The Importance of Family System Work When Treating an Adolescent with an Eating Disorder

When a child struggles with an eating disorder, it has a major impact on the entire family. Daily routines as well as coping and problem-solving behaviors are all negatively affected. It can seem as if the easiest things become overwhelming; just getting up for school on time involves frustration and fighting. In addition, families dealing with an eating disorder often say that it feels as if time stands still and that everything in their lives has come to focus on the eating disorder.

Research shows that a non-blaming approach to treatment in which the family is seen not as the cause of the problem but rather as a resource to support the adolescent in the recovery process is recommended. Additionally, working within the family system helps members understand the evolution of the family dynamics in relation to the development of the eating disorder. Think of it this way, by openly identifying and discussing these family dynamics, insight and learning can happen and change can be created. Family system work creates significant improvement and positive changes in terms of both the individual and family functioning.

As part of the therapeutic work, families benefit from exploring how they became caught up in the eating disorder. When family members are able to step back from the disorder and identify and practice using their strengths, they gain perspective and are able to discover solutions to their situation.

At The Meadows Ranch, family members are seen as partners in the recovery process. Let me emphasize that families are part of the solution. As the adolescent returns to the family system after treatment, clear expectations and family rules are a necessary part of the recovery process. Parents must “parent” the adolescent and avoid “parenting” the eating disorder. It is important to have discussions surrounding this when families are calm and empowered versus anxious and reactionary. Families can accomplish this with improved communication skills, clear expectations, and with the involvement of professionals.

Family system work is vital in the recovery process for adolescents with eating disorders. Although this work can involve many different people, perspectives, and experiences, healing can occur, understanding can be developed, and families can embrace recovery with elegance, dignity, resilience, and solidarity.

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Remuda Ranch at The Meadows Becomes The Meadows Ranch

The Meadows Ranch  has recently undertaken extensive capital improvements and programming enhancements for the benefit of its patients. Since its acquisition by The Meadows in 2012, Remuda Ranch has programmatically evolved with a leading-edge approach to eating disorder treatment that is integrated with trauma services. The new name reflects the core strength of its sister programs, which are rooted in The Meadows Model as developed by Pia Mellody and clinically guided by a team of world-renowned Senior Fellows.

“At The Meadows Ranch, we are committed to providing the highest level of eating disorder treatment for women and girls through an integrated trauma model in a safe, scenic, and nurturing environment,” said Sean Walsh, CEO of Meadows Behavioral Healthcare.

About The Meadows Ranch

The Meadows Ranch is an industry leader in treating girls aged 8-17 and adult women for eating disorders, trauma, and co-occurring disorders through its critical care/inpatient, residential, and partial hospitalization programs. To learn more about The Meadows Ranch, contact an intake coordinator at 877-231-3541, or visit http://www.meadowsranch.com.

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Effective Trauma Treatment for Eating Disorder Patients

Many individuals who suffer from trauma will use an eating disorder as a means to feel in control of something. This often occurs because trauma makes a person feel vulnerable and like they have no control over what happens to them in life. Eating disorders often blunt a person’s ability to experience emotions, which lessens intense anxiety, fear, and anger. In addition, an eating disorder can become a distraction from thoughts of trauma as eating disorders often become all consuming. At The Meadows Ranch, our treatment teams understand that to treat a patient with an eating disorder and trauma entirely, both need to be concurrently addressed since failing to treat one or the other will lead to a relapse and a decreased quality of life.

At The Meadows Ranch, we focus on nutritional rehabilitation at the start of treatment because without basic nutrition a person’s brain is offline and unable to participate successfully in therapy or really feel one’s emotions. The next layer is creating a safe environment that supports the trauma work. At The Meadows Ranch, we have a truly amazing group of professionals that genuinely care about each patient’s recovery with staff available around the clock to offer support.

In addition, people that have experienced trauma often engage in maladaptive coping skills, which may include eating disorder behaviors, self-injury, and shutting down to manage their intense emotions. In order to address these maladaptive coping skills our staff, including behavioral health techs, nurses, therapists, and dietitians, are trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). DBT includes skills in mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance. If one of our patients is struggling, our entire staff are trained to help her find and practice an effective coping skill in the moment. This is particularly important when a patient is doing trauma work since she will be more vulnerable to intense emotions and memories that may require assistance to contain her emotions. At The Meadows Ranch, this support is offered 24-hours a day.

The final piece in treating trauma is processing the trauma that has occurred and allowing that trauma to become a chapter in the book of life instead of a novel as it can become when it is not adequately treated. At The Meadows Ranch, our therapists are specially trained in treating trauma, which includes being certified in Eye Motion Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which is an evidence-based treatment for trauma.

The treatment of trauma and eating disorders is complex and multifaceted. At The Meadows Ranch, we have all of the tools available to help individuals recover from both trauma and their eating disorder treatment .

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The Progressive Nature of an Eating Disorder

Trending this Week at The Meadows Ranch
By Libby Neal, MA, LPC

Eating disorders are more fluid than fixed. It seems the course of an eating disorder is progressive in nature, changing in severity over time. Eating disorder professionals who have worked long enough with one person will see the type of behaviors move from one end of the spectrum to another.

One example of the ever-changing nature of an eating disorder would be when a person starts with restricting calories then moves into purging food. Once the person realizes they can eliminate their calories while still consuming food, they may turn to purging calories with laxatives or vomiting. This could take a few years, and it is often the reason eating disorders seem to “sneak” up on family members and loved ones.

Parents often say that the eating disorder just showed up one day when, “all of a sudden my loved one was very sick and had an eating disorder.” The progressive nature of an eating disorder is subtle and easy to attribute to developmental expectations or adolescent quirks. Some of the natural personality tendencies are enhanced. It is easy enough to hide calorie consumption for fairly long periods of time, through meal-time manipulation, clothing selection and food avoidance. Parents seem quickly to notice the activities associated with binging or purging of foods.

Parents may not think much about a child who is an introvert staying in their room longer, or a child who tends towards dark humor becoming more interested in vampire books, or a child who is interested in cooking now reads recipe books yet never eats the recipes.

And while the eating disorder is evolving, it makes sense that the personality of the child is also changing. Perhaps the child’s demeanor has become edgier, angrier or confrontational. This can be intimidating for parents who wonder how to help, but instead take the high road in hopes of it “going away.”

So, if an eating disorder is progressive, it seems possible to encourage the good side of the developing habits that may turn from disordered eating into an eatingdisorder. Could it be that parents and loved ones can forge the positive side of these interests so they can become more involved with family and friends rather than feeling like an outsider?

Certainly it is not the parents fault if a loved one is developing an eating disorder, nor does this suggest an eating disorder is “stopped” by looking at the positive side of new habits, but it seems that we, as loved ones, can make subtle interventions along the way. This may encourage a progression into health rather than a disorder.

Here is a list of ways to incorporate interests that later improve the eating disorder:

• Encourage social time with the family
• Find the time for one on one with a loved one
• Allow for alone time but encourage quiet time around the family
• Read recipes together
• Shop for meals together
• Cook new meals together
• Create old favorite meals together
• Create a schedule in the house so meals and activities are predictable
• Take leisure walks together, maybe in the park and with the dog
• Go clothes shopping together, encourage positive body image
• Attend your child’s sports activities
• Learn about their favorite subjects at school
• Offer help for subjects that are hard for them
• Go to church together
• Offer to take them to appointments
• Help with ideas for proms, homecoming or questions about dating
• Recognizing increased negative changes in their child’s demeanor or habits.

Parents may feel overwhelmed by all their responsibilities in life, and their loved one may say they are fine; however, it is important to remain open to “gut” instincts and to continue an open dialogue concerning how their loved one is “progressing.” An eating disorder is not “contagious” so the parent does not necessarily make it worse by talking with their loved one about it. Remain open, curious and supportive all while looking to outside professionals if you find too many indicators of an eating disorder.

About the Author

 

Libby Neal, MA, LPC, is in private practice on the western slope of Colorado. Specializing in eating disorders and trauma, Libby utilizes psychodynamic therapy, evidence-based practices, equine assisted therapy and art therapy. Libby has fifteen years of experience with eating disorders working as a clinician, administrator and educator.

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Remuda Ranch at The Meadows Announces New Executive Staff

Meadows Behavioral Healthcare announced today that its specialty program, Remuda Ranch at The Meadows, a comprehensive treatment center specializing in eating and co-occurring disorders for women and girls, has appointed Mike Gurr, MS, MA, LPC, CDWF, Executive Director and Tanja Haaland, MA, LCPC, Clinical Director over the inpatient and residential programs.

WICKENBURG, ARIZ. JANUARY 26, 2018

Gurr joined Remuda Ranch at The Meadows in 2015, where he has functioned in various capacities, including Director of Family Services and Clinical Director. Previously, he spent 13 years in an executive level position with Copper Canyon Academy/Sedona Sky Academy, a residential treatment center for girls, where he developed clinical and workshop programming for over 2,000 students and their families from around the world. He received a master’s degree from the University of Utah in exercise and sports science, with an emphasis in sports psychology. He then went on to receive another master’s degree from Argosy University, Phoenix in professional counseling. Gurr’s experience includes working with marriage, family, adolescents, and elite athletes in private practice. He is a sought-after speaker on eating disorders, anxiety, relationships, parenting, and family systems work. Gurr has also appeared on CBS’ talk show The Doctors as an eating disorder expert.

“Mike has proven himself to be a tremendous contributor to our eating disorder program in a variety of areas,” said Sean Walsh, CEO of Meadows Behavioral Healthcare. “His extensive experience and total wellness approach to behavioral health will benefit our patients as we continue to enhance our programming to incorporate more trauma theory and brain level interventions.”

Haaland comes to Remuda Ranch at The Meadows with more than 11 years of experience in the field of behavioral health. Most recently, she was in private practice as a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of eating disorders and trauma. She also has previous experience as the former Program Director of Eating Disorder Center of Kansas City. She is a national speaker and consultant on the treatment of eating disorders and trauma. Haaland received her undergraduate degree and Master of Arts in community counseling from the University of South Dakota.

“Remuda Ranch at The Meadows is very fortunate to have Tanja join our team,” said Walsh. “Tanja’s wealth of knowledge in the treatment of eating disorders and trauma, along with her leadership experience, will benefit our patients struggling with anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, and co-occurring disorders.”

“I appreciate the confidence of Sean and the Meadows Behavioral Healthcare organization. Remuda Ranch has a solid treatment approach, a beautiful campus, and an incredible, caring staff, and I am committed to its continued growth and development to best support our patients and their families,” said Gurr. “I look forward to working closely with Tanja on a multitude of levels, with a focus on giving hope and healing to the women and young girls who come to us seeking recovery of their eating disorders.”

Remuda Ranch at The Meadows is an industry leader in treating eating and co-occurring disorders for women and girls through its inpatient, residential, and partial-care programs. To learn more about Remuda Ranch at The Meadows’ work, contact an intake coordinator at 866-332-5209

Since 1990, Remuda Ranch at The Meadows has been a leading eating disorder and co-occurring treatment center. In that time, over 10,000 women and girls have trusted their care to Remuda Ranch at The Meadows . Through its approach and clinical excellence, individualized treatment is offered by a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, primary care providers, registered dietitians, therapists, psychologists, and registered nurses that provide assistance and support 24 hours a day. Along with treating eating disorders, Remuda Ranch at The Meadows addresses co-occurring issues, such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and trauma. Remuda Ranch was acquired by The Meadows in 2012 and is accredited by The Joint Commission.

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