Introduction

INTRODUCTION

        This book is not a substitute for the treatment and supervision of a physician, a nutritionist, and a competent mental health professional, all three of whom are essential to recovery from anorexia. Eating disorders are life-threatening and should be treated with all of the care, compassion, and support you can bring to bear on your child’s situation.

My husband and I are neither human medical doctors nor human health caregivers. We are the parents of a daughter who recovered from anorexia 5 years ago and is now living a full, happy, healthy life.

What follows is a list of things that we were able to do ourselves that were most helpful to our child’s recovery. None of these concepts (with the exception of diagnosis, standard treatment options and a very basic discussion of nutritional recommendations) was pointed out by our health caregivers. My own background in biology and animal medicine allowed me a number of insights that may be helpful to other parents. I include these, as well as some things we discovered by luck or common sense to be very helpful to our child’s recovery.