video clips to celebrate NEDAW

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week in the US is a time of great media attention to eating disorders. A sampling of video of interest to parents:


Comments

  1. Thanks for all of these!

    If you receive any future monetary donations, I think it would be a good use of funds to help the Karini Clinic distribute "Spotting the Tiger" to all pediatricians in the US (or in the world). Our pediatrican missed the diagnosis with our son and then inappropriately referred us to a therapist for deliquent children. I think our pediatrician would have benefited from this DVD and might have recognized the anorexia sooner.

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  2. I agree. The single most common point of contact is the pediatrician. And the pediatrician is the greatest hope for starting off the treatment in the right direction!

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  3. And the sad part is that peds aren't required to have any training in EDs. I'm not sure about the ones that specialize in adolescent medicine, but still. I went to a standard ped. until I left for college. They only docs who are required to learn about EDs are child psychiatrists.

    Maybe I should write the AMA?

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  4. This is great Laura- thanks!

    Carrie- our experience with Adolescent Doc's and ED's, here in Wisconsin anyway- and at a major Children's Hosp- was absolutely awful!

    I was intially thrilled to find this clinic, and it was staffed by mostly female Ad/Med docs who boasted and puffed about their experience, credentials, etc. (they also have a staff social worker who made it her priority to attend every clinic visit- even when she had no stated role/purpose in our d's care, and when we asked- the dr just kept stating "to help us"- and we found out later after leaving the clinic that she filed a report to CPS!) it was an absolute waste of time, money for almost a full year!

    Our d went weekly, was berated by drs/staff psych, (as were we) and RD, they would attempt to separate us at visits- even when our d clearly wanted us in the room with her, and treated me with such disdain and disrespect we would usually leave apts in tears on the way home. She never improved while in their "specialty" care, but only got worse, and basically just hovered with her AN. Then they refused refer us to any other clinicians, help resource- I was the one usually bringing in info, other Dr contacts, etc. (isn't that what a social worker is supposed to be for?) our d just floundered and dwindled in their care, and we eventually had to have her placed into residential care after she nearly dropped 8lbs in less than a week at a partial program!

    We never will go back to these Ad/Med clinicians, and would have been better off, as we are now going to follow up with our d's pedi. She was at the hosptial everyday when our d was admitted and followed up, was there for phone calls late at night, and basically responded much more humanely than the "trained" Ad docs.

    So there is no guarantee that those working in adolescent medicine are better at treating ED's across the board. I'm sure there are exceptions, but I haven't found even ONE here in our area, outside of alot of false advertising and empty claims that can actually harm a sufferer and create more stress for a family.

    This is an area that needs some light, critique, and continued improvement. And if families are first, as often is the case, consulting with their child's pedi, you would think that this should be covered in detail through some additional, or foundational training. Our d's pedi did have a couple of patients who were eating disorderd, so she had some experience and was always thorough with our d's care- it's not as though these docs are not going to be aquainted with the illness throughout their career/practice.

    Apologies for the length-

    ciao-

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  5. Tracey,

    So sorry to hear about the difficulties you've had. I think bad "help" is worse than no help at all!

    Training is no guarantee- as you've well seen! But some pediatricians wouldn't recognize an ED, period. Wouldn't know what to check for, what tests to run. I was told at 20 that I was "too old for anorexia" and I "should get over not being asked to the prom." Although I was asked to the prom, but that's beside the point. My pulse was under 55, and I was sent home with a "thyroid problem." I was in the hospital in critical condition less than 48 hours later.

    I think a little sensitivity and kindness would go a long way.

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  6. That's why I try to make it a priority to speak to pediatricians' groups whenever possible. Sadly, I must say they are not all that responsive (some of them--usually the men, interestingly).

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  7. Carrie-

    "Sensitivity and Kindness"- Yes it does really go a LONG way! Even if a small effort to connect is made, and the patient-family/clinician relationship is open, honest, caring- it makes an incredible difference.

    I can't believe your Doc stated you "were too old for anorexia" ??!!

    ** Did you end up going to prom when asked? Bet you were beautiful!**

    -cheers

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  8. Tracey,

    I went twice- my junior and senior years. Both with the same guy, though he was a friend and nothing more.

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  9. Carrie-

    Now if that's not kickin' ED's butt I don't know what is! Yeah!

    (Laura's probably cringing and wanting us to keep focused on topic- but Carrie you are indeed an inspriation!)

    ... I will stop now

    XO

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