If Your Adolescent Has an Eating Disorder: An Essential Resource for Parents

by Tim Walsh, Deborah R. Glasofer

Overview

If Your Adolescent Has an Eating Disorder is an authoritative guide to understanding and helping a teenager with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, or other eating disorders. It is designed for parents of teens who have recently been diagnosed with an eating disorder, or who are at risk of developing one, and for other adults, such as teachers and guidance counselors, who are regularly in contact with at-risk adolescents. The book combines the latest science—including the newest treatments and most up-to-date research findings on eating disorders—with the practical wisdom of parents who have been in the trenches raising teens with eating disorders.

Written in a clear and approachable style, Drs. B. Timothy Walsh and Deborah R. Glasofer explain exactly what eating disorders are and describe their characteristics, as well as signs and symptoms. They outline the right way to go about getting help if you suspect your child may have a problem, about when and where to get treatment, and about how to navigate the healthcare system. There is also advice on how to handle everyday life—both at home and at school—once your child is diagnosed, and on how to communicate with your teen and her or his siblings about issues related to the eating disorder. Complete with red flags to look out for, warnings on the dangers of doing nothing, and a comprehensive list of additional resources, this book will help parents and other adults face and deal effectively with adolescent eating disorders before they become life-threatening.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780190076825
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	06/15/2020
Series:	Adolescent Mental Health Initiative
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

B. Timothy Walsh, MD graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Medical School, and has been on the faculty of the Department of Psychiatry of Columbia's Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons for over four decades. The primary focus of his research is eating disorders. Over the course of his career, he has published more than two hundred papers and received numerous grant awards from the National Institutes of Health. He has served as President of both of the major international eating disorders associations, and chaired the Eating Disorders Work Group for both DSM-IV and DSM-5. He has received awards from the American Psychiatric Association, the Academy for Eating Disorders, the National Eating Disorders Association, and the Association for Behavior and Cognitive Therapies.

Deborah R. Glasofer, PhD is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry) at the Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University and clinical psychologist at the Columbia Center for Eating Disorders at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. She is involved in research on eating disorders, and provides instruction and supervision for psychiatry residents, post-doctoral fellows, and other trainees in cognitive behavioral therapy for mood, anxiety, and eating disorders. She served as an editor for the Handbook of Assessment and Treatment of Eating Disorders, co-authored What Everyone Needs to Know: Eating Disorders, has written for Scientific American Mind, Psychology Today, The Huffington Post, Verywell, and The Feed, and can be followed on Twitter at @drglasofer.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

About the Authors ix

1 Introduction: Not Just a Diet 1

2 Understanding Eating Disorders: What They Are and What to Expect 9

3 Getting the Right Treatment for Your Child: Therapy, Medication, and More 79

4 Daily Life with the Teen Who Has an Eating Disorder 137

5 Preventing Eating Disorders 176

6 Conclusion: A Call for Action 200

Glossary 205

Resources 211

Bibliography 219

Index 227

Editorial Reviews

"An excellent introductory guide for parents of teens and young adults concerned about a possible eating disorder in their child. It provides pragmatic, factual information on eating disorders, how to access care for your child, and what to expect."

— Angela Guarda, MD, Stephen and Jean Robinson Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

"Walsh and Glasofer have been at the cutting edge of eating disorders treatment and research for several decades now. These authors are extraordinarily well placed to provide a wide ranging and informative text on everything someone with an eating disorder, or someone who cares for a loved one with an eating disorder, ought to know."

— Daniel Le Grange, PhD, Benioff UCSF Professor in Children's Health, Department of Psychiatry, UCSF, CA, and Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

"This book, written by leading experts in the field of eating disorders, is an important resource for parents of an adolescent with an eating disorder. Using personal vignettes and case studies, the book provides scientifically accurate information in an easy-to-read manner."

— Neville H. Golden MD, Chief, Division of Adolescent Medicine, The Marron and Mary Elizabeth Kendrick Professor of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine

From the Publisher