5 comments about Learning to Be Me: My Twenty-Three-Year Battle with Bulimia.

1. I read this memoir and realized very quickly, that Memoir was an accurate category for this book. It certainly does not belong in self help/recovery.
   Jocelyn's narrative keeps repeating descriptions of her terrible life in a way that makes this tragic disease seem petty. I have endured this dis-ease for 23 plus years and I found Aimee Lu's book "Life after an Eating Disorder" so full of hope and rcovery and revelation about this disease.
   I found this book to be full of triggers and narcissistic thoughts. It is a "Go Ask Alice" for eating disorders.
   ""Sensing the Self" is also fantastic, but a little more clinical. If you are looking for recovery, read about recovery. If you are looking for a description of how tragic and destructive and miserable an addiction can be, read a memoir.



2. I had been looking for a book that would help me understand the thought process behind a bulimic's behavior, in an effort to help a family member. I wanted to get inside the head of a bulimic, I wanted to FEEL what a bulimic does, no other book did this for me - Jocelyn Golden's "Learning to be me" did! I've read many bulimia books in my quest to educate myself, but none gave me the insight I gained by reading Ms. Golden's book. I highly recommend "Learning To Be Me" to any sister, mother or other relative trying to help a loved one. It gave me the courage to confront my relative, one more time, and present her with support and treatment options even though I know it may sever our relationship - I love her that much. I thank Ms. Golden for the difference her talented writing has made in my life and for portraying the facts clearly and with emotion.
   
   I would love to see another book by this author.



3. Learning to Be Me: My Twenty-Three-Year Battle with Bulimia
   Jocelyn Golden did a great job writing this book. It really was one of the best I've read on bulimia. The main character is trapped in a house with people who are supposed to love and comfort her but are incredibly and selfishly indifferent to her yet intolerably critical. Overcoming such odds really is remarkable and stands as an example for others. I highly recommend this book.



4. I was influenced by the overwhelming positive reviews of the book so I decided to see what this book was about myself. After reading the book I disagree with the majority of the reviewers (who may have been swayed by the fact they felt a personal connection to the reader). It must be noted that I personally do not suffer from an eating disorder but I read the book in hopes of helping me to understand what it is like to suffer from one. While the author does her fair share recounting her experience with bulimia it is poorly written (it almost reads like a first-person narrative by a teenager with simple sentences and limited vocabulary) and cumbersome to get through at times. A previous reviewer mentioned that s/he felt like s/he was reading an unedited copy of the book and I echo this sentiment. Golden's story while appropriately deserving of empathy lacks depth and insight and somewhat rambles on in a disorganized fashion. In any event, the book starts to get better at about the middle when she starts to go into detail about her binges and purges and the reality of her behavior sets in. As many others have mentioned she does not go into much detail about the recovery process because the book was written during the time she was recovering. Also, while this is somewhat minor, the titles of her chapters have little relevance to the content of the chapters and come across as being kitschy (e.g., "My Blanket of Shadows", "Home Sweet Hurt", and "From a Whisper to a Silent Scream").



5. Unlike other self-help eating disorder books, this book is an incredibly honest insight, sparing no details on the reality of bulimia. It provides an intimate understanding behind the emotional mental and physical causes of this powerful mind disease. A must read for any young woman, mother or sister!

5 comments about Recovery From Compulsive Eating: A Complete Guide to the Twelve Step Program.

1. This book gave me a new understanding of what overeating is. I always thought it was a lack of will power and never had a full understanding of what I was doing to myself. It has shed a new light on things, I have faith that I can recover too.



2. I started doing online Overeaters Anonymous meetings and joined an OA "mail loop" about a month ago, and needed some basics about the OA program, because although I was getting help from the OA online sources, I had a lot of questions about how OA works.

   And other things -- how could I ever deal with holidays and traveling without overeating, how to explain to my doctor, friends and family that I wasn't dieting per se, but rather dealing with my compulsive overeating problem, etc.

   I've read this book from cover to cover TWICE now, and each time I find answers to new questions I didn't even know I had.

   Jim A. essentially shares his own experience but also talks about OA's history, the steps, what "abstinence" is, and why the program works so well.

   A terrific guide -- and one I'm sure I will refer to over and over again!




3. Wow-this book really encouraged me in my journey with compulsive overeating. It is a terrific resource for the beginner all the way to the fully recovered! Written from an insider's perspective, this book is sure to comfort, encourage, and strengthen overeaters and/or those who love them.



4. I don't usually write reviews about books, but I felt obligated to write a review for this one. The book not only gives great advice about eating, but also great general advice for everyday life. The book is well-written and reads like a novel. I highly recommend this book.



5. I bought this book to help me understand what OA is. Sometimes you go to a meeting, and in the beginning - it feels like you have a million questions that may go unanswered. OA is the best thing that has happened to me in 2007, as I have been on my recovery path for the past 10 months! This book is very thorough, and answered all my questions. In the beginning, I was SO ready to understand, and make the commitment to myself and my recovery. This made it that much easier for me. I continue to use it as a point of reference today with other literature. This isn't an OA book persay, but written by an OAer with a great deal of recovery and helpful insight into my addiction to food. This is a great tool!
   
   ODAT!

5 comments about Life Doesn't Begin 5 Pounds from Now.

1. I can't begin to describe my difficulties of growing into the body I am going to have as a woman, but I don't have to because Jessica did it for it for me. There are very few ways to describe how it feels to read "Do I look fat in this?" except to say it's freeing. As I turned the pages I would eat up every word & little by little i could breathe easier.
   Jessica is the start of something amazing that i want to be a part of!!
   
   "She wins who calls herself beautiful and challenges the world to change tp truely see her" - Naomi Wolf



2. If you're tired of dieting, this may be the book for you. Jess's book is a breakthrough experience for anyone who has struggled with self-appearance and self-esteem....and isn't that most of us. She believes that by focusing on what others tell you are your shortcomings-- you miss opportunities to feel connected, sexy and powerful. Whether you're a size 2 , 12 or 22 or beyond-- you can benefit from Jess's words of wisdom. The motivational speaker, author and self-described "actionist" versus Activist...writes in plain English and tosses in some great motivational quotes from famous people and some fun facts about self approval and more. Twelve chapters plus an afterword are included..and the chapters are fun to read-- get this even if you don't have the time to read it-- just scan it and you'll benefit -- I promise...ANyway the chapters range from Decoding the Language of Fat...to the Famous or should I say infamous question most women ask daily "Do I look Fat in This? to "I Feel Fat" to If I were Thinner, He'd Love me" to Thunder Thighs Run in my Family to Ch 6-- I'd be so happy if I looked like a Celebrity to 7) Once I lose some weight..... to 8) All of my Friends are not and I'm not...9) But I'm jsut trying to be healthy to 11) [...] 12) Sorry I don't speak that language. Quizes, roleplaying experiences and fun quizes are interspersed with TAKE ACTION steps...Probably the most important thought though is that YOU CAN"T FEEL FAT -- because fat is not a feeling-- and if you read that section alone (I don't want to steal her thunder with her response to this) ...you'll benefit greatly...AN amazing lady and a fun, easy-to-read book that's great for girls above 12, teens, college chicks and women of any age...great to get this before the holiday parties start! Fun birthday gift...



3. I loved Jessica Weiner's books A Very Hungry Girl and Do I Look Fat In This. Therefore, when I saw she had a "new" book out, I immediately ordered it from Amazon without paying attention to details. Please be aware that if you already own Do I Look Fat In This, you do not need to order Life Doesn't Begin 5 Pounds From Now; this is the same book with a different title and a new forward. So now I own two copies of this book with different covers, but I don't mind so much because it is filled with wonderful information for not-slim women like me. Guess I must have needed to re-read it, huh?



4. This is a helpful book that is broken up into small chapters that are easy to read.It made me laugh,and get a better understanding of people who are never satisfied with their weight.



5. Jessica is wonderful! This book is encouraging and inspiring to anyone like myself who has been struggling with their weight for a long time. She encourages us to be healthy, but her definition of healthy includes accepting and loving your body and rejecting the media messages about what healthy should look like. Reading this book was like a refreshing talk with a close friend.

5 comments about Appetites: Why Women Want.

1. I got so much out of Knapp's book on alcoholism, I foolishly assumed this would be enlightening as well. She seems determined to prove that every woman in America has issues. If you diet, for whatever reason, you have issues. If you eat what you like, you have issues. If you're vegetarian. If you eat junk food. If you work out. If you hate how you look in a bikini. If you LIKE how you look in a bikini. For god's sake, food is just one part of life. And there are actually women who do not have body issues!
   
   I'm currently trying to get in shape (note my phrasing there), and I'd thought this would motivate me. What was I thinking. I can just see Knapp, were she alive, questioning me about my diet and exercise, and then her comments afterwards. "She eats a quarter cup of M&M's a day...Yes, she told me that she read the nutritional info on the packate, but SEE? We're all slaves to the FDA and the LIES they cram down our throat! She's AFRAID to go for it and just take a handful of M&Ms and be FREEEEEEE!" Except that eating like that is how I got out of shape, and then it would be, "Oh, she doesn't like her body, because Vogue tells her she has to disappear when she turns sideways!"



2. Alice Walker once wrote, "Art unfailingly reflects its creator's heart. Art . . . comes from a heart open to all the possible paths there might be to a healthier tomorrow." Caroline Knapp's artistry was in writing and publishing her internal dialogues. This book appears to reveal her heart, a heart that was open to considering new and different possible paths to a healthier tomorrow. She may not have had all the solutions to the issues she raised in her excellent book, but I admire her tremendous courage to express her frustrations clearly and to think aloud to try and understand the motivations and causes for her behaviors. She expressed her best estimates of how she might improve her circumstances. This book is an excellent look at one [...] woman's cognitive thought processes about why she thought she was the way she was, and how she thought she might overcome her perceived problems. Whether you agree with her or not as to the causes of her issues and their possible solutions, if you read this book, you will learn something very valuable about the strong, and sometimes controlling, reasoning processes that likely flow through many women.
   
   Throughout this book (and her books 'Pack of Two' and 'The Merry Recluse') she discusses her difficulties with communicating with her mother, her father, her significant others, professors and people in general. She discusses how she did not believe that her parents communicated well with each other in key areas. She watched her mother silently accept roles that she was not certain her mother should accept. She saw her mother accept treatment from her father that she thought her mother should have responded to differently.
   
   When a woman chooses to attach her soul to another person's soul, and also agrees to "be silent to" or condone parts of the other person's philosophies or actions she believes to be in error - that prolonged, and potentially neverending, acquiescence can negatively effect her psyche. That degree of unceasing internal mental contradiction in major areas may manifest itself in either serious mental dysfunctions or physical ailments.
   
   It is more healthy for a woman to express her objections, even if those objections are not addressed and remain outstanding, than to be silent. Women must overcome any discouragement they receive from their family, friends, and significant others, discouraging them from expressing the ideas they think may lead to possible solutions. They should not always defer to the people closest to them because women often have the best access to the most accurate information about themselves. And even when their suggested solutions may not be better than the current course, when they raise their objections, it gives their community notice of issues that likely deserve alternate responses and further reconsideration.
   
   Thank you Ms. Knapp, not because you had all the right answers, but because you set a great example of a woman fighting resiliently to help herself and others, even when that self-examination was revealing and sometimes humbling. Even when she could not find sufficient motivations for herself, she worked toward and wanted other women to pursue their fulfilments and desires, and to become satiated. She wanted to stop the cycle of mothers unknowingly passing on negative patterns to their daughters. Caroline's voice was heard and I will always remember it.



3. Overall a great book if you don't want a completely factual account of women and dieting. It can be self-indulgent, ego-centric, and sprawling but the author's personality is likable and sympathetic so I enjoyed learning about the more personal side to this. There are other more factual books I would reccomend, though, like Women and Dieting Culture: Inside a Commercial Weight Loss Group or Hunger: An Unnatural History.
   But good book overall and I'd reccomend it.



4. I read this book as part of a feminist psychology class and I LOVED it. It is so enlightening and revealing.
   
   It is about anorexia, but as a reader you often forget this because it-- unlike most books on eating disorders-- focuses on the psychology of women and how society impacts women's desires and sense of entitlement.
   
   I DEFINATELY recommend reading this book... there is no doubt that it will change the way you think about your wants and needs and make you question what society has been telling and teaching you all your life.



5. Although Caroline Knapp is no longer with us, her contributions to the understanding of women's appetites live on in this book. Her amazing insight, powerful language, and personal experiences shed light on the unexplored domains of female hunger and desire. The book explores women's tragic quest of attempting to satisfy deeply internal desires by reaching for external and unattainable "fragments of hope that always promise transcendence over pain and longing and always disappoint." Feeling fundamentally incomplete, many women become trapped in an eternal loop of hunger, and repeatedly attempt to fill the voids in ways that only increase the appetite and longing. As Caroline beautifully expressed, the hunger that truly needs to be attended to is the "most central hunger, which is the desire to be recognized, to be known and loved because of, and in spite of, who you are."

5 comments about It's Not about Food: Change Your Mind; Change Your Life; End Your Obsession with Food and Weight.

1. I actually returned this book because it had very little , if anything, to do with WHY you actually compulsively eat. it did not go into or even explained the psychological factors that influence C.O. all this book talk about is how women's self-image is polluted with diet ads etc, etc. it does not deal at all with how to actually stop, in an effective way.
   
   same thing as Overcoming Overeating. the whole point of the book is to stop dieting and to stop having a dieting mentality. also it doe snot deal with the actual cause of you overeating ( which is not dieting)
   
   if you really want to overcome overeating and end your obsession with food, you need to know why you are physiologically addicted to food. why you find so much pleasure in it. and for that you have to read books with substantial research, not just a feminist sound-off.
   
   read : the pleasure trap, LIfe is hard- food is easy , to name a few good ones.
   
   but this one and her other one won't help you at all.



2. This book was a gift given to me by a friend years ago. I own and have read about twelve books on the topic. Out of all of them, this has been by far the best. It's the kind of book that takes you on a journey inside yourself. If you have any eating issues then this book is a worthwhile read.



3. While the authors specialize in dealing with people who have issues with Overeating, I felt that the book was very useful in helping me address my issues with anorexia. The book challenges you to dig into the issues behind why you're involved in a practice of eating (for me, restricting) and to understand how you're using food to substitute for other methods of dealing with your problems. I would highly recommend this book to anyone on the road to recovery from and Eating Disorder.



4. This book relates the personal journeys of two women, Carol and Laurelee, with their struggles to overcome obsession with food, dieting and negative body image. In the course of telling their stories and the stories of many women they have worked with, a very powerful set of lessons unfolds. I read the book over a period of months, reading, re-reading, putting it down and then picking it up. There are meditations and exercises in the book that are very helpful. For example, they have an exercise in the book about sending loving thoughts to parts of your body that you dislike. What a concept! The basic message is that an eating disorder is a way of coping with life and by looking deeply at your relationship with food you can learn what it is you really need in life, pursue that, and food will get back into a normal perspective. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has issues with food or loves someone who has issues with food. That includes just about everyone I think!



5. This is a must for anyone struggling with food addictions. This book was recommended by a counselor and it was the best way I found to help me understand the deeper issues I was facing, and ignoring. After reading this book, I find myself ready to take on the deeper issues that have been gnawing away at my self esteem and self image for YEARS. I never realized how much damage I was subconsciously doing to myself simply because I was unaware of the things I was hiding from or didn't know how to handle on my own. Food was always an easy way to comfort myself when I felt overwhelmed. Thanks to this book, I'm now aware of why I do what I do and can actually help myself without always turning to food. It's a journey, not a destination. This book has helped me on my journey to be free of "diets" and start living with awareness, self-love, and the confidence to know how to help myself without relying on extrinsic comforts like food. This book has some very deep messages if you are open and honest with yourself. I took the book one chapter and one step at a time. It is a resource I will always carry with me.

5 comments about Bulimia: A Guide to Recovery.

1. I have read just about everything written with regard to eating disorders since about the beginning of time, and this book stands out as one of the starkest examples of someone trying to exploit the disease and make a career out of being a "recovered eating disorder." Aside from this, the book offers no insight that cannot be found in any other routine book on eating disorders. A waste of my money, and even more disappointing, a waste of my time.



2. I have been battling this horrible disease for almost a year now. I am lucky to have sought help a lot quicker than others, and I began reading this book the day I didn't purge for the first time in 3 months. I am on day 3 of no purging right now, and when ever I get stressed or something triggers bulimia, I open this book and read the stuff is says over and over again. I am seeking out a therapist, but this book is helping me stay strong right now. I highly recommend this. I think others might get frustrated with this book because THEY haven't decided to quit. It takes your innerself to quit an addiction, outside sources only help you. If you aren't ready to commit, then I can see why you would not like this book. But no book will make you quit. In addition to being helpful to a bulimic, it had great information that you can photocopy and give to people who want to help you. It really lets them understand all the pain you are going through. Good luck, and remember, you aren't alone.



3. This book was full of useful information and written so the layman could understand. I was completely satisfied with the information I received.



4. This book is not only a wonderful resource for sufferers of bulimia. But it is also a resource for thier family and friends. The book explains bulimia, tells Lindsey Hall's personal story, and has a special chapter for family and loved ones. Everyone who suffers from bulimia or has a spouse, family member, or friend with bulimia, should read this book.



5. This book is awesome it has a three week guide to stop bingeing, I do the homework and all the morning warmups, it is a must to have if you are stuggling with Bulimia.

5 comments about Regaining Your Self: Breaking Free From the Eating Disorder Identity: A Bold New Approach.

1. Ira Sacker's approach to treating eating disorders is indeed a bold new one. His refreshing approach known as PIRT (Personal Interactive Rational Therapy) takes the focus away from the food and the eating and shines the spotlight where it is most needed--on the individual's path of self-discovery. PIRT transcends traditional approaches to treating eating disorders as it provides the client the safety, space, and support to discover her own identity, independent of the confines of her eating disorder.
   
   This book presents a comprehensive overview of eating disorders in such a compelling, fascinating, and illuminating way. Ira demystifies the lure of eating disorders by explaining how they can serve as ways (albeit unhealthy ones) to help individuals relieve their anxiety, while also giving them a sense of identity. His therapy focuses on helping the individual redefine themselves in terms of their passions and interests--and not by their body shape and weight.
   
   Regaining Your Self is filled with compassion and understanding for those suffering from eating disorders. Ira stresses that effective treatment is one that respects the individual's difficult journey of giving up the eating disorder identity and replacing it with their newly discovered personal identity. This journey is beautifully summarized in a quote by Anais Nin that appears in the final chapter of the book:
   "...and the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom..."



2. Dr Sacker has addressed the essence of eating disorders in "Regaining YourSelf". He has shown how the eating disorder is not about food or weight but rather about a lost, or more correctly, an undiscovered self. He has demonstrated by presenting the theoretical along with the personal how he has successfully touched the lives of numerous patients. This book is a valuable resource for the professional as well and for the patient and family members who would like to gain from Dr Sacker's years of success treating eating disorders.



3. Take an appearance-fixated society, add an individual with an obsessive personality, a dash of anxiety and a measure of perfectionism, and you have the perfect recipe for an eating disorder. Dr. Ira Sacker has been treating people with eating disorders for more than two decades and thoroughly understands the dynamics of this devastating condition. He's cooked up a compassionate, interactive therapeutic approach to healing that reaches past the boundaries of food, weight and calories. People suffering from eating disorders become their disease, focusing solely on it as their identity, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The author's premise is that the way to usurp this "eating disorder identity" is to develop a real, healthier identity based on discovering and pursuing your passions. If you or someone you know is battling an eating disorder, getAbstract suggests that you will find hopeful information in this book. It certainly serves up food for thought.



4. As a person who suffered from anorexia and bulimia in my younger years, I find Dr. Ira Sacker's book on eating disorders wonderful. It contains powerful information to help sufferers of eating disorders gain insight on their condition and heal themselves.
   
   According to the author one of the factors that trigger anorexia are the judgments that one has on oneself, the belief that one is "not" perfect and the quest for never attainable perfection. The persons afflicted with the disease are plagued with the idea that they are flawed and that life will only get better when they reach an ideal weight.
   
   This "cursed" way of thinking is not only symptomatic of people who suffer from an eating disorder. For me, what made all the difference was finding a place of acceptance of myself where I stopped working on myself and striving to reach unrealistic goals. The book Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: A Book About Instantaneous Transformation by Ariel and Shya Kane really supported me in discovering that place and transformed my life. The Kanes bring the message that we are perfect just the way we are and that if we can stop listening to those delusional conversations in our heads about our imperfections, life can transform instantaneously into an exciting adventure.
   
   If you are or have been suffering from an Eating Disorder and are looking to strengthen your ability to be yourself, experience satisfaction and live free of neurotic behavior, I urge you to look into the work of Ariel and Shya Kane (they have written 2 other books How To Create a Magical Relationship and Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment). They bring a very real and instantaneous possibility for Healing that very few people have had the chance to experience.



5. I've struggled with an eating disorder (ED) for over 10 years now. Last year I was admitted to Remuda Ranch in AZ for inpatient treatment. Had I not gone doctor's say I would have died a week later. So, now I'm one year into recovery and realize it's an everyday, no, every minute battle. My mom saw this book advertised and bought it for me. I can relate to it so much it's really ridiculous! I'll be feeling one way that is so indescribable, then turn the page, and read my feelings word for word! When you are sick with an eating disorder, finding someone or anything to relate to is close to impossible. This book explains perfectly what someone with ED goes through before, during, and after treatment! I've told my family and friends that if they want to know me, they need to read this book. I'm so grateful for this book as it's given me a voice in the midst of the most horrifying battle I've ever faced.

5 comments about The Don't Diet, Live-It! Workbook: Healing Food, Weight and Body Issues.

1. Every woman I know would benefit from reading this book.
   The book is written by two therapists and focuses on the role of food and eating in our lives.
   
   I used this book while attending a weekly meeting with other women interested in the topic. We read through a chapter a week and did the exercises at the end of each chapter.



2. This book is for someone that is struggling with personal image and use food as comfort. It was not really what I was looking for. I am dissapointed in the work book as it does not tailor my needs. However I do have friends that I think this book will really help and I will be passing the book on to them.



3. This book was recommended by a therapist. I have been struggling with ED for my entire life, not knowing why. From the first page, I was amazed with this book and came to an amazing realization that I am not alone in how I feel. Truly, this book has helped me gain so much understanding about myself. The workbook is great and the exercises relevant and progress you towards healing. I recommend it to anyone who has struggled with ED such as bulumia, anorexia, binge/compulsive eating and overeating in general.



4. This is the type of workbook for anyone dealing with an eathing disorder at any stage. Thought provoking questions and space for the answers. The authors created this workbook for a person to go through a few times and each section provides more introspection.
   There have been times when I have answered the questions quickly in a chapter and others where it took me a month to finish. I began to notice different things and be more aware of what I was doing and connect with what was/is possible.
   My nutrionist suggested this workbook because it is not about dieting, it is about living. Sounds corney but true! I have suffered from binge eating, anorexia and bulimia most of my life but I never focused my attention on how to live rather than get over my eating disorder.
   I do recommend having another person to talk to while you are growing through this process. Some strong emotions have come up for me and I was happy there was a person who was there when I wanted to talk about it.



5. While I found interesting things in this book about why people over-eat. It really didn't apply to my circumstances. This book focuses on those who use eating as a coping mechanism for their overwhelming lives. If you have been abused, feel guilty about your weight, or you are struggling with anxiety you will probably find this book very helpful. Otherwise, I would give it a pass.

5 comments about The Anorexia Workbook: How to Accept Yourself, Heal Your Suffering, and Reclaim Your Life (New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook).

1. Written in such a way that it helps people to understand how to overcome the addiction of anorexia and its hold on one's life. In doing that it makes it possible to change one's mindset instead of just covering up the layers.



2. This book was helpful. It did not cure me. What it did do was help me realize that I didn't want to keep going in the path I was in. After having the eating disoder for many years and refusing help the entire time, thats actually an accomplishment. I would recommend this book to anyone who is on their last leg and not sure what to do.



3. As someone with an "Eating Disorder Personality" I found myself in a difficult place before this book. I felt I couldn't talk to anyone because I wasn't fully anorexic but I knew that I was having thoughts. I found this book after skiping sevrel meals and i bought it . I can't tell you how much it helped me . It not only helped me with the way I was feeling but also to understand that I could talk to someone about it and not feel ashamed. I decided to see someone and helped me step away from the "edge" as I call it . It was really helpful to me and hopefully someone else out there. SO from someone who wasn't really an outsider but not really an Insider I recomend this to anyone who is dealing with an E.D. or cares for someone who is.



4. I skimmed this and decided not to give it to my adolescent daugther who is recovering from A.N.; more approrpiate for an adult who has decided they want to make a recovery and lookwing for a workbook--there are some frightening pages that say, imagine you have died, what would you want your tombstone to say--I regret that i wasted the money



5. This workbook has been such a big help in my struggle with anorexia. I am seeing a therapist and we are working through this book together chapter by chapter. I didn't think that any book could really help me, but this one did. It has given me strategies to take back control of my life. It truly has been a lifesaving book!

5 comments about When Your Child Has an Eating Disorder: A Step-By-Step Workbook for Parents and Other Caregivers.

1. I am a 29 year old adult who went through the recovery process of an eating disorder 10 years ago. Upon experiencing a reoccurrence of the disorder, I read this book. I was elated with the knowledge and kindness vibrating off the pages. I have gotten back on track thanks to Abigail. In addition to the education on Eating Disorders, I found this book a GEM on communicating. It has changed the way my husband and I speak and listen to one another, as well as our young children. It encourages family dynamics be explored to help recovery, but is it not a good lesson for all parents (families)to learn to "hear" what is said, and to what is not said. I will keep this book on my shelf as an invaluable resource for Eating Disorders, or any emotional disorder that may come up, for parenting, and for communication skills. Thank you, Abbie for your time and efforts in writting this book.



2. This book is a trmendous help for those of us who have no idea what to do. Instead of feeling guilty or walking on eggs around the person, it gives good explanations of the disease and ideas for interaction. A great help.



3. I am a MSW candidate at Simmons College with an extra interest in Eating Disorders. I have done a lot of research on the subject and have found this book to be the best I have seen recently. When Your Child has an Eating Disorder is comprehensive and concise. It is the most understandable book, laying out everything in a clear way. I find a lot of books written by therapists convoluted and over intellectualized to the point were one cannot tell what the topic is.
   
   Both layman and professionals will be able to master more knowledge by reading this book than reading a dozen others.



4. Very good for family members and even for the anorexci person themselves. Simple and easy to read, lots of good tips for friends and family.



5. I purchased this book hoping to get some information about how I can help my daughter with her eating disorder. About a third of the book is exercises to determine IF your child might have an eating disorder (and much of this is listing myths). Then it skips right into comparing different types of treatment. I found nothing in this book about how I could help my daughter after her diagnosis and between doctor/psychologist visits. I felt like I was reading a college textbook on Eating Disorders 101. As a parent of a child afflicted with anorexia, I did not find this book helpful. Perhaps it would be useful for someone who suspects his or her child has an eating disorder and wants more information.