"Google Yourself in April"
Parents turn to the Internet for information when a loved one develops an eating disorder. What they find, as they search in the middle of the night, matters.
Often, treatment providers aren't aware of some of the information out there under their name. Updating websites is a chore, and busy providers may not have updated their information for years.
In the month of April, F.E.A.S.T. is asking all eating disorder treatment providers - and informational websites - to review and update their information. We hope you will take special attention to the messages given to parents, and reconsider any of the following:
http://feast-ed.org/Services/April2011GoogleYourself.aspx
Often, treatment providers aren't aware of some of the information out there under their name. Updating websites is a chore, and busy providers may not have updated their information for years.
In the month of April, F.E.A.S.T. is asking all eating disorder treatment providers - and informational websites - to review and update their information. We hope you will take special attention to the messages given to parents, and reconsider any of the following:
- Blaming parents for causing eating disorders, in part or as primary cause.
- Attributing eating disorders to dysfunctional family dynamics.
- Listing any of the following as causing eating disorders: parents with inappropriate “boundaries,” parents with poor body image, enmeshed mothers, distant fathers
- Using terms like "contribute to," "enable," "trigger," "risk factor" as a substitute for "cause"
- Advising parents to leave treatment decisions, including nutritional and weight decisions, to children
- Advising parents not to discuss treatment and not involving parents in the treatment
- Advising parents not to be the “food police” or be involved with cooking and food decisions
- Advising parents that patients have to “want” to get better
- Regarding parent responsibilities around this illness as distinct from those with other serious illnesses
http://feast-ed.org/Services/April2011GoogleYourself.aspx
Wonderful idea!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a project well worth doing. I just checked the informational sites about EDs of Psychology Today and PsychCentral, and they are both rife with outdated, incomplete and wrong statements. There is no mention of Family-Based Treatment or the Maudsley Method in the info sites, even though both have published excellent articles about their benefits. May the up-dating begin!
ReplyDeleteWe should also have a project were college students could scan their textbooks with outdated information about eating disorders.
ReplyDeleteThe books used for the students at my Masters Counseling program are so full of outdated information. It makes me seriously want to cry!
This semester about 60 future counselors "learned" about eating disorders. The heading: "Weight Management Support Groups"
I thought I read it wrong but the lecture focused on how people with eating disorders (specifically anorexia and bulimia) could benefit from attending these weight management support groups!
Our neighbouring county don't have any outdated or questionable material. Before you rush to praise them I should qualify that. They don't have any good material either. Perhaps they don't have any services. Who knows. You have inspired me to try to find out.
ReplyDelete