Restoring Our Bodies, Reclaiming Our Lives: Guidance and Reflections on Recovery from Eating Disorders

by Aimee Liu, Judith D. Banker (Foreword by)

Overview

Full recovery from an eating disorder is possible. Despite what you may have been led to believe, most people with anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder are able to completely restore their health and well-being. But how does this happen?

Author Aimee Liu has woven together dozens of first-person accounts of recovery to create a break-through roadmap for healing from an eating disorder. Restoring Our Bodies, Reclaiming Our Lives answers key questions including: How does healing begin? What does it feel like? What supports and accelerates it? Will I ever be free of worry about a relapse?

Throughout the book are informative sidebars written by leading professionals in the field, addressing essential topics such as finding the right therapist, the use of medications, exploring complementary treatments, and how family members can help.

Learn more at the author's website: www.aimeeliu.net.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781590308776
Publisher:	Shambhala
Publication date:	04/26/2011
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Aimee Liu is the author of three critically acclaimed novels, including Cloud Mountain. She is also the author of a memoir about her own recovery from an eating disorder titled Gaining: The Truth about Life after Eating Disorders.

Table of Contents

Foreword vii

Introduction 1

1 Turning Points 9

How and When? 13

ED's Men 16

Labeling ED 19

Distress Signals 24

2 Setting the Stage for Recovery 31

What's ED Hiding? 39

The Maudsley Method 47

What to Suggest and How to Suggest It 50

A Journey in Intimacy 58

Hearing Concern, Accepting Support 64

3 Treatment 69

Medical Insurance 72

You First 74

Facing Food 78

Meds and ED 83

CBT for Eating Disorders 87

Making Peace with Pain 92

Notes to Self, Letters to ED 98

4 Restoration 101

Sensing the Body 108

Coping Mechanisms 115

Recovery and Religion 120

Truth Telling 123

A Friend in Deed 129

Are the Twelve Steps for You? 135

5 Discovery 137

Embracing the Mess 141

Moving Beyond Weight 149

Ready, Get Set, Support! 152

Inner Workings 158

Lead On! 161

6 Wise Minds 163

Is Recovery Really Possible? 173

Acknowledgments and List of Contributors 177

Resources 191

About the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED) 195

About Aimee Liu 196

Editorial Reviews

Liu (Gaining: The Truth about Life After Eating Disorders) offers a compilation of letters written by an array of men and women suffering from anorexia, bulimia, binge, and other eating disorders. Liu puts each of these intimate letters into helpful contexts, so that current sufferers may learn from their peers. Contributors speak of past disorders, some lasting decades; others count an eating disorder as an ongoing struggle. With clinical notes and information on new and unique approaches, Liu's effort offers something for everyone effected by this issue, whether personally, peripherally, or professionally. About choosing a therapist, Liu urges readers to avoid adherents to current approaches that focus on diet alone, an important component to treatment, yes, but only the tip of the Eating Disorder iceberg. Liu's book isn't a guide to uncovering the psychology behind an eating disorder, but it clearly shows that relief from suffering can be found in the stories of other sufferers. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

A terrific book with a compelling interplay between the perspectives of professionals and the stories of people who have successfully recovered from eating disorders. Highly informative and a great read.”—B. Timothy Walsh, MD, Columbia University Medical Center

“This book establishes new ground by walking the reader through the entire recovery process, from the initial turning points at the start of the odyssey to reclaiming one's life after an eating disorder.”— Judith D. Banker, past president, Academy for Eating Disorders

“I’ve read countless books about eating disorders, but I’ve never seen one like this. Combining the professional wisdom of leading experts with personal experiences from women and men all over the globe, this book fills a gap on the recovery bookshelf. Anyone who has been touched by an eating disorder needs to read this.”—Jenni Schaefer, author of Life without Ed

“An honest and often painful account of how ED can rob you of yourself, with a central focus on the realistic and complex process of recovery. The reader is able to intimately delve into the mind of a person with an eating disorder and examine his/her feelings at each point of the recovery process. Liu gives the gift of feeling the feelings, sharing the thoughts, and being aware that recovery looks different for every single person. As a parent, this is invaluable. The book gives me cautious, realistic hope for my daughter.”—Lauren Calig, mother of a child with an eating disorder, writing for the National Eating Disorders Association’s newsletter

“An honest and often painful account of how ED can rob you of yourself, with a central focus on the realistic and complex process of recovery. The reader is able to intimately delve into the mind of a person with an eating disorder and examine his/her feelings at each point of the recovery process. Liu gives the gift of feeling the feelings, sharing the thoughts, and being aware that recovery looks different for every single person. As a parent, this is invaluable. The book gives me cautious, realistic hope for my daughter.”—Lauren Calig, mother of a child with an eating disorder, writing for the National Eating Disorders Association’s newsletter

From the Publisher