Accounts of Eating Disorders

[Claire]

National Family Network Day - carers conference

The 2010 National Family Network Day (beat carers conference), will take place on Saturday 13th March 2010 in Kensington, London.
As part of the Eating Disorders International Conference, the National Family Network Day will give carers and families a chance to obtain an update on current research, plus take part in practical workshops, a networking lunch and a question time panel featuring Professor Janet Treasure.
For more information, and to book your place, visit the conference website, call 020 8979 8300 or email EDIC@hamptonmedical.com.

[Claire]

Skills-based Learning for Caring for a Loved One with an Eating Disorder

The New Maudsley Method
Janet Treasure, Grainne Smith and Anna CraneProduct Description
Skills-based Learning for Caring for a Loved One with an Eating Disorder equips carers with the skills and knowledge needed to support and encourage those suffering from an eating disorder, and to help them to break free from the traps that prevent recovery.
From the Back Cover
Skills-based Learning for Caring for a Loved One with an Eating Disorder equips carers with the skills and knowledge needed to support and encourage those suffering from an eating disorder, and to help them to break free from the traps that prevent recovery.

Through a coordinated approach, this book offers information alongside detailed techniques and strategies, which aim to improve professionals' and home carers' ability to build continuity and consistency of support for their loved ones. The authors use evidence-based research and personal experience, as well as practical support skills, to advise the reader on a number of difficult areas in caring for someone with an eating disorder. These include:


working towards positive change through good communications skills


developing problem solving skills


building resilience


managing difficult behaviour.

This book is essential reading for both professionals and families involved in the care and support of anyone with an eating disorder. It will enable the reader to use the skills, information and insight gained to help change eating disorder symptoms.


About the Author
Professor Janet Treasure is a leading figure in the field of eating disorders. She is a psychiatrist at Guy’s Hospital, King's College London, and has specialised in the treatment of eating disorders for over 25 years.

Gráinne Smith, author and former teacher, has talked to hundreds of carers, both family and professional, on local and national helplines as well as at meetings and conferences, since her adult daughter - who is now well - was diagnosed with anorexia nervous, binge/purge type.

Anna Crane, a medical student at Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’, London, took a year out of her studies to recover from her own eating disorder. Following her return to health, Anna’s main interest and determination lie in promoting the early recognition and treatment of eating disorders.

Product Description
Review
"This book will help you cope better with the challenge of helping your loved one recover. Although intended for carers, this book should be mandatory reading for professionals involved in the treatment of people with an eating disorder." - Eric F. van Furth, Ph.D. President, Academy for Eating Disorders (AED), Clinical Director, Center for Eating Disorders Ursula, Leidschendam, The Netherlands

"This book will be a wonderful resource for parents, friends and families of those who suffer from eating disorders." - Kitty Westin, President, The Anna Westin Foundation

"Few books provide specific guidance for family members about how they can help their children, siblings, partners, and spouses who are struggling with an eating disorder. This book is an exception." - James Lock, MD, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at Stanford University and author of Help Your Teenager Beat an Eating Disorder

"The combination of practical suggestions, real life situations and a sound theoretical basis in the Maudsley model make this book invaluable for any family with a loved one struggling to overcome an eating disorder." - Susan Ringwood, Chief Executive Officer of beat


"In bygone days parents were blamed when a young person developed an eating disorder. The authors dismiss this injustice and instead focus on carers learning the skills necessary to help those they care for overcome their eating disorder. The advice is subtle and is derived from the practical experience of professionals treating sufferers from eating disorders." – Gerald Russell, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry, The Institute of Psychiatry, London

When my daughter was first diagnosed in 2008 I made several phones calls in an attempt to get as informed as possible. One practising therapist I spoke with who specialises in eating disorders recommended this to me.
I read it about a third of the way through and put it down following my daughters` sudden admission into hospital...anxious that what I was doing wan`t helping. Anyway, I have just began some workshops and this is the model being used.  Animal metaphors are used to describe various emotional states and the metaphor of the dolphin is suggested as a helpful emotional response...gently nudging your loved on back to shores of safety when the seas are stormy and swimming at a healthy distance when they are starting to cope on their own. I can see that in the past I have slipped into jellyfish and kangaroo, both of which, although completely understandable, are unhelpful..in addition to rhino and ostrich! ( One needs to read the book to understand )

Anyone who has experienced the many facets of eating disorders will know how very frightening and frustrating it can be sometimes. This is a solution focused response. The key seems to be that all involved in the care of the loved one are on board with applying these skills in a united and consistent way.

[Mike]

Thanks for this Claire - sadly its an issue on the increase and one of those things that hits not only the recipient of it hard but those around them.  So its very noble and kind of you to share this material [I assume there are many specialist fora for carers of people with eating disorders on the net].

I liked the positive, solution-orientated focus of this.  In relationship things I personally did not like the "market leader" Relate's "focus on the negative" (altho' am sure am doing them a disservice but thats what I got from the books) - I much preferred the authors (not many actuially) who focus on "ok what can we do to make things better"...

Animal metaphors are used to describe various emotional states and the metaphor of the dolphin is suggested as a helpful emotional response...gently nudging your loved on back to shores of safety when the seas are stormy and swimming at a healthy distance when they are starting to cope on their own. I can see that in the past I have slipped into jellyfish and kangaroo, both of which, although completely understandable, are unhelpful..in addition to rhino and ostrich! ( One needs to read the book to understand )

Sounds interesting.  I was told a while back of the Indian Ayurvedic types as three animals - Deer, Elephant and Tiger - and its a useful picture for the right brain to work with.  Eg standing in a group doing ZZ I can look round and the right brain has some good feel for where folks are far more of one than the others.

The animals thing (how many are there by the way?) sounds like a pictorial Voice Dialogie thing in a way ... here are various behaviour-modes ... but far easier to remember than just word-names 

[Mike]

Ah good old google books ... my imagination had come up with the wrong ideas (rhino - thick skinned, kangaroo bouncing all over the place, jellyfish stinging) ... so maybe one needs to be trained in these pictures lol (the indian ones are more obvious perhaps).

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=v3bi_7Cp-McC&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=New+Maudsley+Method+rhino+dolphin+ostrich&source=bl&ots=JU1WVXr4BV&sig=0VjRuFIgyBPHaf0toAhQzak_TLY&hl=en&ei=_VJBTKXTBIii0gTfjomnDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Rhino - too much control and direction
Dolphin - just enough subtle direction
Kangaroo - too much sympathy and micro-management [the bit I had missed was baby roo in pouch in the pic]
Jellyfish - too much emotion [eh?!? how did they make that connection lol]
St Bernard - warmth and kindness
Ostrich - too little emotion

Presumably somewhere they say that human beings are human beings and you cant bully your own mind into being some "ideal animal" all the time

[Claire]

Thank you Mike for adding to the post.

and you cant bully your own mind into being some "ideal animal" all the time

Thank you for this pointer too as I believe it is very important and yes, there is understanding that we are all entitled to be angry, frightened etc. I guess it helps to become informed about how best to express and cope with these feelings as they rise in a way that brings about understanding and compassion rather than criticism and judgment. Something to aim for and not beat oneself up about if ones falls short of the "ideal". That is the point really.

[Claire]

This section from the book throws some balance on previous posts

Getting it Wrong:  Mistakes and Treasures
Here we diverge to discuss another important truism from audit research which is also true about caring for someone with an eating disorder-“Every mistake is a treasure”. One of the core vulnerabilities of people with eating disorders is that they are overly concerned about making mistakes and so they become trapped within a predictable, error free, cage. If, as a carer, you can show that you are not frightened of admitting that you have made a mistake, that you are willing to think about what you have learned from it, and that you can be flexible enough to shift your approach in the light of new learning, then you are transmitting an important life skill.

[Claire]

Details of carers workshops-Veronica Kamerling.
She said she had very positive feedback following the last one.

CARERS WORKSHOPS
EATING DISORDERS – A TIME FOR CHANGE
TOOLS & TECHNIQUES FOR CARERS
Wednesday 22nd September Wednesdays 6th & 20th October & Wednesday 3rd November 2010
Time: 7.00pm - 9.00pm
Venue: Park Crescent Conference Centre International Students House
229 Great Portland Street London, W1W 5PN
(Opp. Great Portland Street tube station and near Regents Park tube station)
Cost: £144.00 per person
 
Overall aim
To assist carers in their role of looking after someone with an eating disorder, by introducing them to new skills, giving them information and increasing their  confidence.

WORKSHOP 1 
Title:   A Family’s Journey
Veronica Kamerling (Carer) & Henrietta Kamerling (Sufferer)
Aim
To hear first hand from a Mother and Daughter
Content
•   Henrietta and Veronica will talk about a family’s experience and explain what it was like to live with an eating disorder, - how it impacted on their lives, the difficulties they faced and how together they made the journey into recovery.
•   It will cover areas they found testing in their relationship along with unhelpful outside influences such as stigma and over caring tendencies.
•   Questions & Answers


WORKSHOP 2
Title:  Carers, Eating Disorders and Nutrition
Jane Nodder (Senior Lecturer & Nutritional Therapist) Lotty Sykes, (Nutritional Therapist) Veronica Kamerling (Carer)
Aim 
To provide accurate and appropriate information regarding nutritional aspects of recovery from eating disorders. To help carers provide additional support to those they are caring for and to apply basic nutritional approaches to support their own health and wellbeing.
Content
•   Focus on Food:  Fact or Fiction?
•   Focus on Eating Disorders:  Nutritional Guidelines
•   Focus on You:  Caring and Your Health

WORKSHOP 3
Title:  If Nothing Changes Then Nothing Changes -The Need To Do Things Differently
Wendy Blake (Counselling Psychologist) Veronica Kamerling (Carer)
Henrietta Kamerling (Sufferer)
Aim
An interactive workshop designed to show how changes in a carer’s approach can bring about change in the sufferer and sometimes hasten recovery. We suggest alternative behaviours and ways of working together with a sufferer.
Content
•   Introduction to the Caring Model – Identifying what type of carer you are
•   Tips and Techniques  – How to become a more effective carer
•   Rolling with Resistance – How to avoid arguments and confrontation



WORKSHOP 4
Title:  The Importance of Good Listening
Wendy Blake (Counselling Psychologist ) Veronica Kamerling (Carer) Henrietta Kamerling (Sufferer)
Aim
Understanding the importance of good listening and to clarify points and issues arising from workshops 1, 3 and 4.
Content
•   Listening Skills/ the use of OARS – Open Questions, Affirm, Reflect, Summarize
•   Role Play
•   Group Discussion and Feedback



Recommended reading before the workshops but not essential is
Professor Janet Treasure’s book entitled:
SKILLS-BASED LEARNING FOR CARING FOR A LOVED ONE WITH AN EATING DISORDER – THE NEW MAUDSLEY METHOD
Available from Amazon ISBN No 978-0-415-43158-3


Veronica Kamerling
T:  01256 704117
M:  07733 260 475
E: v.kamerling@ukonline.co.uk

PROFILES OF THOSE TAKING THE WORKSHOPS

Veronica Kamerling
Is the mother of two daughters who have suffered from an Eating Disorder.  She has also spent 6 years looking after her brother who has schizophrenia.
She sits on a variety of committees representing carers both in Eating Disorders and Mental Health generally. Under the banner of the beat Self Help Network, she runs the London Carers’ Group.
She is passionate about “Improving the role of the Carer” and speaks publicly on the subject and in the presentations that she gives.

Henrietta Kamerling
Is 32 years old and currently lives in London.  She developed an eating disorder in her early teens which left her unable to lead a normal life. It affected everything from friends, family, relationships and work.  She was no longer living, just existing. 
With the help of her family and various forms of treatment, Henrietta is now in recovery and has gone on to live a life beyond her eating disorder. She regularly gives talks and presentations about her experiences to sufferers and carers.

Jane Nodder
Is a practising Nutritional Therapist and Senior Lecturer, Deputy Course Leader and Clinic Supervisor for the BSc (Hons) and MSci Nutritional Therapy at the University of Westminster, London.  Her special interests include nutrition for endurance athletes, weight management, eating disorders, hormonal imbalance and mental health.  Jane delivers regular training programmes on nutritional interventions for eating disorders and obesity for counsellors and other mental health professionals working in this field. 
In 2009, Jane attended the Institute for Functional Medicine intensive five-day training programme ‘Applying Functional Medicine in Clinical Practice’ in Baltimore, USA.  She is also currently completing the MSc in Nutritional Medicine at the University of Surrey, where her research is focusing on dietary practices amongst marathon runners. 

Jane sits on the Ethics Committee of the British Association for Applied Nutrition & Nutritional Therapy (BANT).  In March 2010, Jane was awarded the CAM Award for Individual Excellence in Nutritional Knowledge.

Lotty Sykes
Nutritional Therapist Lotty Sykes BSc (Hons) who also holds a degree in Psychology and Health which helps to deliver a truly therapeutic approach to patients’ health through nutrition and diet.
Lotty specialist areas are cancer, eating disorders, infertility and inflammatory condition. Spending many years supporting people who have had a diagnosis of cancer has given her a deep understanding of people’s individual needs and requirements.

Wendy Blake
Originally with a background in Theatre in Education and Music and Drama, my interest in Eating Disorders (EDs) stretches back to drama school training, where several of my peers, both male and female, were struggling to feel at ease within their own skins. Our bodies were under constant scrutiny and made more so by the dreaded and compulsory weekly weigh-in.
What seemed to some of us a weekly chore became for others a highly judgmental preoccupation designed to humiliate and shame, contributing further to an already fragile sense of self.
A decade or so later my ‘real education” into the psychological factors and influences that may both precipitate and help to maintain an ED began After training in counselling psychology and psycho-dynamic psychotherapy, I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Professors Janet Treasure and Ulrike Schmidt at S.L.A.M  for the past 15 years. Increasingly, over this time it’s been a privilege to work with carers and loved ones in a bid to support and enhance all of our efforts to help bring about change and recovery for individuals and families living with an ED. Without carers’ dedication, motivation and loving support, we mental health professionals would often be at a major disadvantage in our efforts. I am often humbled by the tireless and often bewildering and frustrating task carers are expected to cope with. For me, carers’ workshops are one of the best ways of helping to influence a positive outcome for sufferers and their families.