jews in the d

continued from page 12

“I have to tell myself
to eat. I’ve gotten so
used to being hungry.
But, at this point,
food is not always
on my mind.
Today, I see food as
something that will
fuel me and will keep
me healthy.”

— NATALIE

Some signs and
symptoms of a
possible eating
disorder

• Changes in the food choices
a child/young adult makes
• Comments about their
relationship with food
• Loss of period if a young
woman has begun
menstruation
• Body changes
• Changes in apparel, where
the individual wears clothing
that conceals their body
• Young children who express
a desire to go on a diet
• Kids who play with their food
• Kids who sleep a lot and
show low energy

14

December 27 • 2018

jn

intention of eating more healthfully but
then becomes very rigid in what they
will and will not eat.
The National Eating Disorders
Association (NEDA) reports that
between 0.3-0.4 percent of young
women and 0.1 percent of young men
will suffer from anorexia nervosa at any
given time.
For bulimia nervosa, 1.0 percent of
young women and 0.1 percent of young
men will meet diagnostic criteria for
bulimia nervosa at any given point in
time.
Although eating disorders in gen-
eral affect more females, NEDA cites
research that showed from 1999 to 2009,
the number of men hospitalized for an
eating disorder-related cause increased
by 53 percent. ARFID also tends to affect
more males.

ADDRESSING EMOTIONAL ISSUES
Today, Natalie says she still battles her
eating disorder but that working with
her medical team, and especially her
therapist Tammy Dines, LMSW, ACSW,
she has been able to manage her depres-
sion and anxiety, and control that voice
in her head that “tells” her to skip meals.
“At this moment, it’s
just more frustrating deal-
ing with the eating disor-
der,” Natalie said. “I have
to tell myself to eat. I’ve
gotten so used to being
hungry. But, at this point,
Tammy Dines
food is not always on my
mind. Today, I see food
as something that will fuel me and will
keep me healthy.”
Natalie said she’s looking to the future,
which includes going to college. She also
has found greater purpose and meaning
in helping to prepare students for their
bat or bar mitzvahs.
Dines, who runs a private practice
in Farmington Hills, said that treating
an eating disorder is frustrating for the
individual because progress can be slow.
But she recommends a holistic approach
in that the person with the disorder
work with a team, such as a therapist, a
psychiatrist, a nutritionist and a medical
doctor.
“We have to address emotional, nutri-
tional and physical aspects of the disor-
der,” she said, adding that her role is to
address the emotions that come about
with eating disorders.

“I think for some eating disorders, it’s
societal pressure to look a certain way
and to be thin,” Dines said. “There’s a
lot of family dynamics and eating dis-
orders occur more in chaotic families
or families with eating disorders. We’re
seeing with anorexics [a desire for] per-
fection and wanting that control. Eating
becomes a way to be in control.
“With some bulimics, there’s a lot of
anger and rage and this is one way of
externalizing it, by vomiting. With exer-
cise bulimia, it’s calories in, take it off. A
lot of these people are rigid.”

A MOTHER’S TAKE
Natalie’s mother, who also asked to be
anonymous, said she began noticing
emotional changes in her daughter, that
she always seemed angry and sad, as her
eating disorder developed.
“Puberty hit Natalie really hard,
physically and mentally,” she said. “For
Natalie, finding happiness is difficult.”
Natalie’s mom, who also dealt with
anorexia as a young person, said that
helping Natalie has taken an emotional
and financial toll on the family, but that
she has been proactive in her daughter’s
ongoing recovery.
“With Natalie’s eating disorder, it’s not
just about being skinny,” she said. “You
have to focus on their mental health.
Don’t be afraid to snoop. I snooped. I’m
a concerned mother. Ask questions of
your child and keep questioning them.
Don’t just let it go. Seek medical help
sooner rather than later.”

GETTING HELP
One center in Bloomfield Hills is
addressing the unique issues surround-
ing eating disorders. The Center for
Eating Disorder Assessment, Recovery
& Support (CEDARS) is run by Kristine
Vazzano, Ph.D., and registered dietitian
Patrizia Jesue.
The center provides outpatient ser-
vices, including a therapeutic meal
support program, which helps indi-
viduals successfully manage, confront
and overcome difficulties and anxieties
of meal time. It also helps individuals
manage their disordered thoughts about
and behaviors around eating and food.
Additionally, CEDARS offers different
types of behavioral therapy and various
support groups, as well as therapeutic
yoga, meditation, culinary art therapy
and creative art therapy.

Taylor Beardsall is an art therapist at
CEDARS and says those who are more
creative have a higher risk
of developing an eating
disorder.
“There tends to be a lot
of anxiety and perfection-
ism” in these individuals,
she said. “Having an eat-
Taylor
ing disorder can lead to
Beardsall
feelings of depression and
really high anxiety.”
Beardsall said that using the creative
process can help individuals cope with
the feelings of having an eating disorder.
“The art process can be a source of
grounding,” she said, adding that when
individuals see their own artwork, it
often gives them a sense of strength and
shows them positive aspects of them-
selves.

LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY
As therapist Dines mentioned, the recov-
ery process from an eating disorder is
slow and challenging. Laurie Jablonski,
a mother of two grown daughters who
lives in Warren, knows this is true.
Jablonski, who was raised Jewish
and attends Temple Israel in West
Bloomfield, has dealt with
anorexia and, to a lesser
extent, binge-eating for
decades, dating back to
her high school years.
She’s worked with various
therapists over the years
Laurie
but has found greater
Jablonski
success working with Dr.
Vazzano and Jesue. She also has utilized
CEDARS services, including art therapy
and mindfulness practices.
“I’ve learned how to look at things
differently, how not to blame myself over
everything,” she said. “There’s still a lot of
work to do, but I feel so much better. My
relationship with food is I can eat any-
thing I want, in proportion. There’s no
such thing as a good or bad food.”
She also has advice for younger people
coping with an eating disorder.
“If the young person is ready for
recovery, I would tell them to listen to
their therapist and to work harder than
their therapist,” she said. “If you want
recovery, you have to work at it every
day.” ■

For details, go to www.nationaleatingdisorders.
org.