The Efficacy of Adding a Mentor to the Integrated Eating Disorders Treatment Team
by Shannon Cutts www.key-to-life.com
1 June, 2009.
In the Fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) the Twelve Steps are the heartbeat of the recovery journey. They provide a process to restructure the daily routine of the addict. They offer a ready-made network for fellowship and support. Most importantly, they create a self-sustaining recovery model that facilitates the formation of one-on-one relationships as the primary catalyst for powerful, permanent, positive change.
This is why the A.A. Twelve Step model is quite possibly the most effective long-term sobriety program in existence. Yet translating that effectiveness into a workable model for eating disorders recovery remains problematic. Beyond certain issues of semantics in adapting the Twelve Steps to a one-size-fits-all recovery program for the multitude of different food-based addictions, the majority of the problem seems to stem from the reluctance of eating disorders treatment professionals to recognize and invite the unique role a survivor, or mentor, plays in the sufferer's treatment team.
In its literature, the Alcoholics Anonymous organization makes it quite clear that it is not attempting to replace, but rather to enhance and cooperate with, other addiction treatment models and professionals. According to A.A., the function of a sponsor is not to provide professional medical advice, but simply to offer the sponsee a ready source of daily personal recovery experience, strength, and hope.
In the same way, the eating disorders mentor is not present in the treatment team to replace professional care. The mentor is simply there to serve as a tangible reminder that recovery is possible and to talk with the mentee during times when support is needed but the professional treatment team is unavailable.
Six years ago I began to share my story of recovery from a fifteen-year battle with anorexia and bulimia. Not long after, I began to receive letters from eating disorders sufferers. Almost all of these writers had professional treatment teams. They told me that they were writing to me because they wanted to talk to someone who knew what it felt like to have an eating disorder and understood.
After a few years of volunteering my time as a mentor, three things happened – I no longer had enough time to meet the need, I was fielding more letters from other survivors who wanted to offer their help and hope to sufferers, and I noticed that many of my mentees asked me very similar questions. I decided that the best way to offer eating disorders mentoring to a larger audience was to write Beating Ana: How to Outsmart Your Eating Disorder and Take Your Life Back, the first book to address the important role a mentor plays in the eating disorders treatment team.
Beating Ana was released in February 2009. At the same time, after a year and a half of beta-testing, I launched MentorCONNECT: Where Relationships Replace Eating Disorders, the first global eating disorders mentoring community. MentorCONNECT provides a portal where individuals in strong recovery from eating disorders who wish to donate their time as mentors can match with individuals newer to recovery who are seeking support. Membership and all services to members are always free.
96% of our members come to us with partial or full treatment teams in place. Our volunteer mentors are authors, students, clinicians, speakers, and even treatment center directors. All mentors are screened by a licensed therapist prior to beginning to serve. Our protocol clearly states that having a mentor is not a substitute for professional medical care, but rather a support to help our mentees make the most of the opportunity to receive professional care and stay in recovery.
Our mentee members often share their life-changing experiences of participating in an eating disorders mentoring community:
I think that the biggest role in my growth has been sharing so openly with my mentor. I know that I wouldn't be where I'm at without all the support on this site! Thank you so much!!! It's saving my life!
- Leslie Ann
Our mentor members value the opportunity to participate, give back, and fully own their own recovery through mentoring:
I can say that so far being a mentor is an insurance policy in the fact that I wouldn't even think about relapsing...reason being...hearing their pain and suffering as they deal with ED. It reminds me what I left behind. It's a lot of work but I love it so far. It's a great addition to my recovery.And best of all, eating disorders professionals are beginning to embrace the positive role a mentor can play in an integrated recovery team:
- Cheryl
One of the biggest pitfalls to a patient relapsing in their recovery is that they discontinue with their treatment. Many of these individuals lack the support to maintain the gains that they have made while being in treatment. MentorCONNECT provides excellent supplemental support to one's recovery and treatment team. MentorCONNECT is a unique resource that can truly benefit a person on their recovery journey!
- Jennifer Nardozzi, PsyD, The Renfrew Center
For more information about Beating Ana and MentorCONNECT, please visit www.key-to-life.com.
Shannon Cutts is not a medical professional.
