Customer Reviews

The Eating Disorders Sourcebook: A Comprehensive Guide to the Causes, Treatments, and Prevention of Eating Disorders (Sourcebooks)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book provides an excellent overview of many aspects of eating disorders and their treatment. Carolyn Costin is extremely insightful and knowledgable about the subject and she writes in a clear, accessible way.

The book also is full of case examples that demonstrate the theories/treatment interventions she talks about. These are usually brief and easy to understand. Both her understanding of eating disorders and the treatment interventions she uses are translateable and quite useful in the treatment of eating disordered patients.

This is a great book for anyone who wants to learn more about eating disorders for a class or for anyone who is suffering or has a loved one suffering with this disorder. I ordered it for a graduate class and can honestly say that this will be a book that I will keep in my library.

As a clinical psychologist, I find this book to be a great resource for training. She writes in clear language, with good examples, and practical advice. Nicely comprehensive and addresses a lot of issues. Highly recommended resource book.

Whether you're a clinician treating eating disorders, a client struggling with one, or a significant other witnessing a loved one in the throes of an eating disorder, this book will likely prove to be quite a valuable resource. A quick look at the table of contents shows the breadth of content it covers:

Chapter 1: From Diet to Disorder: Problems and Prognosis
Chapter 2: Young, White, and Female: Myth or Reality?
Chapter 3: Activity Disorder: When a Good Thing Goes Bad
Chapter 4: Genes or Jeans: What Causes Eating Disorders?
Chapter 5: Eating Disorders as Adaptive Functions
Chapter 6: To Those Who Love Them: Guidelines for Family and Significant Others
Chapter 7: Assessing the Situation
Chapter 8: Treatment Philosophy and Approaches
Chapter 9: Individual Therapy: Putting the Eating Disorder Out of a Job
Chapter 10: Sharing the Pain and Promise in Group
Chapter 11: Family Therapy: Working with Families and Significant Others
Chapter 12: Enough About Your Mother, What Did You Eat Today?
Chapter 13: Medical Assessment and Management
Chapter 14: The Psychiatrist's Role and Psychotropic Medication
Chapter 15: When Outpatient Treatment Is Not Enough
Chapter 16: Alternative Approaches to Treating Eating Disorders
Chapter 17: Increasing Awareness and Prevention

In addition to providing such a comprehensive overview of the development, treatment, and prevention of eating disorders, it is written in an easy-to-digest (hard to resist the pun) form, with an effective mix of facts, suggestions, and clinical examples. I was impressed with how well each bite-sized chapter communicates the essence of its individual topic, and also offers additional resources for deeper learning.

As a therapist specializing in eating disorders, I (practically literally) ate up this book. Although I've read lots of eating disorders books, this one stood out for me with its being able effectively present and integrate eating disorder treatment essentials for clinicians, patients, and caregivers alike. I've already been able to incorporate into my sessions many of the nuggets of wisdom imparted in this book, and I predict I'll be regularly referring to this book as a resource for both me and my clients.

This book brings a well-balanced and nourishing meal to the table of eating disorder education and treatment. Dig in!

The author knows her stuff and this book is well worth reading. You should be aware that although it does include information about all three eating disorders, the author's primary focus is on anorexia. Good information is included about bulimia and binge eating disorder; however, you probably want to look for additional resources to complement this book if your primary interest is bulimia or b.e.d.

I am not one for filling out journals in a book. So this book was not very helpful to me. I got half way through it and stopped reading it.