Anonymous - I too am sorry that you and your parents had such a hard time during your illness, and very relieved that you found more suitable help and have recovered. As you have said, and indeed as Harriet Brown describes so exquisitely in her book, AN is terrifying for parents. That fear can either be chanelled for good, or, as in your case, and indeed in mine (I am a parent) allowed to spiral out of control and damage all around it. One of the main aims of Family Based Treatment (which is a highly manualised, researched and supervised approach, NOT just letting parents get on with it the best they can) is to chanel that fear and to make it a force for good and for recovery. I am sorry that you and your parents did not get the help you needed during the process. Many, many centres throughout the world are now giving both parent and child that extra help and thus making sure that no-one is left to flounder. For example the Westmead Clinic in Australia provides space for whole families to live near the hospital and to learn the practical and therapeutic skills neccessary to help their child post-discharge. In London Ivan Eisler, one of the fathers of "Maudlsey" works with teams of families so that each can learn from others and no one is left with the aching feeling of lonliness which comes from inadequate help.
What you and I got wasn't good enough. Neither was it "proper" FBT which should empower the family to be the best agents of recovery for the patient. We shouldn't let that detract from the stories of those like Brown who manage with only limited help, or from those who ARE being given true Family Based Treatment and are conquering this horrible disease.
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Anonymous - I too am sorry that you and your parents had such a hard time during your illness, and very relieved that you found more suitable help and have recovered. As you have said, and indeed as Harriet Brown describes so exquisitely in her book, AN is terrifying for parents. That fear can either be chanelled for good, or, as in your case, and indeed in mine (I am a parent) allowed to spiral out of control and damage all around it. One of the main aims of Family Based Treatment (which is a highly manualised, researched and supervised approach, NOT just letting parents get on with it the best they can) is to chanel that fear and to make it a force for good and for recovery. I am sorry that you and your parents did not get the help you needed during the process. Many, many centres throughout the world are now giving both parent and child that extra help and thus making sure that no-one is left to flounder. For example the Westmead Clinic in Australia provides space for whole families to live near the hospital and to learn the practical and therapeutic skills neccessary to help their child post-discharge. In London Ivan Eisler, one of the fathers of "Maudlsey" works with teams of families so that each can learn from others and no one is left with the aching feeling of lonliness which comes from inadequate help.
November 23, 2010 - 7:26amWhat you and I got wasn't good enough. Neither was it "proper" FBT which should empower the family to be the best agents of recovery for the patient. We shouldn't let that detract from the stories of those like Brown who manage with only limited help, or from those who ARE being given true Family Based Treatment and are conquering this horrible disease.
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