Beating your eating disorder : a cognitive-behavioural self-help guide for adult sufferers and for their carers

Do you or does someone you know suffer from an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or a less typical set of symptoms? The most effective, evidence-based treatment for adults with eating disorders is cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). This book presents a highly effective self-help CBT programme for all eating disorders, in an accessible format. It teaches skills to sufferers and carers alike. This book is relevant to any sufferer, if: • You are not yet sure about whether to seek help • You are not sure where to find help • Your family doctor or others recommend that you try a self-help approach • You are waiting for therapy with a clinician, and want to get the best possible start to beating your eating disorder Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Beating Your Eating Disorder: A Cognitive Behavioral Self-Help Guide for Adult Sufferers and Their Carers......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Praise for Beating Your Eating Disorder......Page 7 Contents......Page 9 Who is this book for?......Page 13 Final points before starting......Page 14 Who are the authors of this book?......Page 15 Acknowledgements......Page 16 About the authors......Page 17 First things first: staying physically safe and well enough to use the help provided in this book......Page 19 Question one: ``Do I have an eating disorder? ́ ́......Page 21 Question two: ``Does my eating problem really deserve any attention? ́ ́......Page 23 Question three: ``What can I do if I care for or live with someone with an eating disorder? ́ ́......Page 25 Question five: ``So what do I do now? ́ ́......Page 26 The key elements of CBT......Page 28 Your journey through CBT: some landmarks......Page 29 What is CBT self-help?......Page 30 ``I'm not sure that I'm ready to change ́ ́: a quick word about motivation......Page 32 If you are a carer......Page 33 Whoever you are......Page 34 Section 2 For the sufferer......Page 35 Some important definitions......Page 37 Myths to dispel......Page 38 Motivational states......Page 41 The pros and cons of having an eating disorder......Page 43 The balance between the pros and cons of your eating disorder......Page 47 Accepting responsibility for change......Page 48 Becoming your own therapist......Page 51 What to expect......Page 52 Giving yourself the best chance of success......Page 53 Summary......Page 59 Section 3 The CBT self-help program......Page 63 8 Start here: how to use this program......Page 65 Practicalities......Page 66 Anxiety and safety behaviors......Page 67 Final tips on maximizing your chances of success......Page 68 What do I need to get started?......Page 69 How long will it take?......Page 70 Some basic facts you need to know: psychoeducation......Page 71 Taking stock: where am I now, and how did I get here?......Page 74 Where do I want to get to?......Page 75 9 The practical steps of CBT for your eating disorder......Page 76 Step 1: Developing and maintaining your motivation......Page 77 Recording your eating......Page 78 Understanding how your eating is linked to your weight......Page 79 Weighing yourself......Page 80 Regular, healthy eating......Page 82 A few practical tips to help you change your eating patterns......Page 83 Changing the content of what you eat......Page 84 Healthy eating plan......Page 86 How can I get to normal, healthy eating from where I am now?......Page 87 Summarizing what you have learned......Page 88 Challenging your thoughts......Page 89 Changing your eating: exposure......Page 96 Systematically changing your eating: behavioral experiments......Page 97 Step 4: Addressing negative thoughts and feelings about your body......Page 101 How did my body image develop?......Page 102 What maintains my body image?......Page 104 Beginning to change your relationship with your body......Page 105 Practical steps to addressing your body image......Page 106 Behavioral experiments......Page 107 Surveys......Page 108 Step 5: Addressing residual difficulties......Page 109 Keep yourself aware of what you are doing and the risks......Page 110 Where to next in this book?......Page 111 Section 4 For carers......Page 113 Stop blaming yourself......Page 115 Why didn' t I notice before?......Page 116 Should I feel so stressed and impotent?......Page 117 Dangers of collusion......Page 118 What about the rest of the family?......Page 119 Where can I get information?......Page 120 How can I keep the sufferer interested in change?......Page 121 I am a friend of the sufferer: how can I help?......Page 123 Supporting the sufferer while they are following the self-help program outlined in this book......Page 124 Before you go any further......Page 127 What has stopped me seeking help before, and what might stop me now?......Page 129 Who should I talk to?......Page 132 Preparing for your assessment......Page 133 What treatment will I be offered?......Page 134 Coping with waiting......Page 135 Attending your first session of CBT......Page 136 The therapeutic relationship......Page 138 Willingness to talk about method......Page 139 Willingness to talk about the process of therapy......Page 141 What can I do to help my loved one get help?......Page 142 So why is it so hard to help my loved one?......Page 143 Section 6 Letting go of the eating disorder......Page 145 16 The journey of recovery......Page 147 Are there healthier alternatives to my eating disorder behaviors?......Page 148 What if I cant make all the changes now?......Page 149 Can I stay ``a bit anorexic/bulimic ́ ́?......Page 150 What if the eating disorder comes back?......Page 151 Forewarned is forearmed......Page 154 Review sessions......Page 157 A word of warning: the risks of weight loss......Page 158 Dealing with other issues......Page 159 Bone structure......Page 160 Fertility......Page 161 Will my eating disorder have had an impact on my children?......Page 162 Who is this new person?......Page 163 Who was to blame for the eating disorder?......Page 164 For the carer......Page 165 Organizations that offer eating disorder-specific support for sufferers and carers......Page 167 Do you recognize any of the following features in yourself?......Page 168 The Minnesota Study......Page 169 Attitudes and behavior related to food and eating......Page 170 Emotional changes......Page 171 Physical changes......Page 172 Significance of the study......Page 173 Appendix 3: Complications of food restriction and low weight/anorexia nervosa......Page 174 Appendix 4: Complications of bulimia nervosa (especially laxative abuse and vomiting)......Page 177 Dehydration......Page 180 Other problems......Page 181 Appendix 6: The effects of laxative abuse on physical health......Page 182 Dehydration......Page 184 Other problems......Page 185 Compulsive activity......Page 186 Risks of excessive exercise......Page 187 Self-induced vomiting......Page 188 Diuretics/water tablets......Page 189 Long-term weight changes......Page 190 How do long-term and short-term weight relate?......Page 191 Hunger......Page 192 Concentration and ability to do academic work......Page 193 Appendix 12: General points to help normalize your food intake......Page 194 Appendix 13: Healthy eating......Page 195 Appendix 14: Examples of different foods and the food group that they belong to......Page 197 How much carbohydrate do we need?......Page 199 Summary of functions of fats in the body......Page 201 What are healthy levels of fat in the body and in the diet?......Page 202 Appendix 17: Diary sheet......Page 203 Appendix 18: Thought record sheet......Page 204 Appendix 19: Planning a behavioral experiment......Page 205 Appendix 20: Your therapy blueprint......Page 206 References cited in this book......Page 207 Further reading: other self-help books that you might find useful for additional problems......Page 208 Index......Page 209 "Do you or does someone you know, suffer from an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or a less typical set of symptoms? The most effective, evidence-based treatment for adults with eating disorders is cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). This book presents a highly effective self-help CBT programme for all eating disorders, in an accessible format. It teaches skills to sufferers and carers alike. This book is relevant to any sufferer, if: you are not yet sure about whether to seek help; you are not sure where to find help; your family doctor or others recommend that you try a self-help approach; you are waiting for therapy with a clinician, and want to get the best possible start to beating your eating disorder; wWritten in an accessible format - illustrated with rich vignettes and colourful analogies to provide a context for recovery; represents the key elements of cognitive-behavioural therapy for a range of eating disorders, enabling carers and sufferers to work together; equally helpful for families and friends by giving them the support they need to be a powerful ally in recovery."--Publisher's description This book uses the strongest evidence-based psychological treatment for adults with eating disorders - cognitive-behavioural therapy - and presents it in an accessible self-help format. It teaches skills to sufferers and carers alike, whether the problem is anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or a less typical presentation.