(Some parents, after changing from another treatment approach to a Family-Based Maudsley approach, want to let former clinicians know the outcome of treatment and share information on evidence-based treatment. Please feel free to adapt the following model letter - written by a parent who did send it to professionals who had not known about Maudsley - and enclose any of the F.E.A.S.T. printable information that seems appropriate.)
Dear Dr. X,
I'm sure you will be happy to hear that (our son/daughter) has recovered from her eating disorder, and has maintained her weight in a healthy range for xxxxx time. He/She eats a varied diet independently, and participates fully in school and extracurricular activities. He/She is no longer obsessed with eating or not eating or her body image, although we help her deal with those intrusive thoughts or threatened relapses when they occur. Our relationships in the family have normalized, and we are optimistic for the future.
We believe strongly that our child?s recovery was due to returning her to full and sustained nutrition. We accomplished this at home, using the Family-Based Maudsley method, supported by clinicians at xxxx. Although this is challenging to achieve, it is far easier than watching him/her suffer for years. He/She achieved a healthy weight range in xxx months, and it took some months of support and treatment after that for the disordered thoughts and behaviors to subside. Before we began this treatment, he/she had been diagnosed as (anorexic/bulimic/EDNOS) and treated using traditional psychiatric methods for xxxxx time, with limited success.
The success of this treatment model, recognized as the only evidence-based model by the APA and NICE, reflects the importance of nutrition to brain function, and that the brain must be adequately nourished to recover from the disorders caused by starvation for even a short period. It also speaks to the positive role a family can have during recovery and keeping a patient in his or her familiar surroundings.
We know that you are devoted to helping sufferers of eating disorders recover and live healthy lives, so we hope that you are open to learning about emerging treatments with powerful evidence for their effectiveness. We have attached a bibliography of helpful articles, books, and web links. We invite you to visit the F.E.A.S.T. website (www.FEAST-ED.org for further information and resources.
Sincerely, Recovering parents
F.E.A.S.T. (Families Empowered And Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders) P.O. Box 331 ♦ Warrenton, VA 20188 ♦ USA ♦ (540) 227-8518 ♦ info@FEAST-ED.org F.E.A.S.T. is registered as a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code Information on this site is meant to support, not replace, professional consultation. Unless otherwise noted, content is edited by F.E.A.S.T. volunteers with assistance from our Professional Advisory Panel.
