Eating Disorder Awareness Week: February 1 - 7, 2020
After many years of advocating the need for improved treatment and support services for our eating disorder families, I can now say that these dedicated services now are in place for all age groups.
The Janeway Inpatient Program and the Outpatient Program is now fully functional and providing day-to-day care for families who desperately need not only dedicated treatment, but the emotional support necessary for a successful recovery. Family feedback clearly indicates that these programs are achieving success and leading to many more positive recovery outcomes. While we have to celebrate these achievements, we must also be mindful that eating disorders are on the rise. Therefore, we must remain vigilant and progressive in order to cope with what I consider our most serious mental-health disorder.
The Foundation’s work will continue to be a challenge, however, our commitment and interest in supporting our eating disorder families is steadfast and as strong as ever. The 1,500 families that contact us every year and the some 1,000 days training over the past several years are a credit to the families who made the most difficult decision of their lives and took the responsibility to become their loved one’s caregiver. It’s remarkable and gratifying to observe so many families participating in our various programs. As we all know, the most important step to recovery is acceptance and we are proud and grateful to families for their courage and commitment to participate in the long and sometimes difficult journey to recovery.
What concerns me most about eating disorders is the realization that the impact on the family unit is intense and difficult. It requires a significant level of emotional support so necessary to maintain and cope with an orderly and caring approach to recovery. It’s difficult for families, we understand, and we will do what we can to be available when needed. As the future unfolds, we will continue to ask ourselves why this is happening to us and what are the primary causes of this debilitating mental-health disorder that affects so many of our adolescent population. We cannot be satisfied until we better understand what societal challenges are the primary causes.
The challenges facing our adolescent population today are daunting and a lot more difficult and complex than past generations. The social media revolution, the challenge of obtaining a good education and finding a good job can be insurmountable for many of our adolescents, which are contributing factors to higher rates of eating disorders.
As we approach 2020, we have reasons to celebrate the successes of the past, however, while we are in a good place today, the future is one of wanting to better understand what prevention measures are necessary to stop the growth and severity of eating disorders. The Foundation’s objectives for 2020 reflect a more aggressive awareness program for binge eating disorders and, most importantly, a continuation of emotion-focused family therapy training and education programs.
The success of a foundation like ours is the sum total of a lot of caring staff, supporters and volunteers who struggle every day to assist our eating disorder families to cope with the challenges of being a caregiver. Full credit goes to our caring eating disorder families, remembering that literally thousands of families are in a better place today.
On behalf of our families, I want to express our gratitude and appreciation to our board of directors, our funding partners, the Department of Health and Community Services, Eastern Health, special volunteers and, most importantly, the HOPE Outpatient Program, Janeway Program and Inpatient Program, who care for and support families every day. We are thankful and fortunate to have a committed, thoughtful and dedicated staff of Paul, Tina, Patricia and Cathy, who care for and work always in the best interest of our eating disorder families.