Helping People with Eating Disorders: A Clinical Guide to Assessment and Treatment

Up–to–date and accessible, the second edition of Helping People with Eating Disorders is a comprehensive guide to understanding, assessing and treating eating disorders. The new edition focuses on evidence–based practice and has been fully updated to include references to the latest research and DSM–5 classifications. Chapters cover the most important topics in clear and concise language, including the types of eating disorders and their causes, treatment methods and their outcomes, and suggestions for dealing with challenging cases. The author illustrates concepts and methods using several case studies that run throughout the book, as well as numerous examples from over 40 years of clinical work. He assists readers not only in understanding the severity of illness in this patient population but also in coordinating the complex combinations of medical and psychological care and services. This is an indispensable guide for those who need practical recommendations for challenging clinical situations related to eating disorders.

About the Author vi Preface to the Second Edition vii Preface to the First Edition viii 1 What are the Eating Disorders? 1 2 Who Suffers from Eating Disorders? Who Asks for Help? 25 3 What Causes Eating Disorders? 42 4 Thinking about Eating Disorders 70 5 What is Involved in Recovery from Eating Disorder? 84 6 Assessing People with Eating Disorders 93 7 What Helps People with ‘Bulimic Disorders’? 123 8 What Helps People with Anorexia Nervosa? 158 9 Unusual Eating Disorders 202 10 What May Go Wrong? 215 11 The Organising Services for People with Eating Disorders 241 References 260 Index 287

Bob Palmer is Honorary Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Leicester, UK, where he spent much of his career as an NHS clinician and consultant psychiatrist. Over the last 40 years, he has become a leading figure in the field of eating disorders and has been involved in innovative research, clinical practice, education and administration. He is a recipient of Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Academy for Eating Disorders and Beat, the UK eating disorders charity. He is also the author of numerous articles and the author or editor of several books.