Anorexia Workbook , livre ebook

“Drawing on Hayes’s principles of acceptance and action, Michelle Heffner and Georg Eifert have produced a remarkably useful book, full of easily understood but not simplistic principles for self-change. Individuals experiencing anorexia, as well as their therapists, families, and friends can find useful wisdom in this book, reassured that it draws on new but sound principles in clinical psychology.”
—Ian M. Evans, Ph.D., fellow of the American Psychological Association and Royal Society of New Zealand, and author of Non-Aversive Intervention for Behavior Problems
“This is an engaging and highly readable book for those hoping for a different perspective on a problem that is difficult to treat. The Anorexia Workbook is a life-affirming and soothing guide that teaches the art of accepting and letting go as a way to a healthy lifestyle. Rather than focusing on what is wrong, it helps the reader find the path to what is right through wonderful metaphorical images, written exercises, and active participation. I enjoyed reading this book from start to finish and learned as much about treating anorexia using ACT as about ACT itself. I actually used some of what I learned in a session with a student immediately after reading the book. This is great stuff and a gem for patients and clinicians alike!”
—Jeanne M. Walker, Ph.D., director of Psychological Counseling Services at Chapman University in Orange, CA
“This beautifully written book challenges the change agenda so often emphasized in the treatment of eating disorders. Instead, it focuses on acceptance, choice, and making commitments to living consistent with one’s values and goals. The person-focused perspective, coupled with numerous examples and exercises, provide a wonderful guide for those wishing to consider an alternative to the trap of struggle and control over body image, food, and weight. The reader will find a fresh and empowering perspective on what it means to live a full, rich, and valued life and how to go about doing just that.”
—John P. Forsyth, Ph.D., director of the Anxiety Disorders Research Program at SUNY, Albany
"This workbook will be a great resource for people whose lives are affected by anorexia. It is easy to read, well structured, and compassionate. It takes people on a journey, helping them to travel beyond anorexia towards a more valued life path. Importantly, the workbook techniques have been supported by substantial scientific research. This book is an excellent investment and will be of benefit for years to come."
—Dr. Joseph Ciarrochi, Ph.D., senior lecturer of psychology at the University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, and associate editor of Cognition and Emotion
“Michelle Heffner and Georg Eifert have done a wonderful job in applying ACT to anorexia. I believe that the practical exercises and advice in this book can certainly help people who want their lives no longer be ruled by anorexia. In particular, this book offers an avenue of hope and encouragement that is not only ultimately humane but completely different from other scientifically-driven approaches to the problem of anorexia. I have no doubt that it will transform the lives of many people.”
—Frank W. Bond, Ph.D., senior lecturer of psychology at Goldsmiths College, University of London
“ACT is one of the greatest gifts I have ever received during my education and training as a doctor and general psychiatrist in private practice. ACT has the credentials of a sound scientific foundation and, as a functional approach, it allows practitioners to design highly flexible interventions with different patient populations even under the severe time constraints of a busy practice. Instead of focusing on symptoms and pathology, this treatment brings real life, values, and humanity into the doctor’s office. With this marvelous book, Ms. Heffner and Dr. Eifert present ACT to the lay public for the first time. They do so in an excellent and very convincing way with a disorder that is notoriously difficult to deal with for patients and professionals alike. Highly recommended.”
—Rainer F. Sonntag, MD, psychiatrist & psychotherapist in private practice in Olpe, Germany

Publisher’s Note
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.
Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books.
Copyright © 2004 by Michelle Heffner and Georg Eifert
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
5674 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
Cover design by Amy Shoup
Edited by Heather Mitchener
Text design by Michele Waters
ISBN-10 1-57224-362-7
ISBN-13 978-1-57224-362-0
All Rights Reserved
epub ISBN: 9781608823765
New Harbinger Publications’ website address: www.newharbinger.com
Contents
Foreword: Starting from Here
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part 1: Understanding Anorexia
Chapter 1: What Is Anorexia?
Chapter 2: An Anorexia Self-Test
Part 2: Treating Anorexia with ACT: Change What You Do, Not What You Think and Feel
Chapter 3: Accept—Choose—Take Action: The Basics of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Chapter 4: When Control Gets Out of Control
Chapter 5: Learning to Be a Mindful Observer
Chapter 6: Approach Difficult Situations with Acceptance
Chapter 7: Choosing Valued Directions
Chapter 8: Staying Committed to Valued Living
Chapter 9: Emily’s Journey to Recovery
Part 3: Professional Treatment Issues
Chapter 10: Professional Treatment Options
Chapter 11: Established Psychological Treatments For Anorexia
Chapter 12: Preparing for Treatment with a Therapist
Part 4: Additional Resources
Chapter 13: A Chapter for Loved Ones
Chapter 14: Assess Your Progress
References
Foreword
Starting from Here
Why do humans suffer so? This has been a puzzle for as long as humans have wondered about it. There have been many answers. One superficially appealing answer is that life is simply too hard, and that what we need is more ease, time, stimulation, conveniences, appliances, parties, and so on. But as human beings have learned better and better ways to make life easier, many problems have become worse. As science and technology provide conveniences, they also feed an implicit underlying message, namely that feeling good is the measure of a human life.
In most areas, “feel good-ism” has multiple manifestations. They may look quite different, but at their root they are the same. For example, a person who is anxious may indulge the anxiety and “do what it says” to get it to go away. For instance, anxiety might tell the person, “run and stay away from situations that make you feel anxious” and the person might do so. At other times, the same person may try to suppress the anxiety directly (for example, through alcohol, drugs, or obsessive rituals) to get it to go away. Underneath both forms of adjustment is the same basic pattern: turning one’s life over to thoughts and feelings, even when the behavior that results is not workable, caring, or healthy. It is like a child who resists or complies with requests from a parent: the two patterns look quite different but in both cases the commands from the parents are in control of the child’s behavior.
Food presents much the same picture. On the one hand, we have rising rates of indulgence and obesity, and on the other hand there is an ever increasing number of people with eating disorders. Sometimes, both patterns occur within a single individual (for example, the bingeing and purging of bulimia). But in all these examples, the individual has allowed thoughts and feelings about food to take control of her behavior.
ACT takes another approach altogether. Instead of trying to change one’s thoughts and feelings first, ACT tries to change the way people respond to their thoughts and feelings—especially how one behaves in the presence of them. Instead of trying to get all of our thoughts lined up in a row, ACT teaches us how to watch our thoughts—gently, with dispassionate interest, without entanglement— and to do what needs to be done in a given situation.
In this book, Michelle Heffner and Georg Eifert invite you to walk with them down this new path. Where there once was avoidance, they help create acceptance. Where there once was entanglement with your thoughts and feelings, they help create mindfulness. Where there once was desperation and meaninglessness, they help create valued action.
ACT does not promise that difficult thoughts and feelings will go away. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don’t. What it does promise, however, is that every human life can be dignified, valued, and whole—with pain when there is pain—and yet alive, real, healthy, and honest. Most of all, it suggests that this process can start from here, right now. Instead of starting from where you are not (feeling and thinking differently, so that different behaviors can eventually occur), ACT suggests starting from where you are , with your thoughts, feelings, memories, behavioral predispositions, and bodily sensations that are already there.
The research programs on the benefits of this approach are still young, but they are growing. Research teams around the world are documenting the benefits of acceptance, mindfulness, and valued action. These approaches are barely visible in the mainstream culture, and they can be confusing, subtle, and hard to express in words. I think the authors have done a masterful job of putting ACT into a form that people may be able to use directly. For those who have struggled and failed with existing approaches, ACT presents an alternative path. If you are willing, this book will help you walk that path and to discover whether this new approach will empower you to show up, let go, and reconnect wit