Sunday, December 4, 2011
To The Parents: Resources & Support
According to the eating disorder coalition, lifetime prevalence of an individual with an eating disorder is 0.6-4.5%(EDC, 2007). This is an outrageous number. Some other facts according to Hudson et al., are even more shocking.
.Eating disorders have doubled since 1960s
• Eating disorders are increasing in younger age groups, as young as 7 years
• Occurring increasingly in diverse ethnic and sociocultural groups
• 40-60% of high school girls diet
• 13% of high school girls purge
• 30-40% of junior high girls worry about weight
• 40% of 9-year-old girls have dieted
• 5-year-old girls are concerned about diet
(Husdon, 2007)
These statistics should increase the awareness of parents. It is important to know that eating disorders can affect boys, girls, men, and women of any age.
Coping with having a child how is suffering from an eating disorder can be a long painful road to travel. As a final part of this work shop we would like to give you tips and resources on how to deal and how to heal.
As part of this workshop we are to teach parents a number of things dealing with the topic of eating disorders. This is a very complex issue to address because it is an issue that is personal, private, and determined by a number of factors of which each child's condition is a little bit different than the next. From the Campbell text, "Group Parent Education" we learn that group parent education groups are full of diverse people with diverse problems. In chapter 10 on Leading Groups With Complex Issues it says, "Participant in parent education groups, particularly those in settings designed for families with higher needs and multiple stresses [such as this one], tend to include a variety of familial experiences that can have adverse affects on the group (Campbell, page 186). Because different challenges may arise in this parent education workshop it is out duty as the education leaders to give each family what they are looking for and work toward a collaborative group setting. So we wish to provide parents who may be a part of this education process the opportunity to connect with other parents who are dealing with the same issues and have the same concerns.
Get involved... there are a number of chat rooms and websites (including this one) where parents may have open discussions on sensitive topics and be able to come to an understanding together.
Some of these resources that offer such a wonderful opportunity to connect with other parents and people who have been through similar things are but are not limited to:
http://www.yourchildseatingdisorder.blogspot.com (feel free to comment here anytime and with past experience we will work hard to answer your questions concerning eating disorders)
NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association) has a website full of resources. The URL is http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/. Here you can connect with consultants, counselors, and other people who know eating disorders by heart. Just click on their link "Information and Resources" or the link above that "Get Help Today" to begin your journey to recovery. In the "information and resources" link you can read "stories of hope" which will give you hope for your child.
There is a organization called Project HEAL at http://theprojectheal.org which offers a scholarship fund and a program start up that entails starting an official chapter for your school, university, or state to help others get the treatment they deserve and need. This is more of a teen activists organization however if you have a teen sibling to the child of concern this is a good way for them to get involved.
AED is the Academy for Eating Disorders which offers support to those that struggle and families of those who suffer as well. They hold an International Conference on Eating disorders and put out a newsletter. The web address is: http://www.aedweb.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
This is a great way for professionals as well as the public (families) to get information on eating disorders.
www.edcdenver.com is a more local Eating Disorder Center. This helpline can be a life line for you and your family.
The NEDA offers a national hot line. This is their statement, "If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, we are here to help. Call our toll free, confidential Helpline Monday-Friday, 9:00 am- 5:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time:
1-800-931-2237 or click here. Our helpline volunteers will be there to offer support and guidance with compassion and understanding" (NEDA, 2011)
There are many support groups here in Wyoming that you can access through the NEDA's website by clicking on the "get help today" link and then "treatment providers and support groups" link.
The support groups offered in Wyoming include:
Confidential Online Live Chat Eating Disorder Support Group
Overeaters Anonymous
Compulsive Eaters Anonymous - HOW (Honest, Openminded and Willing to listen)
Men with Eating Disorders Support Group
Wisdom Eating
You can also start your own support group through this website and look up support groups in other states.
Some options for treatment professionals here in Wyoming are:
Caroljean Bongo PsyD in Cheyenne WY who focuses on eating disorders.
Another great resource is LDS Family Services- http://providentliving.org/familyservices/strength/0,12264,2873-1,00.html and you can click on the "counseling and resources" link to find a counselor near you. This site also offers an Addiction Recovery Program which is excellent which I can tell you from personal experience because the LDS Family Services Counselor I saw out of Cheyenne, Wyoming used this as part of my treatment.
You can contact the nearest office at: LDS Family Services
CO Colorado Agency
3263 Fraser Street, Suite 3
Aurora, CO 80011-1245
PH: 303-371-1000
FAX: 303-371-1002
www.centerforchange.com is the website for the impatient eating disorder treatment in Orem, UT
Primary Children's Hospital in Denver, CO also offers counseling, nutritional consultants, and treatment for eating disorders.
These are just a few of the recommended sites and resources we would offer parents in support of their child who is struggling with an eating disorder at this time in their life. You can find support in other places over the Internet by simply using the google search engine and exploring your options.
We would like to end this work shop with a word of hope to parents and those suffering with any kind of eating disorder. It is not an easy path to recovery; there are going to be rough roads ahead of you and your family, and there may be times when you want to give up all hope. However, as a survivor and a family who has survived an eating disorder we can offer you hope that there will be a day when your child and your family will heal. Do not throw in the towel, keep fighting for your life. There is a brighter light over the horizon and it is waiting to welcome you in. Please use this education workshop as a warning sign to you and your family about the dangers of falling to the deathly grip of this terrible addiction. Take the warning signs to heart and begin to look for these symptoms in your child. The sooner you can diagnose the disorder the faster you can get your child the needed medical attention that could save their life. We hope we have offered you some useful information on eating disorders. If you have any questions and concerns, consult the resources listed above or email us at bullinger_iluv2run@live.com or mphilgil@gmail.com or comment on our blog. There is hope!
Thank you for your time,
Mark and Brandy Gillies
.Eating disorders have doubled since 1960s
• Eating disorders are increasing in younger age groups, as young as 7 years
• Occurring increasingly in diverse ethnic and sociocultural groups
• 40-60% of high school girls diet
• 13% of high school girls purge
• 30-40% of junior high girls worry about weight
• 40% of 9-year-old girls have dieted
• 5-year-old girls are concerned about diet
(Husdon, 2007)
These statistics should increase the awareness of parents. It is important to know that eating disorders can affect boys, girls, men, and women of any age.
Coping with having a child how is suffering from an eating disorder can be a long painful road to travel. As a final part of this work shop we would like to give you tips and resources on how to deal and how to heal.
As part of this workshop we are to teach parents a number of things dealing with the topic of eating disorders. This is a very complex issue to address because it is an issue that is personal, private, and determined by a number of factors of which each child's condition is a little bit different than the next. From the Campbell text, "Group Parent Education" we learn that group parent education groups are full of diverse people with diverse problems. In chapter 10 on Leading Groups With Complex Issues it says, "Participant in parent education groups, particularly those in settings designed for families with higher needs and multiple stresses [such as this one], tend to include a variety of familial experiences that can have adverse affects on the group (Campbell, page 186). Because different challenges may arise in this parent education workshop it is out duty as the education leaders to give each family what they are looking for and work toward a collaborative group setting. So we wish to provide parents who may be a part of this education process the opportunity to connect with other parents who are dealing with the same issues and have the same concerns.
Get involved... there are a number of chat rooms and websites (including this one) where parents may have open discussions on sensitive topics and be able to come to an understanding together.
Some of these resources that offer such a wonderful opportunity to connect with other parents and people who have been through similar things are but are not limited to:
http://www.yourchildseatingdisorder.blogspot.com (feel free to comment here anytime and with past experience we will work hard to answer your questions concerning eating disorders)
NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association) has a website full of resources. The URL is http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/. Here you can connect with consultants, counselors, and other people who know eating disorders by heart. Just click on their link "Information and Resources" or the link above that "Get Help Today" to begin your journey to recovery. In the "information and resources" link you can read "stories of hope" which will give you hope for your child.
There is a organization called Project HEAL at http://theprojectheal.org which offers a scholarship fund and a program start up that entails starting an official chapter for your school, university, or state to help others get the treatment they deserve and need. This is more of a teen activists organization however if you have a teen sibling to the child of concern this is a good way for them to get involved.
AED is the Academy for Eating Disorders which offers support to those that struggle and families of those who suffer as well. They hold an International Conference on Eating disorders and put out a newsletter. The web address is: http://www.aedweb.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
This is a great way for professionals as well as the public (families) to get information on eating disorders.
www.edcdenver.com is a more local Eating Disorder Center. This helpline can be a life line for you and your family.
The NEDA offers a national hot line. This is their statement, "If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, we are here to help. Call our toll free, confidential Helpline Monday-Friday, 9:00 am- 5:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time:
1-800-931-2237 or click here. Our helpline volunteers will be there to offer support and guidance with compassion and understanding" (NEDA, 2011)
There are many support groups here in Wyoming that you can access through the NEDA's website by clicking on the "get help today" link and then "treatment providers and support groups" link.
The support groups offered in Wyoming include:
Confidential Online Live Chat Eating Disorder Support Group
Overeaters Anonymous
Compulsive Eaters Anonymous - HOW (Honest, Openminded and Willing to listen)
Men with Eating Disorders Support Group
Wisdom Eating
You can also start your own support group through this website and look up support groups in other states.
Some options for treatment professionals here in Wyoming are:
Caroljean Bongo PsyD in Cheyenne WY who focuses on eating disorders.
Another great resource is LDS Family Services- http://providentliving.org/familyservices/strength/0,12264,2873-1,00.html and you can click on the "counseling and resources" link to find a counselor near you. This site also offers an Addiction Recovery Program which is excellent which I can tell you from personal experience because the LDS Family Services Counselor I saw out of Cheyenne, Wyoming used this as part of my treatment.
You can contact the nearest office at: LDS Family Services
CO Colorado Agency
3263 Fraser Street, Suite 3
Aurora, CO 80011-1245
PH: 303-371-1000
FAX: 303-371-1002
www.centerforchange.com is the website for the impatient eating disorder treatment in Orem, UT
Primary Children's Hospital in Denver, CO also offers counseling, nutritional consultants, and treatment for eating disorders.
These are just a few of the recommended sites and resources we would offer parents in support of their child who is struggling with an eating disorder at this time in their life. You can find support in other places over the Internet by simply using the google search engine and exploring your options.
We would like to end this work shop with a word of hope to parents and those suffering with any kind of eating disorder. It is not an easy path to recovery; there are going to be rough roads ahead of you and your family, and there may be times when you want to give up all hope. However, as a survivor and a family who has survived an eating disorder we can offer you hope that there will be a day when your child and your family will heal. Do not throw in the towel, keep fighting for your life. There is a brighter light over the horizon and it is waiting to welcome you in. Please use this education workshop as a warning sign to you and your family about the dangers of falling to the deathly grip of this terrible addiction. Take the warning signs to heart and begin to look for these symptoms in your child. The sooner you can diagnose the disorder the faster you can get your child the needed medical attention that could save their life. We hope we have offered you some useful information on eating disorders. If you have any questions and concerns, consult the resources listed above or email us at bullinger_iluv2run@live.com or mphilgil@gmail.com or comment on our blog. There is hope!
Thank you for your time,
Mark and Brandy Gillies
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Honor Your Child
We would like to discuss some intricate concepts for parents of children with eating disorders. It is not uncommon for parents to never know that their children have a problem with eating and disorders associated with the fear of food or the inability to resist food. When I (Brandy) was in high school I suffered from Bulimia and Anorexia and from personal experience it was nearly six months before my parents and family found out about it at first and another few years before they knew I was struggling with it again and relapsing at increased rates. So to the parents this is my advice, DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED, IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT YOU DID NOT SEE IT COMING. Eating disorders have a sort of secrecy (upon which they revolve around) so it literally could be months or even years before you get an inkling about your child’s struggles with eating.
We would like to give parents some tips about how to intervene when the disorder surfaces. First, take the signs and symptoms list to heart and constantly be on the lookout for anything that seems out of the ordinary. Second, approach your child. Let them know you care and see if they will first tell you what is going on. Third, if they do not reveal any details and you are extremely concerned about them approach them about your suspicions, but do this in a discrete and sensitive way. And finally, get them help before things get out of hand. These may be hard steps to take with your child and there may be resulting tension because of it however intervention is a necessity. Brooks gives a very good description of eating disorders in Chapter eleven on parenting late adolescents. She says that at this stage of development adolescents eating habits fluctuate and change dramatically. On page 345 it says, “In these years, three kinds of eating disorders first appear and require immediate medical and physiological help”. Brooks goes on to say in the following paragraph, “People with eating disorders are at risk for developing other medical problems such as cardiac and neurological problems as well as depression and substance abuse, so parents should always get professional help” (Brooks, page 345). Even if you doubt your suspicions, think about the delicate life of your child and do them the honor of saving their life.
We would like to give parents some tips about how to intervene when the disorder surfaces. First, take the signs and symptoms list to heart and constantly be on the lookout for anything that seems out of the ordinary. Second, approach your child. Let them know you care and see if they will first tell you what is going on. Third, if they do not reveal any details and you are extremely concerned about them approach them about your suspicions, but do this in a discrete and sensitive way. And finally, get them help before things get out of hand. These may be hard steps to take with your child and there may be resulting tension because of it however intervention is a necessity. Brooks gives a very good description of eating disorders in Chapter eleven on parenting late adolescents. She says that at this stage of development adolescents eating habits fluctuate and change dramatically. On page 345 it says, “In these years, three kinds of eating disorders first appear and require immediate medical and physiological help”. Brooks goes on to say in the following paragraph, “People with eating disorders are at risk for developing other medical problems such as cardiac and neurological problems as well as depression and substance abuse, so parents should always get professional help” (Brooks, page 345). Even if you doubt your suspicions, think about the delicate life of your child and do them the honor of saving their life.
Signs and Symptoms of Eating Disorders
The three disorders we are talking about have a variety of signs and symptoms. According to the website mirror http://www.mirror-mirror.org some typical signs and symptoms are:
Signs and Symptoms of Anorexia
• Noticeable weight loss
• Excessive exercise
• Always cold
• Weak
• Always counting calories
• Unusual eating habits
• Always saying they are fat
• Loss of menstrual cycle
• Checking their weight frequently
• The need to be perfect
• Headaches
• Low self esteem
• Depression
• Hair falling out
Signs and Symptoms of Bulimia
• Eating food in secret
• Frequent bathroom visits
• Using laxatives, or diet pills
• Over exercising
• Mood swings
• Tooth enamel decaying
• Sore throat
• Dehydration
• Hair loss depression
• Low self esteem
• Headaches
• Dizziness
Signs and Symptoms of Binge Eating
• Weight gain
• Low self-esteem
• Over eating
• Feeling guilty
• Depression
• Using a lot of different diets
• Avoid social situations with food
• Menstrual irregularities
• Obesity
• Decrease of mobility
Signs and Symptoms of Anorexia
• Noticeable weight loss
• Excessive exercise
• Always cold
• Weak
• Always counting calories
• Unusual eating habits
• Always saying they are fat
• Loss of menstrual cycle
• Checking their weight frequently
• The need to be perfect
• Headaches
• Low self esteem
• Depression
• Hair falling out
Signs and Symptoms of Bulimia
• Eating food in secret
• Frequent bathroom visits
• Using laxatives, or diet pills
• Over exercising
• Mood swings
• Tooth enamel decaying
• Sore throat
• Dehydration
• Hair loss depression
• Low self esteem
• Headaches
• Dizziness
Signs and Symptoms of Binge Eating
• Weight gain
• Low self-esteem
• Over eating
• Feeling guilty
• Depression
• Using a lot of different diets
• Avoid social situations with food
• Menstrual irregularities
• Obesity
• Decrease of mobility
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