Next to Nothing: A Firsthand Account of One Teenager's Experience with an Eating Disorder (Adolescent Mental Health Initiative)

190 Pages·2007·1.02 MB·English

by  Carrie Arnold

AdvanceAcclaim for
Next to Nothing
‘‘Wise, hopeful, funny, and inspiring. Next to Nothing unravels the mys-
teriesofeatingdisordertreatmentandrecovery.CarrieArnoldmakessense
outoftheconfusionassheguidesusalongherpersonaljourneyofhealing.
IwishmyfamilyandIcouldhavereadthisbookduringmystrugglewith
anorexiaand bulimia. This isamust-read!’’
–Jenni Schaefer, author of Life Without Ed: HowOne Woman Declared
Independencefrom Her Eating Disorder andHowYou CanToo
‘‘In this well-written and readable book, Carrie Arnold guides the ado-
lescent with an eating disorder through what to expect in the recovery
processusingherownoften-bumpyrecoveryasillustration.Providingtips
foreverydaysurvivalintherealworldandabroaderviewtohelpstaythe
coursetohealth,hermessageisapowerfulandencouragingone,madeall
the more believable to the adolescent sufferer because she has been there.
Carrie also provides information on internal thoughts of the eating dis-
order that can help parents gain insight into what their adolescent is ex-
periencing and how they might respond.’’
–KathleenA. Mammel, M.D., Chief, Adolescent Pediatrics,
WilliamBeaumontHospital, and Clinical Assistant Professor
of Pediatrics, Wayne StateUniversity
‘‘Humor and stark honesty are Arnold’s trademarks. Most writers un-
critically throw in everything that has ever been said of eating disorders;
Arnold pares itdown to up-to-date andaccessible science.Thisbookisa
wonderfulcombination of wit and wisdom.’’
–Laura Collins, author of Eating with Your Anorexic
‘‘Thisbookisaninsightfulaccountofoneperson’sstrugglewithaneating
disorder.Itoffersahelpfulmixofinformation,rangingfromthepersonal
totheprofessional.Iexpectthisbookwillbehelpfultoyoungadultswith
an eating disorder and their families.’’
–Daniel leGrange,Ph.D., AssociateProfessor of Psychiatry and Director,
Eating Disorders Program at The University of Chicago
The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands’
AdolescentMental Health Initiative
PatrickE. Jamieson,Ph.D.,series editor
InadditiontoNexttoNothing,otherbooksinthis
seriesforyoungpeopleareplannedonthefollowingtopics:
BipolarDisorder(2006)—nowavailable:
MindRace:AFirsthandAccountofOneTeenager’s
ExperienceWithBipolarDisorder,
byPatrickE.Jamieson,Ph.D.,withMoiraA.Rynn,M.D.
Depression(2007)—nowavailable:
MonochromeDays:AFirsthandAccountofOneTeenager’s
ExperienceWithDepression,
byCaitIrwin,withDwightL.Evans,M.D.,andLindaWasmerAndrews
SocialAnxietyDisorder(2007)—nowavailable:
WhatYouMustThinkofMe:AFirsthandAccountofOne
Teenager’sExperienceWithSocialAnxietyDisorder,
byEmilyFord,withMichaelLiebowitz,M.D.,andLindaWasmerAndrews
Schizophrenia(2007)
Me,Myself,andThem:AFirsthandAccountofOneYoungPerson’s
ExperienceWithSchizophrenia,
byKurtSnyder,withRaquelE.Gur,M.D.,Ph.D.,andLindaWasmerAndrews
Obsessive-CompulsiveDisorder(2008)
TheThoughtthatCounts:AFirsthandAccountofOneTeenager’sExperienceWith
Obsessive-CompulsiveDisorder,byJaredDouglasKant,withMartinFranklin,Ph.D.,
andLindaWasmerAndrews
SubstanceAbuse(2008)
ChasingtheHigh:AFirsthandAccountofOneYoungPerson’sExperienceWith
SubstanceAbuse,byKyleKeegan,withHowardB.Moss,M.D.,andBerylLieffBenderly
SuicidePrevention(2008)
EightStoriesUp:AnAdolescentChoosesHopeOverSuicide,
byDeQuincyA.Lezine,Ph.D.,withDavidBrent,M.D.
Alsoavailableintheseriesforparentsandotheradults:
IfYourAdolescentHasDepressionorBipolarDisorder(2005)
DwightL.Evans,M.D.,andLindaWasmerAndrews
IfYourAdolescentHasanEatingDisorder(2005)
B.TimothyWalsh,M.D.,andV.L.Cameron
IfYourAdolescentHasanAnxietyDisorder(2006)
EdnaB.Foa,Ph.D.,andLindaWasmerAndrews
IfYourAdolescentHasSchizophrenia(2006)
RaquelE.Gur,M.D.,Ph.D.,andAnnBradenJohnson,Ph.D.
Next to Nothing
A Firsthand Account of
One Teenager’s Experience
With an Eating Disorder
Carrie Arnold
withB.TimothyWalsh,M.D.
The Annenberg FoundationTrust atSunnylands’
AdolescentMentalHealth Initiative
1
2007
1
OxfordUniversityPress,Inc.,publishesworksthatfurther
OxfordUniversity’sobjectiveofexcellence
inresearch,scholarship,andeducation.
TheAnnenbergFoundationTrustatSunnylands
TheAnnenbergPublicPolicyCenteroftheUniversityofPennsylvania
OxfordUniversityPress
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Copyright#2007byOxfordUniversityPress,Inc.
PublishedbyOxfordUniversityPress,Inc.
198MadisonAvenue,NewYork,NewYork10016
www.oup.com
OxfordisaregisteredtrademarkofOxfordUniversityPress
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,
storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,
electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise,
withoutthepriorpermissionofOxfordUniversityPress.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Arnold,Carrie,1980–
Nexttonothing:afirsthandaccountofoneteenager’sexperiencewithaneatingdisorder/
byCarrieArnoldwithB.TimothyWalsh.
p. cm.—(AnnenbergFoundationTrustatSunnylands’adolescentmental
healthinitiative)
‘‘TheAnnenbergFoundationTrustatSunnylands,theAnnenbergPublicPolicyCenter.’’
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-0-19-530965-2;978-0-19-530966-9(pbk.)
1. Arnold,Carrie,1980—Mentalhealth. 2. Eatingdisordersinadolescence—Patients—
Biography. 3. Eatingdisorders—Treatment. I. Walsh,B.Timothy,1946– II. Title.
RJ506.E18A762007
618.92'85260092—dc22 [B] 2007004753
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
onacid-freepaper
Contents
Foreword ix
Preface xiii
One
A Very Heavy Weight: Life With Anorexia
and Bulimia 1
ConsumedbyED 2
Obsessing About Food 4
Grabbing Hold of Recovery 7
The Face in the Mirror 9
Two
Evolution of an Eating Disorder 12
Inthe Beginning 13
JustFive Pounds... 16
Atlanta, GA 17
Impatient Inpatient 20
Treatment inPhiladelphia 23
Hospitalization, Take Two 25
vi Contents
Three
The Basics: What You Need to Know About
Eating Disorders 27
Eating Disorders Defined 28
What Causes Eating Disorders? 33
Medical Dangers 46
Diseases That FrequentlyCo-occur With Eating Disorders 49
DiagnosticMigration 53
So, What Next? 54
Four
After the Diagnosis: Getting the Right Treatment
for You 55
Seeking Help 56
Goals of Treatment 58
Starting Treatment 59
Close-up onthe Treatment Team: WhoThey Are and
What TheyCan DoforYou 61
Intensive Treatment Options 77
Recovery inAny Setting 82
Five
The Personal Challenges of Recovery:
Practical Tips 84
Accepting That YOUHave anEating Disorder 85
Strategies and Techniquesfor Maintaining Recovery 85
Medical Issues inRecoveryand Beyond 97
Foodfor Life 98
Recovery at All Costs 100
Six
Dealing With the World While in Recovery 101
Talking toFamily and Friends About YourEating Disorder 102
Enlisting Support During Recovery 103
Dealing With Dumb Comments,Part I 105
Contents vii
Everyday Life: The 23hoursEach Day WhenYou’re Not
inTherapy 106
Walking the Walk and Talking the Talk 110
Seven
Relapse: There and Back Again 112
OneStep Forward,Two Steps Back 114
Return to Anorexia 117
Back in Residential Treatment 120
Relapse Prevention 120
Dealing With DumbComments, Part II 122
Eight
Closure 124
Appendix: For Caregivers of Young People With Eating
Disorders 129
Some Frequently Asked Questions for the Recently
Diagnosed 137
Glossary 147
Resources 151
Bibliography 159
Index 161
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Foreword
The Adolescent Mental Health Initiative (AMHI) was
created by The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunny-
lands to share with mental health professionals, parents, and
adolescents the advances in treatment and prevention now
available to adolescents with mental health disorders. The
Initiative was made possible by the generosity and vision of
Ambassadors Walterand Leonore Annenberg, andtheproject
was administered through the Annenberg Public Policy Cen-
ter of the University of Pennsylvania in partnership with
Oxford University Press.
The Initiative began in 2003 with the convening, in Phi-
ladelphiaandNewYork,ofsevenscholarlycommissionsmade
up of over 150 leading psychiatrists and psychologists from
around the country. Chaired by Drs. Edna B. Foa, Dwight L.
Evans, B. Timothy Walsh, Martin E. P. Seligman, Raquel E.
Gur, Charles P. O’Brien, and Herbert Hendin, these com-
missions were tasked with assessing the state of scientific re-
search on the prevalent mental disorders whose onset occurs
predominantlybetweentheagesof10and22.Theircollective
ix