Welcome

When I created this blog, I was "getting on" in my early sixties, hence the blog name. However, my adult daughter's eating disorder and co-occurring emotional dysregulation disorder and other co-morbidities - ongoing for about 33 years - became and was our focus as we attempted to help her get into recovery. By learning about, reflecting on, reading about, attending conferences and writing about eating and brain disorders, I created a place to blog what I've learned. I hope this blog will be of use to others, especially families of and adult sufferers themselves to help them get into recovery. I update posts from time and the update date will be present at the top of the post.

Sadly, my daughter passed away in early October 2021 mainly because her body became so malnourished that she was immunocompromised, contracted a severe infection that was not properly addressed during an earlier hospital stay the month before, and developed an overwhelming non-covid pneumonia following surgery to save her life. I believe she should have been able to receive palliative care but Arizona, our country, and even the professionals trained in the treatment of eating disorders, particularly anorexia, are not "there" yet. I address the issue of palliative care in a recent post below, initially written in November 2021. I am not a certified eating disorder specialist. I am an Expert by Experience and college-educated with a BA in Community Work with an additional certificate in a one-year program in Business Administration from the same institution.

I am passionate about all of this because, as Shakespeare wrote in The Taming of the Shrew, Act 4, Scene 3: "My tongue will tell the anger [and sadness] of my heart or else my heart, concealing it, will break. And, rather than it shall, I will be free even to the uttermost, as I please in words."[2016]

Travel Guide

If you're new to my blog, I recommend you begin on the right side and take a look at the "Of Note" offerings. Read Dr. Cynthia Bulik's recent published interview (5/4/22) "Rethinking Eating Disorders" if you want to print an easy-to-understand professional's expert opinion about anorexia for your family doctor or the therapist. [Early intervention is absolutely critical. For those whose eating disorder is categorized as entrenched or severe and enduring, read the editorial comment by Stephen Touyz and Philipa Hay for a new approach about treatment. It is possible for your loved one to recover! I have also attached a link here for additional papers on the subject of severe and entrenched eating disorders. If you are a family member or friend of an adult with an eating disorder and have been at this for awhile, I refer you to the posts within the title "Adult Eating Disorders and Recovery Tools" found in the Index on the right hand side of this site. As well, in the "Of Note" section take a look at those posts with an asterisk. If you're a parent and need support, look for posts in the Index about parent support or parent toolbox. In my opinion, the best book to buy, to refer to constantly and to share with members of the medical/psychiatric profession is "Sick Enough: A Guide to the Medical Complications of Eating Disorders" by Jennifer L. Gaudiani MD, CEDS, FAED. "Dr. Gaudiani aims to improve medical diagnosis and treatment, motivate recovery, and validate the lived experiences of individuals of all body shapes and sizes, while firmly rejecting dieting culture." I recommend two groups who will support you on your journey - F.E.A.S.T and the National Alliance for Eating Disorders. Both maintain websites and Facebook private groups.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Is Food Medicine?

I've often been told and then tell my daughter that "food is medicine."

Is food medicine?

Would it be possible to persuade the Powers That Be that for someone with an eating disorder, FOOD IS MEDICINE?

And, if that is true, then would that mean a medical doctor could prescribe food?

And, if a medical doctor could write a prescription for food, would this prescription be permissible for someone on government benefits (SSDI or SSI) - to go beyond the SSI allocation re the portion for food or to replace food stamps (which are permissible) with delivered food, ready to eat?

And, if permissible, could an adult with an eating disorder obtain a prescription for a local Meals on Wheels or some kind of  daily (so one would not binge on the delivery of e.g. a week's worth of food) food delivery service that provided the calories needed for recovery?

Could this food that is prescribed and delivered be tax deductible as a medical expense?

Could this be a possible solution for someone who needs this kind of service to get on the road to recovery?

So many people with eating disorders literally panic when going into a grocery store let alone buying groceries, bringing them home, putting them in the pantry, and then selecting items to prepare food.

What a great solution this might be as a first step solo!

What do you think?
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NBC News segments - Boys and Men Get Eating Disorders, too

These links will introduce the idea that boys and men get eating disorders, too.
Eating disorders do not discriminate.  The eating disorder is like a deadly virus, intent on overwhelming and killing anyone it infects.  An eating disorder, however, is a serious mental illness - a biological brain disorder -  and is, in fact, the deadliest of all mental illnesses.

If you suspect that your son or daughter has an eating disorder, run - do not walk - to your family doctor.  Take this booklet published by the Academy of Eating Disorders with you. You can download it and print it.  Insist that the examination of your child include what is written here.

If the tentative diagnosis is an eating disorder, know that this is a medical emergency requiring emergency attention.  If your family doctor does not know how to treat it, then find one who does. 
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