Beating Your Eating Disorder: A Cognitive-Behavioral Self-Help Guide for Adult Sufferers and their Carers

by Glenn Waller , Victoria Mountford , Rachel Lawson , Emma Gray , Helen Cordery , Hendrik Hinrichsen

• ISBN13: 9780521739047
• ISBN10: 0521739047
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-11-08
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

Helps sufferers and carers to beat eating disorders, using tried and proven methods from clinical settings.

Table of Contents

Preface: read this bit first	p. xi
Who is this book for?	p. xi
What is this book about?	p. xii
Final points before starting	p. xii
Who are the authors of this book?	p. xiii
Acknowledgements	p. xiv
About the authors	p. xv
Getting started	p. 1
First things first: staying physically safe and well enough to use the help provided in this book	p. 1
Who is this book for?	p. 3
"Do I have an eating disorder?"	p. 3
"Does my eating problem really deserve any attention?"	p. 5
"What can I do if I care for or live with someone with an eating disorder?"	p. 7
"Why should I use self-help, rather than getting more formal help from a professional now?"	p. 8
"So what do I do now?"	p. 8
The key elements of cognitive behavioral therapy and the self-help approach	p. 10
What is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)?	p. 10
The key elements of CBT	p. 10
Your journey through CBT: some landmarks	p. 11
What is CBT self-help?	p. 12
"I'm not sure that I'm ready to change": a quick word about motivation	p. 14
How to use this book	p. 15
Read it all	p. 15
If you are a sufferer	p. 15
If you are a carer	p. 15
Whoever you are	p. 16
For the sufferer	p. 17
Am I making a fuss about nothing?	p. 19
Some important definitions	p. 19
Myths to dispel	p. 20
Motivating yourself to treat your eating disorder	p. 23
Motivational states	p. 23
The pros and cons of having an eating disorder	p. 25
Is now the time to act?	p. 29
Life circumstances	p. 29
The balance between the pros and cons of your eating disorder	p. 29
Accepting responsibility for change	p. 30
Getting started with CBT	p. 33
Becoming your own therapist	p. 33
What to expect	p. 34
Giving yourself the best chance of success	p. 35
Summary	p. 41
The CBT self-help program	p. 45
Start here: how to use this program	p. 47
If you are a sufferer	p. 48
If you are a carer	p. 48
Practicalities	p. 48
Anxiety and safety behaviors	p. 49
Final tips on maximizing your chances of success	p. 50
What do I need to get started?	p. 51
The CBT plan for change	p. 52
Building your own road map to recovery	p. 56
The practical steps of CBT for your eating disorder	p. 58
What if it is not working? Overcoming "therapy interfering behaviors"	p. 59
Developing and maintaining your motivation	p. 59
Developing a regular, balanced pattern of eating	p. 60
Challenging your thoughts and anxieties about weight	p. 71
Addressing negative thoughts and feelings about your body	p. 83
Addressing residual difficulties	p. 91
Maintaining the gains	p. 92
Where to next in this book?	p. 93
For carers	p. 95
Am I to blame for the eating problem?	p. 97
Stop blaming yourself	p. 97
Why didn't I notice before?	p. 98
What can I do to support the sufferer?	p. 99
Dealing with emotional distress	p. 99
Should I feel so stressed and impotent?	p. 99
How do I talk to the sufferer?	p. 100
Dangers of collusion	p. 100
What about the rest of the family?	p. 101
What can I do if I am worried about the sufferer?	p. 102
How to ask for help and who to ask?	p. 102
Where can I get information?	p. 102
Getting help for yourself	p. 103
How can I keep the sufferer interested in change?	p. 103
I am a friend of the sufferer: how can I help?	p. 105
Sufferers with chronic disorders	p. 106
Supporting the sufferer while they are following the self-help program outlined in this book	p. 106
Transitions into more formal help	p. 109
Before you go any further	p. 109
Thinking about getting more formal therapeutic help	p. 111
What has stopped me seeking help before, and what might stop me now?	p. 111
Starting the process of getting therapeutic help	p. 114
Who should I talk to?	p. 114
Preparing for your assessment	p. 115
How do I involve my carers	p. 116
What treatment will I be offered?	p. 116
Coping with waiting	p. 117
Attending your first session of CBT	p. 118
What to look for in a good CBT practitioner	p. 120
The therapeutic relationship	p. 120
Accreditation/registration	p. 121
Willingness to talk about method	p. 121
Willingness to talk about the process of therapy	p. 123
The role of carers in the transition to more formal help	p. 124
What can I do to help my loved one get help?	p. 124
So why is it so hard to help my loved one?	p. 125
Letting go of the eating disorder	p. 127
The journey of recovery	p. 129
Are there healthier alternatives to my eating disorder behaviors?	p. 130
Who am I if I do not have my eating disorder?	p. 131
What if I can't make all the changes now?	p. 131
Can I stay "a bit anorexic/bulimic"?	p. 132
What if the eating disorder comes back?	p. 133
Relapse prevention	p. 136
Forewarned is forearmed	p. 136
Planning for the future - getting your life back	p. 139
Review sessions	p. 139
A word of warning: the risks of weight loss	p. 140
Dealing with other issues	p. 141
Have I done myself permanent damage?	p. 142
Bone structure	p. 142
Fertility	p. 143
Will my eating disorder have had an impact on my children?	p. 144
Carers need to move on too	p. 145
Understanding the sufferer's perspective	p. 145
Who is this new person?	p. 145
What can I do if I think I see the eating disorder returning?	p. 146
Who was to blame for the eating disorder?	p. 146
Conclusion: eating normally again	p. 147
For the sufferer	p. 147
For the carer	p. 147
Appendices	p. 149
References and further reading	p. 189
Index	p. 191
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