The Anorexic Mind

Eating disorders vary in severity from developmental difficulties in adolescence which may be transitory, to serious and chronic mental illnesses. The Anorexic Mind offers a coherent approach to these difficult and demanding problems, always underlining the point that while many of the manifestations are physical, eating disorders have their origins as well as their solutions, in the mind. While anorexia nervosa may be considered the central syndrome in eating disorders, this book also considers how it links and differs from bulimia nervosa, the more common, related disorder. In the process of the research on anorexia and bulimia, valuable insights have been gained into the very common problem of overeating. The author takes a developmental approach to eating disorders, and is very aware of the continuities between infantile, adolescent and adult experience. Our earliest relationship is a feeding relationship and feeding difficulties early in life are not rare.

In this painfully moving memoir, take a firsthand look at anorexia through the eyes of a young girl. Even in kindergarten, Rachel Richards knows something isn't right. By leading us through her distorted thoughts, she shines a light on the experience and mystery of mental illness. As she grows up, unable to comprehend or communicate her inner trauma, Rachel lashes out, hurting herself, running away from home, and fighting her family. Restricting food gives her the control she craves. But after being hospitalized and force-fed, Rachel only retreats further into herself. With a driving perfectionism, she graduates college with honors. But at sixty-nine pounds, Rachel is a shell of nervous and obsessive behaviors that have controlled her life. Years of self-harm and self-loathing have fueled the inner battles between good and evil, health and sickness, and life and death. Acting on stage offers her moments of freedom from the skewed perceptions she's constructed over the years. But her dream of a career in theater is not enough to save her. What is the secret that will finally unleash her will to recover?

Step into the Hidden Realm of Silent Struggles Immerse yourself in the poignant journey of "Muted Hunger: Understanding Anorexic Thoughts", a profound exploration into the elusive world of anorexia nervosa. This book is an invitation to the heart of whispered sufferings, offering insight into the complex interplay of mind, body, and society that composes the anorexic experience. Through the depths of Chapter 1, you will uncover the raw internal dialogues that define the reality of those battling anorexia--where fierce control clashes with a haunting desperation. Unravel the mysteries of anorexia in Chapter 2, examining the brain's alarming response to starvation and the tangled emotions of fear, guilt, and shame that drive this disorder. The Siren Song of Thinness: Media and Cultural Influences in Chapter 3, deconstructs the pervasive media messages that infiltrate minds, magnifying vulnerabilities, especially among adolescents. Witness in Chapter 4 the distorted reflections through an anorexic's eyes, learning strategies to combat negative body perceptions and pave the way for the restoration of a cherishing self-view. Unlock the secret language of eating disorders in Chapter 5, where you'll learn to recognize the often-missed signs and gain the courage to address your concerns with loved ones empathetically. Chapter 6 navigates the intricate path to regeneration, detailing a medically informed perspective on addressing nutritional deficiencies and curating a meal plan built to last. With Chapter 7, you'll discover the crucial role of therapy and support systems in the healing process, understanding how family inclusion can catalyze a transformation towards sustained health and happiness. Finally, emerge with your guide from the gloomy veil of anorexia, equipped with newfound understanding, empathy, and resources listed in the reassuring Appendix A essential for caregivers and supporters. This is not just a book; it's a beacon of hope, a treasure trove of knowledge, and a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in face of silent struggles and muted hunger. Embark on this life-altering read today, and embrace the journey toward compassion and comprehension.

In Feeding the Starving Mind, a clinical psychologist and eating disorder specialist presents a program designed to help the older teen or adult with low-weight eating disorders like anorexia nervosa develop healthy eating habits and cope with chronic anxiety.

Shani Raviv is a misfit teen whose peer-pressured diet spirals down into full-blown anorexia nervosa—something no one in her early-nineties, local South African community knows anything about. Fourteen-year-old Shani spends the next six years being “Ana” (as many anorexics call it), on the run from her feelings. She goes from aerobics addict to Israeli soldier to rave bunny to wannabe reborn, using sex, drugs, exercise and, above all, starvation, to numb out everything along the way. But one night, at age twenty, Shani faces the rude awakening that if she doesn’t slow down, break her denial, and seek help, she will starve to death. Three years later, her hardest journey of all begins: the journey to let go of being Ana and learn to love herself. Being Ana is an exploration into the soul and psyche of a young woman wrestling with anorexia’s demons—one that not only exposes the real horrors of a day in the life of an anorexic girl but also reveals the courage it takes to stop fighting and find healing.

In Re-Thinking Eating Disorders: Language, Emotion, and the Brain, Barbara Pearlman integrates ideas from psychoanalysis, developmental psychology and cutting-edge neuroscience to produce a model of neural emotional processing which may underpin the development of an eating disorder. Based on clinical observations over 30 years, this book explores how state change from symbolic to concrete thinking may be a key event that precedes an eating disorder episode. The book introduces this theory, and offers clinicians working with these challenging clients an entirely new model for treatment: internal language enhancement therapy (ILET). This easily teachable therapy is explored throughout the book with case studies and detailed descriptions of therapeutic techniques. Re-Thinking Eating Disorders will appeal to students and practitioners working with this clinical group who are seeking an up-to-date and integrative approach to therapy.

What image comes to mind when you think of Anorexia? Size Zero models floating down the catwalk? Pictures of celebrities in magazines plastered with headlines screaming Thin, Starvation, Skeleton? Or a young girl, wasting away in front of those who love her, desperately trying to be thin? Im sure very few of you will see a young man pounding the treadmill to get rid of an extra few calories. Nor will you think of the same young man throwing his dinner in the bin because the thought of eating anything repulses him. These are the images that John Evans thinks of every day, because John Evans is that young man, and Anorexia Nervosa has been his life for fifteen years. In Becoming John: Anorexias Not Just For Girls, John seeks to explode the myth that Eating Disorders are a female-only problem. Frustrated at the dearth of literature devoted to the subject of Eating Disorders in males, he has attempted to fill that void, at least in part. There are many thousands of male sufferers in Britain, some suffering in silence, some receiving treatment, some, like the author, on the road to recovery. It is hoped that Becoming John will at least provide a voice for this men and maybe even help some of those with no idea of where to turn to or where to find the strength to seek help. Tracing his illness from its origins in the sadness and bullying of his childhood through to the obsessions and the rituals of his adult life, John details how his relationship with Anorexia became the most important factor in his existence. Extracts from his diary detail the struggles of his four-month inpatient admission, attempting to battle his demons and to carve his niche as the only male on a ten-patient ward. Johns story details the occasional highs and much more pervasive lows of living with Anorexia, ever aware of the damage being done but feeling utterly impotent when looking for a way to fight back. By sharing his Eating Disorder with a public audience, John hopes to further weaken the hold it has over him, because nothing hurts Anorexia more than being exposed and being attacked from all angles. Maybe too, you may find something within these pages that helps you better understand the mind of an anorexic, whether you be a Health Care Professional, a carer, or someone who, like John at the start of his journey, just cant understand why they dont eat something. Becoming John: Anorexias Not Just For Girls is a rollercoaster of emotions and belief, of fight and of hopelessness. Something in these pages will touch you, something in these pages could help you fight back. For a review of "Becoming John" from MenGetEDsToo.co.uk, follow this link http://mengetedstoo.co.uk/%e2%80%9canorexia-is-a-memory-not-my-master%e2%80%9d-a-review-of-%e2%80%98becoming-john-anorexia%e2%80%99s-not-just-for-girls%e2%80%99-by-nick-watts

Shannon was an over-achieving high school student until her life was thrown completely off-track by a vicious eating disorder that no one saw coming. Through years of therapy, tears, dedication, and determination, Shannon and her family worked to overcome her life-threatening disorder and make the painful journey back to living a happy and healthy life. This groundbreaking book pulls back the curtains on what an eating disorder is like, not externally in habits and behaviors, but internally through thoughts and emotions. In these pages, Shannon will lead you deep into the heart and mind of anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, body dysmorphia, and depression. If you've struggled to understand eating disorders (or to convey your own experience to others), this is for you. Grab your journal and a pack of tissues, and get ready for the read of your life as the journey that changed her life may change yours as well.