Rebecca Cooper, MA, MFT, CCH, CEDS: 7 Tips for Finding a Quality Eating Disorder Treatment Program

Rebecca Cooper, MA, MFT, CCH, CEDS: 7 Tips for Finding a Quality Eating Disorder Treatment Program

Most people who have an eating disorder try to manage it on their own, go to therapy, see a registered dietitian or discuss it with their medical doctor. They may spend needless years of suffering trying to recover. The key to recovery is to start with a solid foundation of recovery at an eating disorder treatment center then step down to seeing a therapist, medical doctor and/or registered dietitian. If you want help for your eating disorder, it can be hard to decide which treatment center to go to. Here are some tips that will help you make the best choice:

1. Make sure the entire staff knows about eating disorders, not just one person. Many programs treat chemical dependency but employ only one or two staff members with some experience in eating disorders, or they may have a simple eating disorder track.

2. Although many people with eating disorders do have co-occurring disorders, it is almost always true that the eating disorder came first and is primary for the client. Substance abuse and other co-occurring disorders can be addressed in a good eating disorder treatment program.

3. Therapists need specialized training to treat eating disorders, not just alcohol and drug training. It takes a team to treat eating disorders. The medical staff must understand the health complications that are caused by eating disorders and the proper medication, labs and testing protocols; the registered dietitians must understand re-feeding and nutritional maintenance for an ED client in addition to understanding the clients themselves and their difficulties in making a paced shift to a healthy relationship with food; and the therapists and clinical support staff have to understand the vast difference in treating the ED client verses the chemically-dependent client. Most eating disorder clients want help and are motivated, but have a hard time getting out of their own way -- this is part of their need for perfectionism and the constant eating disorder dialogue in their head. Empowerment, encouragement, understanding and commitment to go the distance from ALL staff are needed to help the eating disorder client make a lasting shift.

4. Ask if they have a registered dietitian, psychiatrist, medical doctor, and licensed therapist who has been certified as an eating disorders specialist (CED). Ask about their philosophy and approach to treating someone with an eating disorder.

5. Make sure there are different levels of care so the clients can transition to real-life experiences. Most clients can abstain from their eating disorder in treatment because of the close supervision, but without the supervision they relapse. The real recovery comes while doing "real" life without using the eating disorder.

6. Eating disorder treatment can be expensive -- ask the treatment center if they accept insurance. Billing for eating disorder treatment in some cases is more likely to be covered by an insurance company than chemical dependency treatment. Be sure the program you choose is set up properly to support the financial options for care for an eating disorder client.

7. A good program will have a strong family component. Family participation, healing, and growth are extremely beneficial to someone on their recovery journey. A strong family component should include family therapy sessions at the appropriate point in the client's care, family support groups, and family participation and communication throughout care as well as in discharge planning.

If you're struggling with an eating disorder, call the National Eating Disorders helpline at 1-800-931-2237.

For more by Rebecca Cooper, MA, MFT, CCH, CEDS, click here.

For more on eating disorders, click here.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

WATCH: Cat Helps Anxiety-Stricken Boy Say 'I Love You' For First Time

WATCH: Cat Helps Anxiety-Stricken Boy Say 'I Love You' For First Time

Imagine not being able to tell your parents you love them. This is reality for 7-year-old Lorcan Dillon, who suffers from Selective mutism, the Daily Mail reports.

Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder that makes it almost impossible for Lorcan, who lives in Davyhulme in the UK, to speak to classmates and communicate his emotions to family. But all that began changing when his mother got him a cream Birman named Jessi-cat two years ago, reports the Daily Mail. The two quickly became inseparable and Lorcan has since made huge strides in overcoming his disability.

"In the past two weeks he's started communicating with people he doesn't know very well and even reads to one of the teachers now -- something he's never done before," Lorcan's mother, Jayne Dillon told the Daily Mail.

"She is a loving companion and is always interested in what Lorcan is up to," Dillon told lifewithcats.tv.

Dillon recently explained what the cat has meant to her son in a video interview with Cats Protection, a British feline welfare agency. "(Lorcan) was diagnosed when he started nursery school at three and a half. The reason I got Jessi-Cat is because pets and cats in particular are very good with children with special needs," she said.

"It is a way for Lorcan to communicate. He does speak normally at home, he does not have selective mutism with us at all in the house but he does not express his emotions. He would not say 'I love you mummy.' He just does not do it," she said in the Youtube video above.

"But with the cat he can cuddle her, he can stroke her, he can talk to her and he does say, 'I love you Jessi-Cat,' which is really nice and it is a way for him to express emotions which otherwise he would not be able to do."

As a result, both Lorcan and Jessi-cat have made the shortlist as Best Friends in the Cats Protection National Cat Awards 2012, according to the UK's Mirror. "We think all cats are special, but Jessi-Cat especially deserved a place in the final for showing what an incredible impact cats have on the lives of people of all ages," an organizer told the newspaper.

Dillon thinks that Jessi-cat will continue to help her son. If the cat wins, it could be eligible for the 'Cat of the Year' award, according to the Daily Mail.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

Life's Too Short! 10 Ways To Live Longer

Life's Too Short! 10 Ways To Live Longer

Life’s too short, but with a few simple everyday lifestyle changes you could increase your chances of sticking around to enjoy it for that little bit longer.

What's more it isn't all about slogging it out at the gym and eating spinach. From indulging in chocolate to having sex and even browsing the HuffPost Lifestyle, increasing your life expectancy just got more interesting.

• 10 Ways To Live Longer

• Sleep... But Not For Too Long

  We all know the importance of getting a good night's sleep but according to research we may not need as much as first thought. A study by San Diego School of Medicine, of 459 elderly women, found that women who slept for between five and six and a half hours a night had the longest survival rates.

• Have Great Sex

  Regular sex improves heart health and brain power as well as giving your immune system a boost. A study by the Italian Society of Sexual Medicine found that men who had active sex lives and were faithful to their partner had fewer heart problems and lived for longer.

• Tie The Knot

  A long, happy marriage could be the key to a longer life. Research from Cardiff University found that marriage improves your mental and physical wellbeing, reducing the chance of premature death by 15%.

• Exercise For 15 Minutes

  
According to a report in the New Scientist, you can live an extra three years by exercising for just 15 minutes a day - half the 30-minute minimum previously prescribed by the World Health Organisation.

• Move To The Countryside

  The stresses of city living could be taking their toll. Research commissioned by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs took a snapshot of life expectancy between 2001 and 2007 and found that people living in rural areas tended to live for around two years longer than town dwellers.

• Eat Like An Italian

  The Mediterranean diet has long since been revered for its health-boosting properties but researchers have calculated that the eating regime could add an extra three years to your life.

• Have Lots Of Children

  Women who have four or more children may be more stressed out than most but they are a third less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease and 50% less likely to have a stroke, according to a study of 1,300 women conducted by the University of California.

• Be Positive

  A glass-half-full mentality could be the answer to a fuller life. A study of almost 4,000 52 to 79-year-olds, conducted by the University College, London, revealed that those who reported higher levels of contentment and a positive outlook had a 35% lower risk of premature death.

• Eat Chocolate (In Moderation, Of Course)

  According to research from Harvard University, people who eat chocolates and sweets live longer than those who avoid them altogether - but only if they eat them in moderation. The study of 8,000 men found that eating sweets three times a month up live up to three times longer than those who eat too much or abstain completely.

• Read The Huffington Post

  If you're getting your daily fix of The Huffington Post, you're likely to live longer than those who don't keep up-to-date with current affairs. A study of more than 1,000 adults found those most exposed to mass media consumed a healthier diet, reducing their risk of obesity, heart disease and cancer and making them more likely to live longer sleep.

Source: www.huffingtonpost.co.uk