Posts Tagged “Teenagers”

Introducing Between Bites:

The Peace Meal podcast is launching Between Bites, a new series of short, focused episodes hosted by Dr. Jillian Lampert. Designed to offer quick insights and meaningful support for eating disorder recovery, these bite-sized conversations will explore practical topics in a more accessible format.

Episode description:

In this inaugural episode of Between Bites, Dr. Jillian Lampert explores the common concern of how eating disorder treatment fits into school life. She highlights that recovery and academics are not mutually exclusive, and delaying care for school can have lasting consequences. The episode addresses questions parents and students often ask—from middle school through college—about balancing coursework, treatment schedules, and future goals. Dr. Lampert emphasizes that prioritizing health is the best way to ensure long-term academic success and a fulfilling recovery journey.

When a straight-A student suddenly struggles with basic math problems, or a creative writer can’t finish a simple paragraph, the culprit might not be lack of effort. For students with eating disorders, the brain-school connection becomes disrupted in ways that many families don’t expect.

The impact goes far beyond missed meals affecting energy levels. Eating disorders fundamentally alter how the brain processes, stores, and retrieves information—the very functions students need to succeed academically.

Remember: A semester of modified academics is far better than years of struggling through school with an untreated eating disorder.

Learn more about eating disorder treatment and school support for teens and families

By Aronson

Dear me, when I was you,

Hi, you. I would ask how you’re doing, but sadly, I know how you’re doing. You’re scared. You’re worried. You’re hurting, confused, angry, frustrated, and broken. You’re thinking of every comment, every look, every everything that has ever been said to your child. You want to scream. You want to cry. You want to give up. You don’t need my permission. However, I personally did all these things – so I say with wisdom, it’s okay.

Allow me to also say for you: I’m sorry, this sucks. This REALLY sucks. This is not anything you did, you caused, or you can fix alone. I do not just say this – I lived this. Writing this letter to you brings so much emotion and so many feelings that I’ve not felt in a long time.  I was you a few years ago. If someone wrote this letter to me a few years ago, I would have thought there’s no way these feelings would ever not be the forefront of my life. If we had not found treatment for our daughter, I’m pretty sure I’d still have those feelings or worse, we may not have our daughter with us today.

If you are reading this it means you are looking for answers, for the sign you need to know that treatment is the right direction. If you are wondering if treatment is the right answer, let me tell you – it is. If you are looking into what treatment means or what it looks like it, this means your loved one would benefit from treatment.

I understand the fear, the worry, the second-guessing, and the ache that comes with even considering treatment for your child. I’ve been there. I’ve played the mind games. ‘If my kiddo eats this food, it means they don’t have a problem. If we make it through a meal and he completes most of the meal, it’s going to be okay. If I just keep buying the muffins that she will actually eat from the grocery store, then we don’t have a problem.’

**Content warning: This is one person’s story; everyone will have unique experiences in recovery and beyond. This story mentions eating disorder thoughts, behaviors, and symptoms, as well as suicidal ideation. Please use your discretion when reading and speak with your support system as needed. If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, help is available by texting or calling 988.

This blog was submitted anonymously by a former client of The Emily Program.

If you find yourself asking whether treatment can wait, I’ve been in your shoes. I’m 20 years old, and I’m currently in recovery. My diagnosis is OSFED (Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorder) – Atypical Anorexia, but I believe that my experience navigating recovery while in school pertains to all kinds of eating disorder diagnoses and symptoms.

Seeking eating disorder care for your child can be an overwhelming decision. Their illness has already robbed them of so much, and you can’t help but wonder: Won’t treatment mean sacrificing even more? Maybe it can wait until a better time, you reason – when school is out, or social activities have settled down. For now, you just want your child to have some semblance of normalcy. 

It’s understandable to want to shield your child from interruptions to their life, especially when they’re already struggling. However, postponing eating disorder treatment often only leads to greater pain and disruption. In fact, every moment spent waiting for the “right time” is a moment an eating disorder can take deeper root.

Here are three reasons not to wait for the “perfect time” to get help for your child with an eating disorder.

Eating disorders are serious, potentially life-threatening illnesses, and yet, research shows that a majority of diagnosed, suffering adults will not seek treatment for their symptoms or concerns. We know that early treatment is critical when navigating the challenging landscape of an eating disorder. The longer one delays care, the greater the risks are for an extended duration of illness, heightened social isolation, increased body shape concerns, deeper internalization of eating disorder-related cognitive distortions, and worsened mental and physical outcomes, including a heightened mortality risk. 

The treatment of eating disorders often requires practitioners of all disciplines to engage in challenging conversations with their patients. Managing ambivalence, preferences, and resistance to recommendations for entering specialty eating disorder care are known concerns when working with adults affected by eating disorders. For adults with children, concerns about care often revolve around leaving behind family. 

As a parent, you want nothing but the best for your child. So when it comes to finding the right program to treat their eating disorder, it’s important to pick one fully equipped with the specialized knowledge and tools necessary to meet their unique needs.

Many eating disorder programs offered today began with treating adults and later added services for children and adolescents. However, The Emily Program’s centers in the Southeast were specifically built with children and adolescents in mind. Treatment at The Emily Program stands out in our ability to provide age-appropriate, best-practice care tailored to the unique medical, nutritional, and psychosocial needs of children and their families.

You don’t know what to do. You’ve never had to worry about your twelve-year-old son before. His school report cards consistently reflect his conscientiousness, situating him comfortably at the top of his classes. He demonstrates the same drive outside the classroom, where he’s established himself as a dependable scorer for the school’s soccer team.

But something’s been off lately, giving you a gnawing feeling in your gut. Your son seems to be regressing to the picky eating of his childhood. His palette is increasingly limited these days, and he alleges digestive problems when asked to gather with the family for dinner. He used to have a tight-knit group of friends, but recently has been declining birthday party invitations and isolating himself. His soccer coach has called you and suggested your son take a leave from the team—he fainted during this evening’s practice.

You know you need to act, but you’re facing pushback from your son. He meets your concerns with heightened defensiveness, firmly denying that anything is wrong. He’s doubling down on his already rigid study schedule, convinced that any disruptions will derail his high-achieving track. You understand that school can wait, but you’re struggling to get your son on board with taking the time for treatment. Is it possible his reaction and this resistance are related to his unusual food behaviors? You reason it would be easier for him to continue his top performance if he wasn’t battling these food issues, but you can’t be sure. You need guidance from those who have walked this path before—that’s where we come in.