Short description:

When anorexia nervosa (AN) develops in a child, it impacts the entire family. However, family-based treatment (FBT) offers hope by reinstating fundamental family coping principles?empowering parents and supporting them and their children in overcoming this serious psychiatric illness.

Long description:

When anorexia nervosa (AN) develops in a child, it impacts the entire family. However, family-based treatment (FBT) offers hope by reinstating fundamental family coping principles?empowering parents and supporting them and their children in overcoming this serious psychiatric illness.

My Kid is Back serves as an accessible guide to understanding FBT for parents of children with AN and the healthcare professionals working with them. Through a series of first-person interviews held with the parents, the siblings, and the child with anorexia, this book vividly presents the daily, 24/7 challenges of the illness on the family. Parents describe their frustrations in seeking help for their child, and sufferers discuss how the illness gets into their mind. Supplementing chapters detail how to tell if your child has AN, present an approachable explanation of FBT, and describe how to navigate the search for FBT. This second edition includes updated evidence-based research findings and revised content, language, and family resources. The featured case studies have been updated to be more neurodiverse, gender diverse, and ethnically diverse, as compared with the first edition.

Presented in a way that parents, doctors, and treatment teams can readily relate to and understand, this book proves an essential resource for families who want to win the battle with anorexia nervosa.

?Eating disorders cause indescribable suffering, but the cruellest trick they play is in making families and those affected feel like they are going through it alone. As an FBT clinician, I know how much the treatment asks of families - and how hard it can be to understand if you haven't been there yourself. My Kid is Back Second Edition is a lifeline for families just starting their FBT journey and for anyone who wants to know what an eating disorder looks and feels like 'in the wild'.?

Jocelyn Lebow, PhD, LP, associate professor and clinical psychologist, Mayo Clinic (USA)

?Sharing the stories of those who have been through the challenging journey of anorexia recovery has incredible power. This book highlights the importance of early intervention and parents' crucial role in using FBT to enhance the chances of faster recovery. This second edition is written with compassion and insight and provides hope by sharing real-life examples. Hearing from those who have faced similar challenges will empower parents and reinforce that with persistence, unity, and compassion, success is possible.?

Kellie Lavender, co-director of New Zealand Eating Disorders Clinic, FBT supervisor and trainer with the Training Institute for Child & Adolescent Eating Disorders

?This insightful, moving and step-by-step book engenders hope and provides strategies for reclaiming one?s child from anorexia. Building on diverse lived experiences of families, carers will become empowered with knowledge about anorexia and various approaches for supporting emotional and physical recovery. These compelling stories illustrate that early intervention is possible with parental involvement and experts in the field of eating disorders acting in unison to support youth affected by eating disorders.?

Gina Dimitropoulos, MSW, PhD, FAED, professor, Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary

?Anorexia nervosa in a child or adolescent thrives on its insidious ability to create bewilderment, conflict, emotional chaos, helplessness, and hopelessness. Exhausted families generate paralysing questions (e.g., "Who is to blame?") instead of "We know and love our child, so what can we immediately do at home to reverse self-induced starvation and recover our unique, healthy kid?" My Kid is Back (2nd Edition) demonstrates that Family-Based Treatment is a versatile, powerful, team-based answer. Paraphrasing Belinda Caldwell's inspiring afterword, this book provides authoritative guidance to deploy the family's natural resources: love, knowledge, skill, cooperation, tenacity, compassion, selflessness, trust, and hope.?

Michael P. Levine, PhD, FAED, Emeritus Professor of Psychology, Kenyon College (USA)

?When a child is diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, parents need ready, high-quality information and advice on the mindset and skillset needed to bring their child back. This book is it. Clinicians who understand the evidence and its application can be pivotal in successfully treating children with anorexia nervosa.  However, I am always impressed by the power that good reading by parents has on their child's recovery. This book, in its first edition, has helped many families; the second edition broadens our understanding of people?s experiences and therapy. I commend it to every parent once they find themselves on this path and to every clinician committed to supporting families and young people to recover their lives.?

Professor Sarah Maguire OAM, director, InsideOut Institute, University of Sydney

Table of Contents:

Introduction 1. Family-based Treatment of Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa: From the Maudsley Hospital Beginnings to Today  Part 1: At Home with the Family  2. Heidi ?mother of Paul  3. Veronica?mother of Toby  4. Elizabeth ?mother of Lily  5. Peta ? Mother of Briony  6. Tessa ?mother of Julia  7. Stuart and Marie ? Parents of Harry  8. Sarah and Peter? Parents of Isla  9. Grace ?mother of Erica  10. Fiona --mother of Elly  11. Jill ?mother of Michelle  12. Miranda --mother of Frankie  Part 2: When a Twin has Anorexia Nervosa 13. Maree ?mother of Twin Girls, Charlie With AN  14. Jane and Michelle Parents of Twin Girls, Lily With AN  15. Leanne ?mother of Twin Boy/girl, Paige With AN  Part 3: How my Family helped me to get Back  16. Frankie?s Story  17. Michelle?s Story  18. Paige?s Story  19. Erica?s Story  20. Briony?s Story  Part 4: Then and Now Stories  21. Kristen: Her Story in 2009 -1 Reflects  21.1 Kristen (Original Story in Mkib 1st Ed)  22. Alice ? Cathy Reflects  22.1 Alice (Original Story in Mkib 1st Ed)  Part 5: What are Parents To Do  23. Important Strategies for Coping  24. Navigating the Search for Family-based Treatment  Afterword: Together We Thrive