression and eating disorders are powerful illnesses that can derail the best and brightest among us.

Reading Ms. Howard-Taylor's book, I could hear the rushed and fast inner voices of which I am already familiar.I have recorded similar memories in my permanent collection.This is a beautiful memoir that artfully illustrates a representative mindset that people, who have dealt with loved ones with eating disorders, will likely be familiar.There is as much to read in between the lines of this quality writing as there is to glean from the text itself.

I want to emphasize that this book review does not touch on a plethora of the diverse topics in the book.By only reading this review, you will not have a summarizing sense of a tremendous amount of the engaging personal correspondence and narratives ventured in the book.

If, as mentioned in the movie "Shadowlands," it is true "We read to know we are not alone," then many people with these related issues should find some solace and companionship in reading this memoir.

The beauty of the book is in the expression of the honest doubts as much as it is in the expression of possible solutions.If you personally struggle with these issues, I recommend reading it in coordination and with the consent of your therapists. ... Read more