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Approximately 10 percent of sufferers are males. The Center has just hired its first male therapist because of an increasing number of young men with these disorders.
“The males, many of whom are athletes, are even more reluctant than the females to admit that they have an eating disorder,” says Dr. Scheel.
“Diet is not the answer,” she continues. “Anorexics who may be emaciated see themselves as fat. They are obsessed with calorie and fat gram counting.”
CEDaR’s staff includes clinical social workers, psychologists, nutritionists and consulting psychiatrists who work together to “alleviate chaotic eating behavior by delving into underlying conflicts.”
“We advise families to listen to their children,” Dr. Scheel says. “Don’t say, ‘Oh, don’t feel sad,’ but rather, ‘You have a right to feel sad.’ Parents must understand that their children may be turning to food when they have feelings they can’t tolerate and about which they feel ashamed and guilty.” She adds that though the world is “diet crazy”, diets don’t work and are not the answer to eating disorders.
Typically, insurance plans cover no more than 50 percent of the treatment costs for eating disorders, and there is usually a cap. Dr. Scheel urges support for a plan pending in Congress, sponsored by Senator Hillary Clinton, to put mental health care on a par with physical care.
CEDaR’s program typically takes two years. “The illness didn’t suddenly fall from the sky,” says Dr. Scheel.
For further information • CEDaR, 67 So. Bedford Rd., Mt. Kisco. (914) 244-1904; 1075 Central Park Avenue, Suite 412, Scarsdale. (914) 472-4019; and 99 Main Street, Nyack. (845) 348-7660. www.edrecoverycenter.org; email: [email protected].
• National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders,
(847) 831-3483. www.anad.org.
• National Eating Disorders Association, 603 Stewart Street, Ste. 803, Seattle, WA 98101. 1-800-931-2237. www.nationaleatingdisorders.org; email: [email protected].
• National Institute of Mental Health, Department of Health and Human Services, 6001 Executive Blvd., #8184, Bethesda, MD 20892. www.nimh.nih.gov; email: [email protected].
• Teachman, B. et al. Helping Your Child Overcome an Eating Disorder. Gurze Books.
