Stepping Up To the Plate:
A Parent's Guide to Facilitating their Child's Eating Disorder Recovery

A lecture created and spoken by Abigail Natenshon, MA, LCSW, GCFP
Recorded on 1/29/07
Lecture Description
EmpoweredParents.com

Parents confronting an eating disorder in their child need not feel lost or frightened.

Eating disorders are difficult diseases to detect and to understand. Even more perplexing is how to respond to them and to your afflicted child. It may feel as though you don't know your child anymore, that she has been taken hostage by the dictates of an eating disorder. What might have started out as benign enough quirks or habits around eating and weight management may have turned into dangerous and lethal dysfunctions that impair your child's capacity to learn, to interact with others, and to develop and mature healthfully.

Shed your guilt. As a parent, it's easy to feel that whatever bad happens to your child is a result of your having done something wrong. Parents are not to blame for their child having an eating disorder. There is a lot they can do, however, to heal their child once afflicted, or even to prevent an eating disorder that may be developing.

You can rectify the problem, NOW, and for the future. You've heard that eating disorders cannot be cured, that "once anorexic, always anorexic" Don't believe it.

When parents learn how to respond and leave no stone unturned, when help is optimal and support is forthcoming, eating disorders are completely curable in 80 percent of cases.

If there was ever a time when you needed to step forward and to act "parental," it is now. Your child's eating disorder has compromised her perspective, judgment and ability to survive. It is up to you to take a stand, at least until such time as your child can regain his or her own emotional balance.

As a parent, you need to learn to

• Become knowledgeable.
• Become proactive.
• Take charge in an intelligent and appropriate way until such time as the child is capable of resuming self-care, self-regulation and self-control.

The sooner you define the problem, the sooner you will be able to find lasting solutions. Early problem recognition and sensitive and knowledgeable parental participation in recovery are two of the most significant factors in achieving a timely and sustained recovery.

This lecture will provide you the know-how, impetus, permission and confidence you need….in yourself, in your parenting, and in a convoluted recovery process… to parent your child effectively through this most pivotal and transformational time.

The "Nuts and Bolts" of what you are about to hear.

This lecture will give you insights into:

• Your child, who may be struggling with an eating disorder or on the verge of developing one.
• The eating disorder itself, and its implications for your child and family members who suffer the effects of the ordeal of disease and recovery alongside of her.
• Your own self, as the mentor and advocate that you need to become for your child, her recovery, and her professional team.

The discussion describes why, and how, you as a parent need to be involved in your eating disordered child's recovery efforts.

It will help you prepare yourself to take action by teaching you what you need to know, and to do, to help your child.

It will teach you to become an astute observer of your child, the first step in your diagnosing your child's eating disorder. Defining a problem is the first step towards resolving it.

This lecture is a component part of the first offering of a 6 part CD series created by the presenter called Stepping Up to the Plate: A Parents' Guide to Recognizing and Healing their Child's Eating Disorders.

North American Serial Rights
All Rights Reserved

Abigail H. Natenshon, MA, LCSW, GCFP

Author of "When Your Child Has an Eating Disorder:
A Step-by-Step Workbook For Parents and Other Caregivers"

anatenshon@empoweredparents.com
www.empoweredparents.com
www.empoweredkidZ.com
www.treatingeatingdisorders.com

A Family Approach to Healthy Eating,
Positive Body Image and the Prevention and Healing of Eating Disorders