What is an eating disorder? What are the symptoms? What causes them? And is full recovery possible?
Eating disorders are a growing issue – at least 2% of females are now struggling with an eating disorder and studies amongst some groups such as teenage girls reveal much higher rates.
This accessible and practical book helps readers to come to a full understanding of eating disorders and the various stages involved in recovery. It is essential reading for sufferers, their family and friends and also the interested reader.
Writing from her experience of working with sufferers and drawing extensively on case histories, Dr Middleton explains what eating disorders are and why we develop them. Crucially, she offers guidance for setting out on the road to recovery.
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Contents
Introduction 7
Part 1 Making a start: What are eating disorders and do you want to recover? 9
1 What are eating disorders? 10
2 The physical and psychological effects of eating disorders 19
3 The problem with purging 31
4 What causes eating disorders? 37
5 ‘I’m not sure I want to stop’ 44
Part 2 Problems and potential pitfalls: Issues commonly associated with eating disorders 49
6 Unhelpful thinking styles 50
7 Perfectly flawed or perfectly driven: when is perfectionism a bad thing? 58
8 Fanning the flame: dealing with anxiety 66
9 Some other common problems: self-harm, other addictions and multi-impulsive bulimia 75
Part 3 Planning your route: Starting out on the path to recovery 83
10 What is recovery and is it possible? 84
11 How to get help and handle treatment 99
12 About food and eating 111
Part 4 Supporting your child on the path to recovery: A section for parents 119
13 Information and advice for parents 120
14 Supporting a child on the path to recovery: some real-life accounts 136
Further support 144
Over de auteur
Dr Kate Middleton is a psychologist and the author of several books including Eating Disorders and First Steps out of Eating Disorders. She is the former Director of the organisation, Anorexia and Bulimia Care.