Posts Tagged “Teenagers”

The back-to-school season can trigger unique stressors and anxieties for students, especially those struggling with their relationship with food and their bodies. It’s important to remain on the lookout for signs of an eating disorder in your adolescent patients during this busy time of year.

Your role in supporting your patients with eating disorders cannot be overstated. By remaining compassionate and committed to your patients’ well-being, you have the ability to intervene early when you notice signs of an eating disorder, thereby improving treatment outcomes and reducing the risk of long-term harm. 

Read on to learn why the back-to-school season can be a catalyst for eating disorders and what you can do to help your patients.

We are excited to have recently launched a Virtual Adolescent Saturday Program at our Cleveland and Columbus locations! This extension of our Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) Programs is designed for clients and families participating in intensive outpatient treatment at The Emily Program. The aim of Saturday programming is to increase support, provide psychoeducation, and give clients the opportunity to practice recovery skills in their own homes. 

Saturday programming, which takes place over a secure video connection, is a flexible option for clients who need to make up for missed program hours or require extra support. Our staff will recommend attending on Saturdays if clients and families miss a day of programming during the week, are stepping down from residential care, or may benefit from an additional day of treatment. The small-group format with a limit of 12 clients and families, facilitated by two staff members including at least one therapist, will provide personalized attention to those who need it most.

For many people, college is a time of tremendous transition and change. It provides new freedom and responsibility and offers lessons in life far beyond the classroom.

It is a milestone time—and one far too often hijacked by eating disorders.

All types of eating disorders can develop, return, or worsen in young people during their college years. Though these illnesses occur across the lifespan, they are particularly prevalent between the ages of 18 and 21. Research has found that the median age of onset is 18 for anorexia and bulimia and 21 for binge eating disorder, both findings within the age range of the traditional college student.

This article examines eating disorders in college students, including potential risk factors, warning signs, and tools for screening and intervention. Learn what makes college students particularly vulnerable to these complex mental illnesses as well as ways to identify and support those affected by them during college and beyond.

Nine percent of the world’s population will struggle with an eating disorder in their lifetime, with the most common age of onset being between 12–25 (STRIPED/Volpe et. al., 2016). Healthcare providers like you are instrumental in getting young patients the care they need early on. The sooner an eating disorder is caught, the better the treatment outcomes. 

But what happens after you’ve recognized the symptoms and referred your patient for specialized care? In this blog, we will explore the assessment process for eating disorders in children and adolescents, shedding light on the diagnostic criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).

Eating disorders and icebergs are more alike than one might think. Picture an iceberg floating in a vast ocean: You can only see the tip of the iceberg and have no idea of what is under the surface of the water. Most people look at an eating disorder the same way, only seeing what is on the outside. This generally represents the behavioral parts of an eating disorder – changes in weight and eating patterns, excessive exercise patterns, purging, restricting, bingeing, selective eating, and so on – the things that, for the most part, you can see, measure, and quantify.

The most dangerous parts of an eating disorder (and an iceberg) are what you cannot see. Below the surface of an eating disorder are a host of maladaptive thoughts and mental preoccupations, shame, distress, and often feelings of deep isolation. Parents sometimes say, “Well, she gained her weight back or stopped bingeing, so she must be better.” Unfortunately, that is not usually the case. Despite looking better on the outside, they may still be plagued by eating disorder thoughts and feelings. 

For people with eating disorders, the holidays—the eating, the socializing, the changes in routine—are often an annual stressor. 

No matter what your holiday plans may be this year, supporting your teenager with an eating disorder can be a meaningful part of them. Consider these suggestions to help your teenager navigate the holidays ahead in recovery.