Transcript Slide 1

Working with Eating
Disorder Patients
Elise Curry Psy.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Private Practice
San Diego, CA
Anorexia Nervosa
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Most homogenous psychiatric
disorder
90-95% female
Onset teenage years – puberty
Monotonous puzzling
symptoms
Poor response to treatment
Highest mortality rate
50% to 80% contribution of
genes
DSM IV Criteria for Anorexia
Nervosa
 Preoccupation
with body shape,
weight/size
 <85% ideal BW
 Fear of becoming fat despite low
weight
 Loss of 3 consecutive periods in
women
 Types: restricting,binge/purge,purge
DSM IV criteria for Bulimia
Nervosa
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Recurrent episodes of binge eating, characterized
by eating an excessive amount of food within a
discrete period of time and by a sense of lack of
control over eating during the episode
Recurrent inappropriate compensatory behavior
in order to prevent weight gain, such as selfinduced vomiting or misuse of laxatives,
diurética, enemas, or other medications
(purging); fasting; or excessive exercise
The binge eating and inappropriate compensatory
behaviors both occur, on average, at least twice a
week for 3 months
Self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body
shape and weight
Diagnostic challenges in EDs
(ED NOS)
BN vs. AN: binge/purge type
 Sandy is 5 ft tall and weighs is 80 lbs.
She has regular periods and no body
distortion. She is 16 yrs old.
 Sally purges normal meals, but does not
binge.
 Tom thinks he needs to gain weight. He
uses exercise to purge. He binges 2 times
per week and then goes running.
 Shelly chews and spits her food several
times a day
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Compulsive Exercise
1. Having no
period isn’t
healthy, even for
an athlete.
 2. Exercising in
spite of injury or
sickness.
 3. Individual feels
s/he has to
exercise to feel OK.
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4. Exercise
becomes the way
the individual
organizes his/her
life.
 5. Exercise is done
in secret.
 6. Exercise done
mostly to burn
calories.
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Possible Signs of an Eating
Disorder
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Preoccupation with
food/weight
Dramatic weight loss
or gain
Chronic dieting
Feels cold all the time
Dental problems
History of ballet,
wrestling, or modeling
Disgusted by red meat
or desserts
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Has difficulty eating
with people
Cuts out food groups
Becomes
vegetarian/vegan as a
teen
Uses bathroom after
meals
Wears baggy clothes
or layers
Cooks for other
excessively
Excessive exercise
Scope of The Problem
Prevalence increasing
 AN: .5-2%
 BN: 3-4%
 AN BN More common westernized cultures
 10% of eating disordered individuals in
treatment are male
 5% per decade of AN patients die
(disorder or suicide)
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Scope of the problem:
continued
One of the highest death rates from any
mental health condition (AN) 10%
 Increasing incidence in elementary age
children (8-11 year old)
 The incidence of bulimia in 10-39 year old
women TRIPLED between 1988 and 1993.
 There has been a rise in incidence of
anorexia in young women 15-19 in each
decade since 1930.
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Ethnic Diversity in EDs
Minnesota Adolescent Health Study found
that dieting was associated with weight
dissatisfaction, perceived overweight, and
low body pride in all ethnic groups (Story
et al, 1997).
 Among the leanest 25% of 6th and 7th
grade girls, Hispanics and Asians reported
significantly more body dissatisfaction
than did white girls. Robinson et al (1996)
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Cultural Issues
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More common in Westernized Societies
Historically self starvation reported prior to 19th
century (religious/spiritual “reasons”)
Cultural importance placed on “thinness”
Less common in cultures where roundness is sign
of fertility, health, prosperity
Hong kong, India : AN w/o fear of fat.
“Many individuals in our culture, for a number of reasons,
are concerned with their weight and diet. Yet less than half
of one percent of all women develop anorexia nervosa,
which indicates to us that societal pressure alone isn’t
enough to cause someone to develop this disease,” said
Kaye.
Media Stats
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The average young adolescent watches 3 to 4
hours of TV per day (Levine, 1997).
A study of 4,294 network television commercials
revealed that 1 our of every 3.8 commercials
send some sort of “attractiveness message,”
telling viewers what is or is not attractive (as
cited in Myers et al, 1992). These researchers
estimate that the average adolescent sees over
5,260 “attractiveness messages” per year.
Another study of mass media magazines
discovered that women’s magazines had 10.5
times more advertisements and articles
promoting weight loss than men’s magazines did
(as cited in Guillen & Barr, 1994).
Drive for thinness and dieting
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Girls who diet frequently are 12 times as likely to binge as
girls who don’t diet (Neumark-Sztainer,2005).
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Most fashion models are thinner than 98% of American
women (Smolak, 1996).
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The average American woman is 5’4” tall and weighs 140
lbs. The average model is 5’11” and weighs 117 lbs.
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35% of “normal dieters” progress to pathological dieting. Of
those, 20-25% progress to partial or full syndrome eating
disorders (Shisslak & Crago, 1995).
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95% of all dieters will regain their lost weight in 1 to 5
years (Grodstein, et al., 1996).
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Americans spend over $40 billion on dieting and diet
related products each year (Smolak, 1996).
Body Image
How you see yourself when you look in the
mirror or when you picture yourself in
your mind.
 What you believe about your own
appearance (including your memories,
assumptions, and generalizations).
 How you feel about your body, including
your height, shape, and weight.
 How you sense and control your body as
you more. How you feel in your body, not
just about your body.
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NEDA website
Negative body image
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A distorted perception
of your shape – you
perceive parts of your
body unlike how they
really are.
You are convinced that
only other people are
attractive and that
your body size or
shape is a sign of
personal failure.
You feel ashamed,
self-conscious, and
anxious about your
body.
 You feel
uncomfortable and
awkward in your
body.
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NEDA website
Positive body image
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A clear, true
perception of your
shape – you see
various parts of your
body as they really
are.
You celebrate and
appreciate your
natural body shape
and you understand
that a person’s
physical appearance
says very little about
their character and
value as a person.
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You feel proud and
accepting of your
unique body and
refuse to spend an
unreasonable amount
of time worrying
about food, weight,
and calories.
You feel comfortable
and confident in your
body.
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NEDA website
Childhood Symptoms OC Personality Traits:
Percentage of Individuals With Traits
100
AN (n=26)
% of Patients
80
60
65
72
AN-BN (n=18)
77
BN (n=28)
80
62
61
50
50
40
25
20
0
Perfectionistic
Inflexible
Anderluh MB, et al. Am J Psychiatry. 2003;160(2):242-247.
Rule Bound
Heritability Estimates
 DISORDER
 Autism
 Schizophrenia
 Bipolar
 Anorexia/Bulimia
 Early
MDD
 OCD
 Obesity
HERITABILITY
.8 - 1
.5 - .9
.3 - .8
.5 - .8
.5 - .75
.5 - .7
.4 - .7
Psychological Correlates of Anorexia
Nervosa
Poor self concept
 Obsessive compulsive and avoidant personality style
 Perfectionistic, obsessive, harm avoidant traits
 Family dynamics: enmeshment, anxiety,
over-achievers
 Troubles with major life transitions
 an attempt to regress, avoid development
 Difficulty managing and expressing anger
 Cognitive distortions
 Ego-syntonic nature of disease
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Psychological Correlates of Bulimia
Nervosa
Poor self concept
 Chaotic developmental history, parental deficit
 ambiguous communication styles
 Affective regulation problems
 Cognitive distortions
 Ego-dystonic nature of disease
 Impulsivity, substance abuse, self harm, sexual
acting out, shop lifting
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Distorted Beliefs
 There are “good” foods and “bad” foods.
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If I am fat, no one will love me.
If I eat too much, I need to get rid of it by purging.
If I eat this piece of cheesecake, I will be able to see it on
my body tomorrow.
You can never be too rich or too thin.
Thinness equals happiness.
Using laxatives gets rid of all the food.
Purging gets rid of all the food.
My worth is my weight.
It is more important to be thin than anything else.
Everyone hates fat people.
Men like women who are skinny.
Recovery Beliefs
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My worth is not my weight.
My body is an instrument, not an ornament.
When I treat my body well, by eating 3 balanced meals per
day and exercising moderately, my body will find its own
set-point weight.
People come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. I don’t have to
try to mold my body into a standard set by the media or
fashion industry.
I need some fat in my diet in order to have soft skin, shiny
hair, and be able to become pregnant some day.
I can enjoy having a more curvy body, instead of striving
for thinness.
I am unique and special due to my inner qualities.
Perfectionism only leads to disappointment, not happiness.
Goal of Psychological Treatment
 Help
pt to adjust to their personality
traits/temperament
 Reduce anxiety through use of
positive coping skills
 Reduce “eating disorder voice” and
develop a “recovery voice.”
 Increase focus on inner qualities to
define self, rather than physical
traits like thinness.
NEEDS
met by the eating disorder:
 Safety/Survival: reduction of anxiety
 Love/Belonging: best friend
 Freedom: no one can take the e.d. away
 Power/control/importance: feeling superior,
weight loss as an accomplishment
 Fun/relaxation/release: endorphins
released by purging
A Major Truth: Feelings
Follow Thoughts & Actions
Thoughts
Actions
Needs
Want
Choices
Feelings
Physiology
Group Therapy
Structured on-site meal
 Milieu therapy/ use of group
 CBT/DBT
 Process group
 Nutritional counseling
 Body image group
 Art Therapy
 Relaxation, meditation
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Individual Therapy
Affect regulation and tolerance
 Impulsivity
 Externalization of self worth
 Feelings of ineffectiveness, inadequacy
 Rejection sensitivity
 DBT
 PMD and dietitian
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Family Therapy
 Required
with Adolescents
 Maudsley Family Therapy
 Systemic Family Therapy
 Couples
 Family involvement to motivate pt
for treatment (case example)
UCSD Eating Disorder IOP
(Individual and Family Therapy by appointment)
Mon.
Tues.
Adult and Teen
Process Groups
Wed.
Thurs.
Adult Art
Therapy
Dialectical
Behavioral
Therapy
Meditation
Snack
Goal Setting
Group
Dinner Meal and
Nutrition
Education
Treatment Team
for all Staff
Cognitive
Behavioral
Therapy
Adult
Mindfulness
Based Stress
Reduction
Or
Teen Art
Therapy
Goal Setting
Dinner Meal
Process Meal
Goal Setting
Fri.
Common Management Issues
 Denial,
resistance
 Lack of insight and motivation for
treatment
 Failure to learn from experience
 Adolescent – anxious parents,
conflicts
 Adults – family burn out
 Ambivalence: pt wants to recover,
but does not want to gain any weight
Expected Issues
Patients and Families
Obsessive anxiety – much reassurance
and discussing details of care
 Perfectionism – not good enough
 Stress and conflicts over eating, weight,
control, meal plan etc.
 Over-exercise
 Undermining treatment: i.e. taking the pt
running
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Countertransference Issues
 Feeling
angry at the patient for not
recovering
 Thinking this is “willful” behavior
 Blaming the parents
 Feeling incompetent
 Giving up hope for the patient
 Not taking the disorder seriously
Coping with Countertransference
Issues
 Practice
patient acceptance: The
average recovery rate is 7 years.
 Have compassion for the suffering
of the patient.
 See their behavior as part of the
disorder, not personal toward you.
 Practice good self-care.
Overview of biological
underpinnings of EDS
Genetic Correlates in Anorexia Nervosa
 Family
and twin studies
 Serotonin receptor gene
 Variation in Dopamine 2 receptor gene
 Chrom 1 and 10
 Family history of OCD, OCPD, AN
Genetic Correlates of Bulimia Nervosa
 Twin
studies
 5ht2A receptor alteration
 Family history of affective, anxiety,
substance abuse d/o
Neuroendocrine Correlates of
Anorexia Nervosa
 Serotonin
(5HT2A receptor)
 Dopamine
 Endogenous
opiate response to starvation
 Hypothalamus dysfunction (satiety,
amenorrhea)
Neuroendocrine correlates of
Bulimia Nervosa
 Serotonin
(5HT1A receptor)
 Endogenous opiate response to binge
purge
Neuropsychiatric correlates of
Eating Disorders
 Iowa
gambling task: AN vs CW:
Differences seen on fMRI
 AN: Neuropsych testing: difficulties
with set shifting, flexibility
 AN: Detail focus, to the point of
missing global (Janet Treasure)
 AN vs BN
 Use in clinical practice
Psychiatric symptoms in AN and BN
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Premorbid onset
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“Best little girl in the world”
Majority have childhood anxiety disorder that precedes onset AN,
BN
Childhood negative self-evaluation, perfectionism, rule bound,
inflexible, obsessive personality
Persistent symptoms after recovery
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Obsessions - body image, weight, food
Obsessions - perfectionism, symmetry, exactness
Anxiety, harm avoidance
Behaviors are exaggerated by malnutrition
 Differences Between AN and BN
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Novelty seeking BN > AN, BN extremes of over- and under-control
Important Medical issues in
treatment of EDs
Physical Complications of Anorexia Nervosa
Organ System
Symptoms
Lab Test Results
1. Whole body
Weakness,
lassitude
Low weight/body mass index,
low body fat percentage
2. CNS
Apathy, poor
concentration
CT: ventricular enlargement;
MRI: decreased gray and white
matter
3. CV
Pre-syncope,
palps, dyspnea,
weakness, cold
extremities,
chest pain
ECG: sinus bradycardia, other
arrhythmia, QTc prolongation;
cardiac echo (consider): MVP,
silent pericardial effusion
Physical Complications of Anorexia Nervosa; Cont.
Organ System
Symptoms
Lab Test Results
4. Muscular
Weakness,
muscle
aches
Muscle enzyme abnormalities in
severe malnutrition
5. Reproductive
Prepubertal
psychosexually
Hypoestrogenemia; prepubertal
patterns of LH, FSH
6. Endocrine,
metabolic
Fatigue, cold
intolerance,
diuresis,
vomiting
Elevated cortisol; euthyroid
sick; dehydration; electrolyte
abnormalities; low phos on
refeeding; hypoglyc.(rare)
Physical Complications of Anorexia Nervosa; Cont.
Organ System
Symptoms
Lab Test Results
7. GI
Vomiting, abdom.
pain, bloating,
constipation
Delayed gastric
emptying; occas. abnl
LFTs
8. Renal
Pitting edema
Elevated BUN; renal
failure
9. Skeletal
Bone pain w/
exercise
X-ray/bone scan w/
stress fx; DEXA w/
osteopenia or
osteoporosis
Physical Complications of Bulimia Nervosa
Organ system
Symptoms
Lab Test Results
1. Metabolic
Weakness;
irritability
Dehydration; serum
electrolytes: ↓K+, ↓Cl
alkalosis w/ vomiting;
↓Mg, ↓K+, ↓Phos w/
laxative abuse
2. GI
Abdom. pain;
constipation;
bloating; reflux
Physical Complications of Bulimia Nervosa; cont.
Organ system
Symptoms
Lab Test Results
3. Oropharyngeal
Dental decay;
swollen cheeks
X-rays confirm
erosion of dental
enamel; elevated
serum amylase
4.CV and muscular
(in ipecac abusers)
Palpitations;
weakness
Cardiomyopathy and
arrhythmias;
peripheral myopathy
Medical evaluation for Anorexia Nervosa
 Assess
for co morbidity
 Screening labs: electrolytes, Ca++, Mg+,
Phos, BUN/Cr, CBC, LFTs, TFTs, UA
 Bone density (DEXA)
 EKG
Medical evaluation for Bulimia Nervosa
Assess for comorbidity
 Screening labs: electrolytes, Ca++, Mg+, Phos,
BUN/Cr, CBC, LFTs, TFTs, UA
 EKG
 Dental
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Pharmacology for AN
 SSRIs
 Atypical
antipsychotic medications
 Meds tried and failed for appetite
enhancement
 GI meds to aid physical symptoms
Pharmacology for BN
 Serotonin
re-uptake inhibitors
 AEDs (topiramate, ?zonisamide)
 Antipsychotics
 Mood stabilizers
 reglan, H2 blockers
Methods of Treatment
A.
Regular Weight restoration
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•
•
B.
2 to 3 lbs/wk inpatient
1 to 2 lbs/wk day-hospital
1 lb/wk outpatient
Nutritional Teaching
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•
Provide patient support
Prevention from vitamin and mineral
deficiency
Prevention of osteoporosis
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Aim for high Ca++ intake
Vitamin D to aid in Ca++ absorption; vegetarians may
need supplements
Eat iron-containing foods, especially important for
vegetarians
Integrated treatment programs
Multidisciplinary treatment team
 Program
manager
 Psychiatrist
 Therapists with ED training
 Registered Dietitian
 Internist/Pediatrician
AN: Hospital vs Outpatient Treatment
From American Psychiatric Association Guidelines for
the Treatment of Eating Disorders
Weight
Medical complications
Suicidal, comorbid psych
d.o.
Motivation, insight,
cooperation
Excessive exercise,
purging, etc
Stress, family dynamics
Outpatient
Inpatient
>85%
< 75%
none
Not present
 HR, BP, K
etc
severe
yes
no
minimal
severe
minimal
severe
Referral to Higher level of care
 Pt
is failing lower level.
 Pt’s weight loss is continuing in spite
of treatment
 Pt is unable to stop
bingeing/purging.
 Pt’s physical symptoms warrant
greater supervision (fainting,
dehydration, heart palpitations)
 Pt is resisting current level of care
Specific LOC Considerations
OP: high motivation, >85% IBW
 IOP: moderate motivation, >80%IBW
 PHP: >75%
 RTC: clinical issues
 IP: <75% IBW, psych co morbid severe
(SI)
 UCSD Intensive Family Therapy program
 Legal controversy
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Diagnostic Practice
See hand-out for interview
questions
Dual Diagnostic Issues
(Psychiatric co-morbidity)
PSYCHIATRIC COMORBIDITY: Anorexia
Nervosa
affective disorders
 anxiety disorders
 psychotic disorders
 personality disorders
 Substance abuse
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PSYCHIATRIC COMORBIDITY: Bulimia
Nervosa
Affective disorders
 Anxiety disorders
 Impulse Control Disorders
 Personality disorders
 Substance abuse
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Anxiety Disorders (AD)
Lifetime and Premorbid Rates
Study
ED
n
Lifetime AD
AD before ED
Deep 95
AN
24
68%
58%
Bulik 97
AN
68
60%
54%
Bulik 97
BN
116
57%
54%
Godart 00
AN
29
83%
62%
Godart 00
BN
34
71%
62%
AN,BN
672
64%
61%
23% OCD
13% social phobia
Kaye 04
Lifetime OCD Diagnosis in AN,
BN
Diagnosis
AN
AN BN
BN
Range
10 – 62%
10 – 66%
0 – 43 %
Percent with Diagnosis
Review of Literature
Godart 2002
Price Foundation Genetic Collaborative Study
Total 1416 subjects
DSM IV, SCID I, Y-BOCS MS/PhD Clinical Interview
N. America, England, Germany
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
AN (n 619)
AN BN (n 515)
BN (n 282)
General population rate OCD: 1-3% of adults; 2-4% of children
(Grados 97, Riddle 98; Serpell 02)
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality
Disorder (OCPD) Diagnoses in ED
from Clinical Interviewer Assessment
Cassin S, von Ranson K: Personality and eating disorders: a decade in review
Clin Psychol Rev 2005;25(7):895-916
Subjects
Range of OCPD
RAN
2 – 30%
BN
2 – 19%
Factor-Analysis of OCD
12 studies, 2000 patients
Mataix-Cols, Rosario-Campos, Leckman, AJP 2005
OCD is clinically heterogeneous
 4 symptom dimensions
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– Symmetry/ordering
– Hording
– Contamination/cleaning
– Obsessions/checking
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Associated with distinct patterns of
comorbidity, genetic transmission, neural
substrates, treatment response
Prevalence of E.D. and S.U.D.
 20%
of women with a substance
abuse/dependence have a current or
past history of BN or bulimic
behaviors
 21.4% of women with BN have a
current or past history of drug
abuse, and 17% of BN women report
a current or past history of
substance abuse or dependence.
 Theories of shared etiology vs.
causal etiology
Shared Etiology vs. Causal
Etiology
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Shared = both
disorders share a
common
predisposition and
include the
personality, family
history,
developmental,
and endogenous
opiods hypothesis.
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Causal = Having one
of these disorders
puts an individual at
risk for developing
another disorder.
Self-medication theory
Wolfe and Maisto (2000)
Results of Baker, Mazzeo,
Kendler Study 2007
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BN was associated with a lifetime history of
major depression, neuroticism,conduct disorder,
CSA, DUD, and a parental history of alcoholism.
The results of this study lend support to both the
personality and self-medication hypotheses.
Having higher neurotic tendencies may be the
underlying reason why women with BN are more
likely to develop DUD and vice versa.
Some of these variables (depression,
neuroticism, and CSA) may have an impact on
whether or not a woman with BN is at increased
risk of developing another disorder like DUD.
DBT Heirarchy
 1.
Life threatening behaviors
 2.
Therapy interfering behaviors
 3.
Quality of life issues

Marsha Linehan
Life threatening behaviors
Suicide
 Starving
 Binge-purge
 Etoh poisoning
 Fatal car crashes
 Domestic violence
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Over dose with
drugs
 Others?
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Therapy interfering behaviors
Failure to show up
 Lateness
 Not being truthful
 Critical of therapist
 Coming to session
intoxicated
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Hostility
 Not talking
 Not complying with
medications
 Conflict avoidant

Quality of life issues
 Ability
to eat meals with others
 Ability to have food in refridgerator
at home
 Supportive relationships
 Ability to go out to a restaurant with
friends
 Ability to think about topics other
than food, weight, and body size
Eating Disorders and SUD
 Which
to treat first?
 Access severity of SUD: 12 step, detox, inpatient?
 Come up with a mutally agreed upon
contract: sobriety, controlled
drinking/using, etc.
 Make connections btw the ED and
SUD: meeting certain needs
 Psychiatric eval if needed
E.D. and O.C.D.
 Refer
pt for psychiatric evaluation for
medications
 Refer pt to OCD specialist for
individual therapy. Have good
communication with this therapist.
 Case Example: Danny
Working with E.D. and
Personality Disorders
 Borderline
Traits
 Dependent Personality
 Histrionic Personality
 Obsessive Compulsive Pers. D/0
 Narcissistic Traits
Individual Therapy with
Eating Disorder
Patients
Psychotherapies for Anorexia
Nervosa (McIntosh, 2005)
20 sessions over a 20 week period
 56 AN women were randomly assigned to
3 treatments: (35 completed treatment)
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1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
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2. Interpersonal Psychotherapy
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3. Non-specific supportive clinical
management
Which treatment was the best?
 Interpersonal
was the least effective
of the 3 therapies.
 Successful treatment outcome was
achieved by 17% of the interpersonal
psychotherapy patients, 42% of the
CBT patients, and 82% of the nonspecific supportive clinical
management patients.
Non-specific Supportive Clinical
Management
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Education, care, and support
Fostering a therapeutic relationship that
promotes adherence to treatment
Assist the pt through use of praise, reassurance,
and advice.
Encourage resumption of normal eating and
weight restoration
Provided info on weight maintenance strategies,
energy requirements, and relearning to eat
normally
Info was provided verbally and through handouts.
Treatment Strategies for Bulimia
Nervosa
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1. Meal plan
2. Delay the binge
3. Binge, but don’t purge
4. Throw away your scale
5. Challenge distorted beliefs (CBT)
6. Teach anxiety reduction skills
7. Develop support system
8. Write in a journal
9. Set goals each week (1 B/P Max)
10. Use externalization (Life w/o Ed)
11. Teach set-point theory (Making Peace with
Food book)
Chain Analysis (example)
How to deal with resistance to
recovery
1. Validate pts
legitimate needs
and help her see
how the e.d.
serves her
 2. Use motivational
Interviewing: what
does she want?
 3. Normalize her
ambivalence
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
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4. Help her give a
voice to her e.d vs.
her recovery voice
5. Have her list all the
reasons why she
wants to recover.
6. Have her list all the
disadvantages to
recovery.
7. Be patient. The
average recovery rate
is 7 years!
Candy Crover
Candy is 23 year old college drop out who works as a waitress.
She drinks alcohol every weekend and has had more than 20 black
outs. She also binges and purges once a day. She has done this
since age 16 which is the same year her father died of cancer.
Candy tends to restrict her intake during the day and then binges
and purges at night on the left-overs she brings home from work.
Her weight fluctuates from 140 to 155 lbs.
She is 5 ft 10. As a teen, she used to cut on her
thighs because she thought they were too fat.
She is coming to you for individual therapy
because she is worried about her health. She
recently fainted after a binge-purge episode.
Her boyfriend found her on the bath room floor
and rushed her to the E.R. She received 3
bags of I.V. fluid due to dehydration
Axis I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
1. What is your treatment plan?
2.Which issues will you address first by using
the DBT Heirarchy?
3. Will you need to set any limits with this
patient?
1st Session
Candy begins the session telling you that she
feels fat. She weighed herself this morning and
she was 155lbs. She is worried that her
boyfriend wonÕ
t be attracted to her anymore.
Last night she was very anxious and binged and
purged for 2 hours. She did not eat any meals
that day.
2nd session
Candy begins the session by telling you that she
only binged/purged 4 times this past week.
Eating 2 meals per day helped her. She also
followed your suggestion to get rid of her scale.
She wants you to help her to understand why
she binges/purges. (do a chain analysis). Help
her to find a place to break the chain.
1.
I came home from work and I was really hungry. I didnÕt eatany meals
that day.
2.
I brought home some f ood f rom work and put it in the microwave.
3.
I cooked the f ood and ate it out of the carton really f ast.
4.
I got anxious about getting f at. I told myself ŅIshouldnÕthave eaten all that
bad f ood.Ó
5.
I thought ŅImust purge.ÓThen I went to the bathroom and threw up.
6.
I f elt more relaxed and then I went to bed
.
Case Example: Annie
 30
year old B.S. biology
 Binge/purge for 5 years
 Weekly individual therapy
 Identify trigger: parent’s house,
skipping meals
Case Example: Karen
22 year old college graduate
 Anorexic mother
 Residential treatment, IOP, PHP, Individual
therapy
 5’ 2
93lbs
 Highest weight: 120
 Lowest weight: 88
 Got period back at 105lbs.
 Doesn’t want her thighs to touch
 Identify binge/purge triggers (grandpa’s
house)

When is individual
therapy not enough?
HBO Special
 THIN
 Discussion
Questions and
Answers about Day I
Comments or suggestions
for Day II?
Life without ED
 What
Jenni Schaefer has to teach us
 Externalization of the eating disorder
What are perfectionistic traits?
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Never being satisfied
with your
achievements or
performance
Ability to see flaws
where others do not
Dread of making
mistakes
Exactness
Exceedingly high
standards
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Very detail focused
Lack of novelty
seeking
Frequent
disappointment with
self and others
Relentless pursuit of
perfection
“I have to be the best
at everything I do.”
How can we help pts to reduce
perfectionism?
Identify perfectionism as a personality
trait which is unlikely to change
 Help pts to manage their perfectionism by
noticing it and doing the opposite (risk
taking, trying something new, stop
redoing or re-writing)
 Recognize the benefits of this trait. Turn it
into an asset, rather than a liability. Being
on time, being good at detail oriented
tasks, academic achievement, research
career etc.

Goals and Benefits of Group Therapy
Breaks down isolation
 Provides peer support
 Learning from others, not just group
leader.
 Shame reduction
 Problem solving
 Interpersonal Skill Building
 Helps to replace e.d.
 Better resource allocation

Why are groups so important for
eating disorder pts?
Many of them have social phobia
 Many of them are isolated
 Many of them have problems with
“reading people.”
 Like autism, some people with anorexia
have difficulties with “theory of mind.”
 Group can help them see how they come
across to others.
 Many of them have problems with
interpersonal effectiveness, like
assertiveness. Group gives them a safe
place to practice new skills.

Types of Groups
Groups according to diagnosis
 Ongoing vs. time-limited
 Psychoeducational groups
 Process groups
 Skill building groups: DBT, CBT
 Body Image group: Cindy
 AN, BN groups at UCSD
 Art Therapy group
 Relapse Prevention

Goals of CBT Group
Create a safe environment for pts to
explore their eating disorder thoughts and
beliefs
 Challenge distorted beliefs
 Teach cognitive distortions
 Learn to use thought records
 Assertiveness training
 Help pts dispute their ed voice
 Identify triggers and coping strategies

CBT groups for Bulimia
Research by Mitchell et al 2005 showed
that Social Support Seeking 1 month
after a 12 week CBT group predicted the
outcome at 6 months.
 Those group members who utilized their
support systems 1 month after the group
had a better outcome.
 Use of positive coping skills at the end of
treatment did not predict the outcome at
6 months.
 This study highlights the importance of
social support to maintain treatment
goals.
Process Group
Get topics from each member (Axis II)
 Divide the time so everyone can share.
 Group leader intervenes when e.d.
thoughts are presented as true
 Let members give support before you do.
It’s best if coming from them.
 Encourage group participation. Help
connect group members to each other.
 Create a safe environment of nonjudgemental feedback.
 Help to establish positive group norms.

Goals for Body Image Group
Create a safe
environment for
pts to explore body
image issues
 Teach about our
culture and how we
get negative
messages about
body size and
shape.

Help group
members to share
their body image
struggles with each
other
 Help to dispel body
image distortions
 Set body image
goals each week
 Resources

Relapse Prevention Group
 Provide
a support group for those in
recovery
 Encourage pts to share their coping
strategies with each other
 Problem solve difficulties with staying
in recovery.
 Use lapses as learning experiences
 Prevent relapse through
accountability
Problems in Groups

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The monopolizer
The advice giver
The yes, but
Quiet groups
Unexpressed anger
Poor attendance of
certain members
Lateness
Anorexia vs Bulimia
Lack of recovery in
the group
 Cliques between
certain members
 Rejection of
members
 Poor screening of
potential group
members

Goal Setting
Set attainable and measurable goals.
 Examples include: 1 B/P Max, 1 Selfsooth, write in journal about feelings I had
before engaging in my eating disorder, eat
meal plan, do food log, limit exercise to
half hour per day, have husband hide my
scale, body check only 1 time per day, eat
a challenge food 1 time, make a mistake
with a witness, write a letter to ed., have
ed write back, no self-harm, call for
support. (see flip chart)

Group Therapy Practice: Large
Group
 Needed:
2 leaders and 7 members
Reactions to large
group exercise
What did you learn?
1st Session of a new group
 Introduce
the leaders and purpose of
the group
 Go over group rules: contact outside
group, confidentiality, off limits
topics, gum chewing, water, outside
food, length of group (12 weeks),
dress code
 Have members tell their story:
history of the e.d and treatment
Group Therapy Practice in
Small Groups


Break into groups of 8: 2 leaders and 7
consumers
The leader will lead the 1st session by
having each member tell their story as an
introduction. S/he will also go over the
group rules: no talking about numbers
(Calories, sizes, weights, miles ran etc.),
confidentiality, no outside food allowed, no
gum chewing, outside contact encouraged
for support but not crisis management.
Reactions to practice session
 What
was hard for the group
leaders?
 Were you able to explain the group
rules and answer questions?
 How did it feel to lead this group?
 How did members feel in this group?
 Did it feel safe?
 Feedback for leaders
HBO Special: Thin
Part II
How to set up a group and get it
started?
Do a needs assessment of your patient
population
 Choose the type of group and the
inclusion/exclusion criteria
 Decide on group leadership
 Design format or curriculum
 Create a flyer, contact therapists,
marketing
 Conduct interviews
 Set a start date

Brainstorming Session
 What
kinds of groups do we need in
our community?
 What are consumers asking for?
 How do we get started?
What kinds of groups are
needed in your community?
 What
is your plan of action?
 Who will volunteer to get a group
started?
 What resources will you need?
 Plan your next follow up meeting
Questions and
Answers