I am very pleased to announce that Psychology Today has offered to provide a forum for family-based treatment and One More Bite, starting with this posting. This blog will now be shared by Eating Disorders Blogs and Psychology Today.

When I started this blog about two and half years ago, it was with the hope that it would provide a much- needed forum for better understanding and utilizing family-based treatment (FBT) for eating disorders (otherwise known as the “Maudsley approach”). At that time, many eating disorder treatment providers had not heard of FBT. Much has happened during that period of time, and thankfully now the word has spread regarding the power of FBT in treating child and adolescent eating disorders (as well as more empirical support for it). Yet, much remains to be accomplished in disseminating this treatment and in having it appropriately applied. It is my hope that this blog will help in that mission.

For those of you who are new to this blog, to follow is a more detailed description of the purpose of this blog, the meaning of its title, and resources for further information on FBT.

I am a clinical psychologist specializing in eating behavior and was lucky enough to be one of the early people who sought out training in family- based treatment. I was drawn to this treatment by its powerful results and by the way it turned traditional notions about the etiology and treatment of eating disorders on its head. Unlike more traditional therapies, which often tended to blame parents and families for eating disorders, FBT envisions parents and families as the best resource in treating eating disorders. It is grueling work for all involved but its effectiveness can be astonishing when witnessed first hand and it continually keeps me coming back for more.

“One more bite” in the language of family- based treatment is the measure of a successful meal. It means that the individual with an eating disorder, with the love and support of family, has accomplished a remarkable achievement—eating just one more bite than the eating disorder would have allowed him or her to eat alone. If you have ever witnessed such an event, and the tears and struggle that come with it, you will see the pain of an eating disorder at its most basic level. You will also see the triumph that comes with wrestling it down and making it go away, hopefully forever.

In addition, this blog is an opportunity for us all to have (metaphorically, that is) “one more bite”–reflecting on what happens in the therapy by allowing us to explore thoughts that evolve and simmer over time. One More Bite is a forum for you—whether you have an eating disorder, have a child, sibling, or other loved who struggles, or are a therapist providing guidance to these heroic individuals and families.

Here we can chronicle the triumphs and disappointments that occur day by day, meal by meal, therapy session by therapy session, in the process of helping a loved one (or oneself) recover from an eating disorder. This blog also explores the very real challenges of weight maintenance and psychological recovery once weight restoration has occurred and the struggles that families, patients, and therapists face in confronting the eating disorder head on.

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If you are not familiar with Maudsley therapy, excellent resources and references are available online . I will refer you to them rather than replicate this work.

http://www.feast-ed.org/images/FBT_page_for_FEAST.pdf

http://maudsleyparents.org/whatismaudsley.html

Since this is your forum, I ask you to please email me topics that you would like to see discussed. I encourage everyone–patients, siblings, parents and therapists– to chime in. Please write to me at: joy@drjoyjacobs.com (link sends e-mail)

Thanks for coming and until later, be well.