Self Help

Self-help books can help you recover.  Research has shown that self-help can be just as effective as having therapy.  It’s even more effective if you ask someone to help guide you through the process – a practice nurse at your GP surgery, or a friend or relative.  It must be someone you are comfortable with.  If you are pregnant, or have diabetes, make sure you don’t rely on guided self-help alone.  Let the professionals caring for you know that you have an eating disorder.  

 

There are many self-help books available - come and browse in our Library (we have reference copies of the main books as well as copies to be borrowed).  The Beat (national eating disorders association) website (www.b-eat.co.uk) has a very comprehensive book list.  Books have different styles and approaches, so it’s worth looking at a few until you find one you 'click' with.  And a book, however well thought out, is not a magic pill!  Everything will depend on how you use the book and it will take time.  Peter Cooper, author of ‘Bulimia Nervosa and Binge-Eating.  A Self-Help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioural Techniques’, says that most people who make use of his book work through it in about six months.  Some might manage it in a shorter period, but others may need longer.   

 

Some books you may find helpful are:  

Anorexia Nervosa.  A Survival Guide for Families, Friends and Sufferers by Janet Treasure, Psychology Press, 2000.  A self-help guide, with background information and case studies, that includes sections to help parents and carers  understand eating disorders and support recovery. 

Anorexia Nervosa: The Wish to Change by Crisp, Joughin, Halek and Bowyer, Psychology Press, 1996.  A workbook for those wishing to change from anorexia but not sure how to go about it.  Good, practical information for someone with an eating disorder, and also for family and friends. 

Overcoming Anorexia Nervosa by Christopher Freeman, Robinson Publishing, 2002. The first part of the book outlines the causes and effects of Anorexia.  The second is a structured, self-help manual with exercises and mile-stones for recovery. 

Bulimia Nervosa and Binge-Eating. A Guide to Recovery by Peter Cooper, Robinson Publishing, 2000.  The first part of the book outlines the causes and effects of binge eating and bulimia.  The second half is a self-help manual, which gives exercises and milestones for recovery. 

Getting Better Bit(e) by Bit(e).  A Survival Kit for Sufferers of Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder by Schmidt and Treasure, 1993.  A self-help manual with chapters on dealing with setbacks and how to meet the challenges of on-going life, such as motherhood, work and relationships.