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Eating Recovery Center In the News: KWGN Denver
Dr. Ken Weiner appeared on KWGN Denver (Channel 2) to discuss how the transition to college is a common time for the development of eating disorders in young adults. He addresses warning signs, how concerned family members can address the issue with their loved ones, and eating disorders treatment resources in the Denver area. Click here to view the segment on KWGN Denver’s website, or simply view the video below.
Posted in About Us, Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, General, In the News •
Eating Disorders Identified in College Freshmen as They Return Home for Winter Break
Eating Recovery Center Urges Parents to be Vigilant for Eating Disorders Signs
As college freshmen across the U.S. return home for the holidays, thousands of parents will – for the first time – discover eating disorders that developed during their child’s first semester. Because the transition to college is one of the two most common life stages in which eating disorders develop, Eating Recovery Center (www.EatingRecoveryCenter.com), an international center for eating disorders recovery providing comprehensive treatment for anorexia, bulimia, EDNOS and binge eating disorder, encourages parents to be vigilant for symptoms of eating disorders as their teens return home for the mid-year break.
“For many young adults, the pressures of the first semester of college can create the perfect storm for eating disorders development, and it’s easy for teens to hide behaviors from their families – particularly if they go to school far away from home,” explains Bonnie Brennan, MA, LPC, NCC, clinical director of Eating Recovery Center’s Adult Partial Hospitalization Program. “Many parents won’t see the outcome of this devastating development until their children return home for winter break.”
Dieting to avoid the “freshman 15,” stress from academic and social pressures and anxiety tied to being away from home for the first time are common triggers of first semester eating disorders development. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the mean age of eating disorders onset in the U.S. is 19. A 2006 poll of U.S. college campuses conducted by the National Eating Disorders Association found that one in five college students believe that at some point they have suffered from an eating disorder.
To help parents recognize eating disorders in college students and appropriately intervene, Eating Recovery Center highlights five winter break warning signs that may indicate their teen has an eating disorder or could be at risk for developing one:
Noticeable weight loss or weight gain since he or she entered college.
Helping with the preparation of holiday meals but not eating them.
Excessive exercise, even outdoors in poor winter weather conditions.
Withdrawal from family and friends and avoidance of gatherings, even if he or she has not seen loved ones for months.
Discussing college in a “stressed out” or obviously anxious manner or altogether avoiding conversations about school.
“Although parents may be tempted to send their young adult back to school, I strongly urge parents noticing any signs of an eating disorder to actively seek treatment,” explains Brennan. “With eating disorders, early intervention saves lives.”
Parents are encouraged to seek an eating disorders assessment if they notice these or other troubling behaviors in their teens while they are home for winter break. Recovery is entirely possible with early intervention and proper treatment from qualified professionals.
Posted in About Us, Anorexia Nervosa, Binge Eating, Bulimia Nervosa, General, In the News, Press Releases •
Eating Recovery Center In the News: EverydayHealth.com
“Are Parents to Blame for Their Children with Eating Disorders?”
The most recent installment of Julie Holland’s EverydayHealth.com blog addresses this key question. Recognizing that many parents of children with eating disorders wonder about their role in the development of the illness, Julie welcomes insights from Brittany Lacour, LCSW, DAACS, primary therapist at Eating Recovery Center. In the article, Brittany offers suggestions to help families, eating disorders professionals and children and adolescents understand that while it’s natural to look for a “cause,” parents are not to blame for an eating disorder. Read an excerpt of the article below, or click here to view it in its entirety.
Parents help us, teach us, raise us and are integral in forming the person we grow to become. There’s no doubt that children take on a piece of their parents personalities and behaviors when they grow up and take an active role in the world. But how does that translate when a child develops a serious illness or mental health issue? Is it his or her parents’ fault?
Eating disorders leave individuals and families faced with a complex illness that offers little room for logic or reason. The severity of the illness, combined with uncertainty of its origin leaves many of us wondering, “Who’s to blame?” This question becomes especially important when treating children with eating disorders, such as anorexia or bulimia. Are parents to blame for their child’s disordered eating behaviors?
Although eating disorders are in fact genetic, that doesn’t mean parents are responsible.
Brittany Lacour, LCSW, DAACS, primary therapist at Eating Recovery Center, explains that as humans we look for cause and effect—it’s natural. However, when it comes to an illness, especially a multifaceted illness with genetic, psychological and social roots, this can lead to finger pointing. Often we try to control what’s scary to us; and having a radically ill child or partner is petrifying. If it’s our fault, we then carry the faulty belief that we can “fix” it.
Posted in About Us, EverydayHealth.com, General, In the News •
Prestigious Eating Disorders Treatment Award Named in Honor of Eating Recovery Center’s Dr. Craig Johnson
Center’s Chief Clinical Officer Honored by National Eating Disorders Association for Outstanding Contributions to the Eating Disorders Field
Nationally recognized eating disorders expert, Craig Johnson, PhD, FAED, CEDS, has been honored by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), with the creation of a prestigious professional award in his name. The “Craig Johnson Award for Excellence in Clinical Practice and Training,” which was awarded for the first time at NEDA’s annual conference in October, recognizes top eating disorders professionals who have distinguished themselves with their contributions to eating disorders knowledge, training and treatment.
Dr. Johnson is chief clinical officer of Eating Recovery Center (www.EatingRecoveryCenter.com), an international center for eating disorders recovery, providing comprehensive treatment for anorexia, bulimia, EDNOS and binge eating disorder.
“Craig Johnson is one of the most passionate, dedicated and talented clinicians treating eating disorders,” said Lynn Grefe, president and chief executive officer of NEDA. “As a pioneer in the field, he has shared his knowledge generously with all who enter this field, and has been a torch of inspiration for others in the search for more effective treatments.”
Dr. Johnson has been a leader in the eating disorders field for more than 30 years. He is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Oklahoma Medical School and has formerly held faculty appointments at Yale, University of Chicago and Northwestern University Medical Schools.
An innovator in eating disorders treatment, Dr. Johnson has built eating disorders programs at the University of Chicago, Northwestern University Medical School, Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital, and has contributed significant clinical expertise to the development of Eating Recovery Center’s programs.
Dr. Johnson has been actively involved in treatment research. As a principal investigator on two National Institute of Mental Health funded collaborative studies, he has made significant contributions to the field’s understanding of the role of genetics in eating disorders and the effectiveness of Family Based Therapy in the treatment of anorexia nervosa. He has authored three books and more than 80 scientific articles.
In his commitment to advancing eating disorders understanding and treatment implications, he has served as founding editor of the International Journal of Eating Disorders, co-founder of the International Conference on Eating Disorders, founder of the Academy for Eating Disorders and co-founder of the Eating Disorders Research Society. He is also a founding member and past president of NEDA.
“It is not hyperbole to say that Craig is our field’s pre-eminent visionary, for it was his prescience and vigor that led to the creation of the Academy for Eating Disorders, now home to research scholars and practitioners alike,” said Michael Strober, PhD, Franklin Mint chair in eating disorders, professor of psychiatry and director of the Eating Disorders Program at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine. “There is no doubt that Craig’s legacy will be timeless.”
The 2011 Craig Johnson Award for Excellence in Clinical Practice & Training was awarded to Kelly Vitousek, PhD, associate professor of psychology at the University of Hawaii; co-director of the Center for Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Honolulu and director of its eating disorders program. She also serves on the editorial board of The International Journal of Eating Disorders.
Posted in About Us, General, In the News, Meetings/Events, Press Releases •
Summit Eating Disorders and Outreach Program Expands Treatment Options Through Partnership with Eating Recovery Center
Partnership formalizes a longstanding collaborative relationship between the two eating disorders treatment centers
Eating Recovery Center, a national center for eating disorders recovery providing comprehensive treatment for anorexia and bulimia, today announced that it has partnered with Summit Eating Disorders and Outreach Program. Summit is a nationally recognized center for eating disorders treatment and prevention located in Sacramento, Cali.
This partnership allows Summit to expand its partial hospitalization and outpatient treatment options. It also underscores Eating Recovery Center’s ongoing commitment to providing and supporting access to expert eating disorders recovery services.
“We have come to regard Summit as a highly reputable eating disorders treatment center in the Northern California area,” said Craig Johnson, PhD, FAED, CEDS, chief clinical officer of Eating Recovery Center. “We see tremendous value in not only the Summit team’s clinical approach, but also its community awareness and prevention programming.”
Founded in 2000, Summit is the only medically supervised treatment program in the Sacramento area serving adolescents and adults with anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder. The treatment center is led by founding partners, Tony Paulson, PhD, executive director, Lisa Peterson, PhD, clinical director, and Jennifer Lombardi, MFT, chief admissions officer.
“Partnering with Eating Recovery Center allows Summit to enhance and further develop our partial hospitalization and outpatient programming by incorporating clinical models developed by the Center’s leadership team,” said Dr. Paulson. “Additionally, the Center’s intensive inpatient and residential programs are valuable resources for Summit’s adult and adolescent patients requiring a higher level of care. We believe this continuity of care is critical in supporting lasting eating disorders recovery.”
Summit’s eating disorders treatment programs offer:
• Comprehensive medical, nutritional and psychological care.
• A philosophy rooted in evidence-based treatments including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Family Based Treatment.
• Treatments for co-morbid psychological issues, including: anxiety, depression and substance abuse.
• Individualized treatment plans.
• Collaboration with community partners.
“Summit provides highly effective outpatient care to eating disordered patients and is a trusted treatment resource for the community of referring professionals,” said Kenneth L. Weiner, MD, FAED, CEDS, founding partner, chief medical officer and chief executive officer of Eating Recovery Center. “This partnership facilitates expanded reach for the clinical models that have proven highly successful in treating patients at Eating Recovery Center.”
For more information about Eating Recovery Center, visit www.EatingRecoveryCenter.com. To learn more about Summit Eating Disorders and Outreach Program, visit www.sedop.org.
Posted in About Us, General, Press Releases, Treatment Options •
Program Design Supporting Emerging Eating Disorder Pathology in Children and Adolescents
Nationally recognized thought leader in the care of individuals with eating disorders, Ovidio Bermudez, MD, FAAP, FSAHM, FAED, CEDS, serves as Medical Director of Eating Recovery Center’s Child and Adolescent Services. In the Q&A below, Dr. Bermudez describes the pervasive gap in services that led to the creation of Eating Recovery Center’s Behavioral Hospital for Children and Adolescents and details the innovative program design that seeks to meet the distinctive needs of the young eating disordered population as the pathology of these illnesses continues to evolve.
Q: Describe the challenges to effective treatment for children and adolescents.
A: It seems to me that one of the challenges for the field of eating disorders is to better understand and address how eating disorders have been changing. These changes include demographic shifts, with the illnesses affecting both genders, all ages and people from all walks of life, as well as changing symptomatology such as growing creativity in ways of avoiding calories and in compensatory behaviors. These changes are particularly salient when it comes to the young, and we expect to see this salience more formally reflected when the DSM-V is rolled out in 2013. At that time, eating-related pathology in children will take a broader perspective than it has in the past to include what had been known as “eating disturbances of childhood” under the umbrella of eating disorders. In my opinion, this shift is a reflection of not just the growing number of children and young adolescents that we are seeing affected by eating disorders, but also of a broader depth and breadth of eating disorder-related symptomatology in this young and relatively poorly studied population. There has historically been a quantitative gap in services, as the number of available specialized beds in the United States for the severely ill young adolescents, and especially for children, has been limited. In addition to the ongoing quantitative gap in service delivery, I believe today we are also realizing the need to tackle the added challenge of a qualitative gap in services. As this pathology evolves, we see quite a number of difficult cases in children and young adolescents that require clinical expertise, creativity, conducive facilities and strong treatment teams to be able to address these cases in a meaningful way once this level of care is required. This is especially true in light of a general lack of evidence to guide us.
Q: How did the gap in services in the treatment landscape inform the program design for Eating Recovery Center’s Behavioral Hospital for Children and Adolescents?
A: To address the aforementioned gap in services, we opened the dedicated child and adolescent eating disorders treatment facility in January of this year. Months of meticulous planning yielded a program that acknowledges what we know to be true in regards to the evolving pathology of these illnesses in young people. Even so, we were surprised by the richness of clinical presentation in the young patients admitted to the center so far. This complexity includes varied family circumstances at play, as well as varied medical and psychiatric comorbidities like self-harm, oppositional defiant disorders, a wide range of food restrictions, diabetes and cystic fibrosis, among other. All of which are accompanied by the expected coexistence of significant clinical anxiety, fears and phobias and the movement-driven, compulsive exercising component. Fortunately, our program design anticipated and is capable of addressing many of these needs and by individualizing care are able to address the diverse array of clinical presentations. The program leverages creative approaches like the use of the small-team “village” structure to maintain a high staff to patient ratio, a family empowerment model and a strong psychotherapy component to address the specific needs of each patient and family. Another example of a creative approach is the use of “video game”-like biofeedback as an anxiety management tool, which has been very well received by our young patients and has served as a means for engaging them in their treatment plans. Optimal medical management and nutritional rehabilitation are also mainstays of the program.
Q: Describe the concept of developmentally appropriate treatment plans for child and young adolescent patients?
A: One of our focuses in assessing and working with readiness for change in the field of eating disorders treatment has been differentiating between willingness and ability. Many young people struggling with eating disorders also struggle with developmental issues like concreteness, alexithymia and acting out behaviors. Assessment and formulation of developmentally appropriate treatment plans is critical in addressing the needs of our young patients at Eating Recovery Center, and thus specialized tracks have been developed to address the developmentally young. It’s about meeting patients where they are at developmentally. I will be addressing the topic of readiness for change in eating disorders treatment in greater detail at the upcoming third annual Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference, which will be held August 19-20, 2011 in beautiful Denver, Colorado. This year will be my third year in attendance and as a speaker, and I would highly recommend this conference to all professionals in the eating disorder treatment field for both its richness of content and outstanding networking opportunities.
Click here for more information about Child and Adolescent Services at Eating Recovery Center.
Posted in About Us, General, Treatment Options •
Eating Recovery Center Launches Alumni Program to Promote Lasting Recovery
Leading Eating Disorders Treatment Center Aims to Reduce Relapse and Foster Supportive Recovery Environment for Patients
Studies have shown that anywhere from one-third to 40 percent of individuals treated for anorexia or bulimia will relapse. Eating Recovery Center, a national center for eating disorders recovery providing comprehensive treatment for anorexia and bulimia, aims to reduce this statistic. Recognizing that eating disorders are difficult to overcome alone, the treatment center has launched an alumni-focused program aimed at preventing relapse and fostering a supportive recovery environment for its patients.
“Patients leaving treatment consistently identify that the peer and treatment team support they had during their treatment program was a key element in their recovery process,” said Enola Gorham, LCSW, CEDS, clinical director of adult services at Eating Recovery Center. “Alumni programs provide the recovering eating disordered patient with an opportunity to reconnect with a recovery-focused community, benefit from the support of peers and refocus on the elements of recovery.”
The alumni program kicked off July 10 and 11 with a retreat attended by Eating Recovery Center alumni. The event, which focused on helping the former patients renew their individual commitments to anorexia or bulimia recovery, featured an interactive program led by Eating Recovery Center’s clinical leadership team. Therapeutic movement, art sessions and group activities offered opportunities for alumni to recharge their recovery and reconnect with fellow Eating Recovery Center peers and staff.
“When in treatment at Eating Recovery Center, all patients are introduced to the ‘it takes a village’ concept of recovery,” explained Gorham. “In this model, the person who is working to change behaviors needs honest feedback and support from people whom the patient knows have his or her best interest at heart. Upon leaving the treatment environment, patients can have a very hard time recreating a ‘village’ of support and care for themselves.”
In order to build a village of support, promote eating disorders recovery and reduce chances of relapse, Gorham recommends that recovering individuals follow these three tips:
1. Build a strong support environment, which includes a knowledgeable treatment team.
2. Prioritize recovery. Individuals leaving treatment are new to recovery and must put a lot of time, effort and energy into recovery. Gorham recommends that individuals in recovery simplify their lives as much as possible, and measure all commitments and activities against the standard of “will this help me keep my health and recovery?”
3. Trust your treatment team and follow their advice.
Eating Recovery Center is planning additional tools and activities to help alumni maintain recovery mindsets. The Center is currently developing a website resource to offer continued support to alumni. Additional program elements under consideration include eating disorders support groups, social media, regional and local events and an alumni-focused e-newsletter.
For more information about Eating Recovery Center’s alumni-focused program, please visit EatingRecoveryCenter.com.
Posted in About Us, Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, General, Press Releases •
Eating Recovery Center In the News: The Denver Post
Emerging Trends, Sage Best Practices Among Topics Highlighted at Eating Recovery Center’s 3rd Annual Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference
New trends and trusted best practices in eating disorders treatment are among the key topics that will be presented by a lineup of nationally recognized experts at the 3rd Annual Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference, held August 19-20, 2011, in Denver, Colo. Registration is now open for this year’s conference, which is hosted by Eating Recovery Center, a national center for eating disorders recovery providing comprehensive treatment for anorexia and bulimia.
Read more here.
Posted in About Us, General, In the News, Meetings/Events, Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference •
Emerging Trends, Sage Best Practices among Topics Highlighted at Eating Recovery Center’s 3rd Annual Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference
Registration Now Open for Educational Event Showcasing Innovative Eating Disorders Treatment Strategies; Early Registration Rates Expire July 1, 2011
New trends and trusted best practices in eating disorders treatment are among the key topics that will be presented by a lineup of nationally recognized experts at the 3rd Annual Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference, held August 19-20, 2011, in Denver, Colo. Registration is now open for this year’s conference, which is hosted by Eating Recovery Center (EatingRecoveryCenter.com), a national center for eating disorders recovery providing comprehensive treatment for anorexia and bulimia.
“The annual Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference offers our colleagues from across the nation an opportunity to connect with and learn from multidisciplinary experts,” said Kenneth L. Weiner, MD, FAED, CEDS, chief medical officer, chief executive officer and founding partner of Eating Recovery Center. “Taken together, the event’s compelling program, Denver’s temperate August climate and Colorado’s numerous summertime activities represent an ideal fusion of professional development and leisure.”
Limited registration and an interactive educational program featuring plenary speakers, panel discussions and Q&A sessions support connection and collaboration among attending physicians, therapists, nurses, dietitians, advocacy organizations and other members of the eating disorders treatment community. Highlights of the 2011 program include:
• Challenges of Treating Seriously Ill Eating Disordered Patients, Kenneth L. Weiner, MD, FAED, CEDS, and Philip Mehler, MD, FACEP, CEDS
• Panel Discussion: Nutritional Intervention of Eating Disorders Across the Continuum of Care, Ralph Carson, PhD, RD, LD, Sondra Kronberg, MS, RD, CDN, CEDRD, and Ginger Hartman, RD
• New Trends in the Field of Eating Disorders Treatment, Craig Johnson, PhD, FAED, CEDS
• Q&A Session: The Use of Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) in the Treatment of Eating Disorders, Enola Gorham, MSW, LCSW, CEDS, and Q&A with Craig Johnson, PhD, FAED, CEDS
• Q&A Session: Enhanced Family Based Treatment (FBT) in Inpatient Treatment for Children and Adolescents, Elizabeth Davis, PsyD, and Q&A with Ovidio Bermudez, MD, FAAP, FSAHM, FAED, CEDS
• Panel Discussion: Outpatient Treatment Interventions, Jennifer Lombardi, MFT, Susan McClanahan, PhD, Julie O’Toole, MD, MPH, and Kay Watt, LPC
• Tricks of the Trade: Things We’ve Learned Along the Way, Carolyn Costin, MA, Med, MFT, CEDS, and Craig Johnson, PhD, FAED, CEDS
• Trait Management: Tailoring Treatment to Patient Characteristics, Emmet R. Bishop, Jr., MD, FAED, CEDS
• Readiness for Change in the Treatment of Eating Disorders, Ovidio Bermudez, MD, FAAP, FSAHM, FAED, CEDS
The 2011 Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference will be held at the Denver Marriott City Center. Prior to July 1, 2011, registration for professionals is $125 and includes all sessions, 12.5 continuing education credits, brunch and dinner on Friday, breakfast and lunch on Saturday and periodic refreshment breaks. Single-day registration is $75. Student-discounted registration is $100 and $50 for single-day attendance. Space is limited and registration prior to the event is recommended. Register instantly online at EatingRecoveryCenter.com or by mail after completing the registration form.
Posted in About Us, General, Meetings/Events, Press Releases, Rocky Mountain Eating Disorders Conference •
Eating Recovery Center In the News: Marie Claire
”
Starvation Nation”
In the July 2011 edition of Marie Claire magazine, on newsstands now, reporter Sophia Banay Moura profiles Eating Recovery Center as an innovative facility for eating disorders treatment, and details the journey of one patient as she moved through the Eating Recovery Center’s levels of care toward lasting recovery. Selected excerpts from the five-page article are included below, or read the full article here.
This is the reality of anorexia: patients in and out of hospitals for years, unable to grow up, their families desperate to end the secret starvation rituals. But at one new treatment facility, Denver’s Eating Recovery Center (ERC), doctors are fighting the disease with cutting-edge techniques. Patients wear armband sensors that track every calorie they burn (they’re sold as weight-loss tools, ERC is the only place that utilizes them for eating-disorder treatment), and use biofeedback finger probes, which display heart rate and body temperature, to manage anxiety through breathing exercises. In “flexibility training” (originally developed to help traumatic brain injury vitcims), patients take a different seat in each therapy session or brush their teeth with the opposite hand. The change in routine creates new brain neurons, distrupting obsessive thoughts.
The Denver doctors say mixing these different tactics with traditional treatments, like movement and art therapy, is key to stopping the disease. Because today, 40 years after anorexia and bulimia started sending young white women to hopsitals across the U.S., eating disorders have cropped up in kindergartners, senior citizens, boys, Hispanics, and African Americans. No demographic is safe, and medical professionals are scrambling to combat what has become a burgeoning public health crisis. The most provocative analogy comes from Craig Johnson, Ph.D., who compares the spread of the sickness to that of HIV/AIDS. “The pursuit of thinness is ‘contagious’ ” behaviorally, says Johnson, who has done pioneering research on the biological basis of eating disorders, and is now chief clinical officer at the Eating Recovery Center.
“We’ve moved away from this as a Caucasian, upper-middle-class, ‘princess’ disease. It’s everybody’s disease,” says Dr. Ovidio Bermudez, medical director of child and adolescent services at ERC, which treats patiesnt as young as 10. He’s seen 13-year-old boys on the brink of kidney failure after shunning carbs and gorging on protein; 47-year-old mothers undereating and running 15 miles a day after a double masectomy; 30-somthing housewives hospitalized during pregnancy to stop excessive exercise; and diabetic Ivy League med students manipulating their insulin injections. These new conditions – “orthorexia,” “pregorexia,” “diabulimia” – demand a daring, innovative approach.
Read the full article in the July 2011 edition of Marie Claire, on newsstands now!
Posted in About Us, General, In the News, Treatment Options •
