This week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week! Did you know that eating disorders are among the deadliest mental illnesses second only to opioid overdose? 10,200 deaths each year are the direct result of an eating disorder (1).

Some common myths surrounding eating disorders are:

1. “People who have eating disorders must be underweight”. Eating disorders look different for everybody and present themselves in many different ways. Less than 6% of people with eating disorders are actually diagnosed as being underweight (2). Just because someone doesn’t look physically sick, doesn’t mean they aren’t suffering.
2. “Only women can have eating disorders”. Men can have eating disorders, too, and the number of cases has increased in recent years. From 1999 to 2009 the number of men hospitalized for eating disorder-related causes increased by 53% (4). Males account for 25% of individuals with anorexia or bulimia eating disorders. Gay men represent almost half of men with eating disorders and are more likely to fast, vomit, or take laxatives or diet pills to control their weight (5).
3. “Eating disorders are a choice”. Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses, not lifestyle choices.

Click here to fill out our Eating Disorder Self-Assessment checklist.

If you feel like you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, we are here to help! Our staff offers a unique holistic and integrative approach to eating disorder treatment using psychological therapy and a functional medicine approach to regain health.

Call 201-448-6678 to make an appointment or click here to enter your information and learn more about how our team can help!

By Taylor Groff, MS Functional Nutritionist

References:

1. Deloitte Access Economics. The Social and Economic Cost of Eating Disorders in the United States of America: A Report for the Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders and the Academy for Eating Disorders.June 2020. Available at: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/striped/report-economic-costs-of-eating-disorders/.
2. Arcelus, Jon et al. “Mortality rates in patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders. A meta-analysis of 36 studies.” Archives of general psychiatry68,7 (2011): 724-31. https://doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.74
3. Zhao, Y., Encinosa, W. Update on Hospitalizations for Eating Disorders, 1999 to 2009. HCUP Statistical Brief #120. September 2011. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs/sb120.pdf
4. Hudson, J., Hiripi, E., Pope, H., & Kessler, R. (2007) “The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the national comorbidity survey replication.” Biological Psychiatry, 61, 348–358.
5. Eating Disorders in LGBTQ+ Populations. (2018, February 21). Retrieved February 22, 2021, from https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/general-information/lgbtq

The post National Eating Disorder Awareness Week! first appeared on Specialized Therapy.

The post National Eating Disorder Awareness Week! appeared first on Specialized Therapy.

First, identify the problem. Giving it a name will help you organize it in your mind. Ms. Whitman then suggests thinking over the problem. Is it really a problem worth addressing or is your child’s behavior bringing back memories of your own parent(s)’ overreaction to this behavior in your childhood? Yes, people have their sore spots. You might want to discuss the issue with some parents of your child’s friends or classmates, parents who have values you agree with and whose opinions you trust. If possible, achieve an agreement with your spouse about the issue. Set your expectations for reasonable, age-appropriate behavior for your child. Make those expectations clear to your child at a time separate from when the issue is occurring. When you’re in the think of things, you may be too angry to explain your position calmly to your child, and he or she may be too upset to hear what you’re saying and process the information constructively.

Saying no and sticking to it- the heart of each of Ms. Whitman’s chapters. The general approach is to state clearly your desire to your child, e.g. start your homework, stop begging for a toy when she or he is with you in a store or get ready for bed. If your child starts to object, tell him or her that you are going to ignore their comments. Do something else in the immediate environment to break the direct contact with your child and show them that you are not going to continue the discussion with them. Don’t keep talking to your child about the issue and reinforce their persistence. If your child continues with their behavior, give a Warning of a Consequence. Ms. Whitman states that a consequence is a loss of a privilege. She points out that to be successful a consequence should: have meaning for your child, be something over which you have control, be something which you are willing to take away, and be something which can be minimal in duration. Without having these components, your consequence is likely to be ineffective. If your child continues to ignore you and persists in the behavior, apply the consequence with minimal comment by you. Yes, of course, it’s easier said than done, what difficult thing isn’t. That doesn’t mean it isn’t the right thing to do. This is where having the book can give you the needed support to do the right thing. Hopefully, your child will soon start to cooperate. Verbally reinforce this cooperation with a neutral comment, not one indicating that you have won. Don‘t launch into a lecture, just move on.

If you find that this approach isn’t powerful enough to have much impact on your child’s unacceptable behavior, perhaps there are other factors, like anxiety or attentional issues, involved and you might want to consider seeking professional help.  There are several therapists here at STA with expertise in helping parents to improve their children’s behavior. Give us a call at 201-488-6678 to schedule an appointment with our Intake Department.

The post The Answer is ‘No’ first appeared on Specialized Therapy.

The post The Answer is ‘No’ appeared first on Specialized Therapy.

Since the program requires reading in the group itself and of
handouts given as homework, the program is not appropriate for children too young to read. The program teaches children the component
steps of each skill, gives each child the opportunity to practice the
steps of the skill in the group with the other children and fosters
generalization of the skill by encouraging the child to use the skill at
home and at school. Each week, a new skill is focused. We emphasize those skills that the children’s parents have indicated as one which their child’s needs to practice to
become more comfortable and more accomplished when using. Each group
provides a supportive environment for each child to feel safe practicing
the skill and an opportunity to discuss any issues bothering them on a weekly basis. The social skills training group is an excellent setting to put your little one at ease while building their confidence!

Register online today!

Click here to learn more information.

The post Social Skills Training Group: Help With Interactions first appeared on Specialized Therapy.

The post Social Skills Training Group: Help With Interactions appeared first on Specialized Therapy.

Perhaps you can recall the huge news break of Jerry Sandusky, coach at Penn State and mentor to boys through his non-profit organization in Pennsylvania.  The countless number of men who have disclosed years of sexual abuse at the hands of their clergy across all religions and faiths.  It sometimes takes years for a male survivor of sexual violence to break their silence and disclose to someone about their experiences.

All survivors of sexual violence suffer in some way and generally speaking it is difficult to talk about what’s happened, whether it was hours or years ago.  Men and boys often experience an added layer of stigma and shame because of our gender role expectations as a society and in many cultures.  Men are supposed to be strong and be providers.  We have a difficult time seeing them as victims or powerless at the hands of another.  And when the perpetrator is a woman, it seems even more difficult to believe.

After working with survivors for years, I can tell you that these myths and stigmas only serve to hurt survivors and helps to silence them.  We must respect the courage it takes to come forward and talk about what’s happened.

In therapy, treatment centers around obtaining education about the impact of sexual abuse and empowering men to have a voice in their healing process.  A safe, therapeutic relationship with a therapist is important, as is the ability to connect with other men who have experienced something similar.  If you or someone you know is interested in seeking therapy to address sexual abuse, please call Specialized Therapy Associates at 201-488-6678.

The post Sexual Abuse of 1 in 6, Boys and Men first appeared on Specialized Therapy.

The post Sexual Abuse of 1 in 6, Boys and Men appeared first on Specialized Therapy.