{"id":120064,"date":"2024-06-11T09:29:11","date_gmt":"2024-06-11T13:29:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/o52s5t8h2.nuvmedia.com\/culture\/psychosocial-skills-can-stop-relapse-in-people-with-eating-disorders-says-expert\/"},"modified":"2024-06-11T09:29:11","modified_gmt":"2024-06-11T13:29:11","slug":"psychosocial-skills-can-stop-relapse-in-people-with-eating-disorders-says-expert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/o52s5t8h2.nuvmedia.com\/culture\/psychosocial-skills-can-stop-relapse-in-people-with-eating-disorders-says-expert\/","title":{"rendered":"Psychosocial Skills can Stop Relapse in People with Eating Disorders, Says Expert"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Health services should teach patients with eating disorders psychosocial skills to help more people recover and avoid relapse, according to an expert.<\/i><\/p>\n
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, USA, June 10, 2024 \/EINPresswire.com<\/a>\/ — Anorexia, bulimia and other eating issues affect millions of people, and eating disorder specialist Bethany Crowley warns that eating disorders are often misunderstood. She suggests a more integrated approach to treating people is needed, to focus on the whole person rather than just the disordered eating. <\/p>\n Quieting negative thoughts, learning to cope with emotional triggers and practicing self-compassion are among nine key skills outlined by the therapist in a new book.<\/p>\n An Integrative Approach to Treating Eating Disorders<\/a> aims to demystify the complexities and nuances of disordered eating. The intention is also to help patients understand their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.<\/p>\n An estimated 30 million people are affected every year in the US by eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia and binge eating, and every 62 minutes someone dies as a direct result.<\/a><\/p>\n The rate of relapse is high among those who seek treatment.<\/p>\n An Integrative Approach to Treating Eating Disorders includes real-life patient case histories to illustrate the struggles people face with disordered eating.<\/p>\n The author says that eating disorders are hard to treat because everything is a metaphor, and one of the key skills to recovery is understanding the meanings behind food and eating. A bag of crisps, she adds, can serve as a symbol of love and a substitute for a hug.<\/p>\n Sensitivity to rejection, obsessive thoughts, and compensatory behavior such as only eating after exercise are among the many warning signs \u2013 or red flags \u2013 for a possible eating disorder, Crowley warns. Teaching patients to use their authentic \u2018voice\u2019 is key to recovery, Crowley suggests, and learning to quiet negative thoughts.<\/p>\n She also says that people with eating disorders often struggle with daily life and relationships such as social situations, and another key skill is understanding attachment styles and needs to develop healthier relationships.<\/p>\n Other skills include people changing the \u2018story\u2019 or \u2018narrative\u2019 they have been repeating for years. Crowley says some people regard their eating disorder as a \u2018best friend\u2019. \u201cWhat is needed,\u201d she says, \u201cis for them to learn to let go of their rigid thinking and the belief that they cannot change a negative situation, even when opportunities to do so are available.\u201d<\/p>\n Crowley\u2019s advice is based on multimodal therapy (MMT), an evidence-based therapy which explores biological, psychological, and social aspects of why someone develops an eating disorder. MMT uses several therapeutic techniques at once, instead of one alone which can mean underlying factors are overlooked. <\/p>\n Crowley, who has 20 years\u2019 experience treating eating disorders, says therapists need to develop a better understanding of patients\u2019 struggles from the time they enter treatment to discharge. <\/p>\n For patients, they are given a framework which they can use to cultivate the skills necessary for a positive recovery. <\/p>\n She says: \u201cPsychoeducation is an essential part of my method in treating eating disorders. Helping clients to understand how their thoughts, behaviors, feelings, and perceptions are connected to their eating struggles and body dissatisfaction has been a cornerstone to the effectiveness of my approach. <\/p>\n \u201cFor example, people who struggle with eating often have difficulties asking questions when things don\u2019t make sense which can be due to their anxiety or a need for control. If they don\u2019t ask questions, how can they expect to get better? <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s our job to help them gain clarity around their issues, so they can eventually ask the right questions \u2013 and then better follow and practice the skills needed for eating disorder recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n An Integrative Approach to Treating Eating Disorders also advises that therapists use a physical and emotional energy scale to help patients identify the body\u2019s cues for rest. A lower number means the person is physically and emotionally tired, and should act on this.<\/p>\n Moreover, the book provides details of how patients can identify their emotional triggers \u2013 their \u2018window of tolerance\u2019 for emotional discomfort. The upper limit is hyperarousal such as agitation and the lower limit is hypo-arousal such as feelings of hopelessness.<\/p>\n Further Information<\/p>\n An Integrative Approach to Treating Eating Disorders: 9 Foundational Skills for a Lasting Recovery, by Bethany C. Crowley (Routledge 2024) About the author: About Taylor & Francis Group:\u202f\u202f\u202f Our 2,500+ people, based in a global network of offices in more than 15 countries, use their skills and the latest technology to curate, validate and share impactful advanced, emergent and applied knowledge. Under the Taylor & Francis, Routledge and F1000 imprints we publish 2,700 journals, 8,000 new books each year and partner with more than 700 scholarly societies.<\/p>\n Taylor & Francis is proud to be a Global Certified Accessible publisher and our operations and all our print publications are certified CarbonNeutral\u00ae<\/sup>. Rebecca Parker-Ellis
\nISBN: Paperback: 9781032635125 |Hardback 9781032651392 | eBook 9781032651408
\nDOI: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4324\/9781032651408<\/a> <\/p>\n
\nBethany C. Crowley, LMFT, CEDS, BCN is the founder and clinical director of The Journey Therapy, an intensive outpatient program for those with eating disorders. She is a certified eating disorders specialist with more than 20 years\u2019 experience treating the struggles of food and body image through direct client care.<\/p>\n
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