To overcome teen eating disorders, get the family involved
Interesting article published couple days ago, I would like to hear about your opinion….
New research reveals that teenagers suffering from anorexia need a helping hand from their families. In a large-scale study published on October 4 in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry, teenagers with the eating disorder showed better recovery after receiving family therapy as opposed to individual counseling - results which countered previously held beliefs about treating the disease.
"For a really long time, parents have been seen as being an obstacle to treatment," said study researcher James Lock, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, in an interview with Live Science, a news website covering developments in science, health, and the environment. "Family-based treatment and the effectiveness that it has shown in this study suggests that families really are a resource to these kids, and they really should be included in the care of their children."
Read more:
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/to-overcome-...
I have to admit when reading this article I had to agree with the basic idea. I know from my own personal experience, my family wanted nothing to do with my recovery. I was simply the one with the problem and I was the only one expected to change. There was nothing given to me from my family apart from the money to pack me off to Marino. How can a person expect to change and try recovery when there is no support at home. I am still in the same situation now and this week my therapist explained it very well for
I can only try and recover for myself, I can do a hell of alot of work and move really far up the ladder. But once I go home my hard work is slowly undone. Because of my families lack help and awareness, they are like a bandaid, slowly ripping away the little progress that I have made. I firmly believe people who have families that want to help and participate do recover much much quicker. The sufferer does not have to pretend to be ok when he/she goes home, does not have to hide the fact that they are going to therapy, does not have the sole burden of trying to change while the family sits by and watches.
I really do feel very strongly about this. It truly upsets me that my family dont try to understand recovery and ed and I would say to any other parent, be there, help them, dont place the burden solely on the sufferer to change. As they say many hands make light work, it will for sure speed up recovery.
thanks marie for putting up the article
amanda xxx
I think that getting families involved in ones recovery is very important no matter what type of condition one has. I think that family therapy is really important and the level of involvment really depends on circumstance, age, and what stage of recovery ones at. There may be times when families need to be more involved and other times not so much and this can be difficult for people and for their families but its important to not be afraid of this, but to welcome it, trust in the process. I also think that familiy therapy almost needs to be redefined for each person because for some people that may mean parents, siblings and for others it may be husbands, partners or even very close friends. Just someone who is real, close and supportive. Its important to keep people who are in our lives part of what we are, why shut out famlies. We are the first ones to say, we are not understood so if families are shut out then thats exactly what we are achieving, we need to share in the knowledge and show poeople life. Some peoples famileis are huge parts of their recovery, my parents being one and there was a time when they needed to be a bigger part of my recovery and then less. The condition is avery lonely place and having support of others is powerful but also those who support us need support. Families also need support, advice, encourgament, and not to know they are on there on. So reading this article I feel that familly therapy is very valuable but the level of involvment really depends on the stage the person is at, and what needs they have at the time plus age, circumstance etc..
ed is a dark lonely place for the sufferer.i feel ed thrives when creating lonliness/confusion/seperation.also,for the family/parents/loved ones,it can be easier and less challenging to not be involved in recovery but surely true recovery includes a return to family and oneself.professional,family-based therapy i feel can only help with ed.it wont be easy,it certainly will be challenging,but twill surely b worth it!!
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