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The Secret Language of Eating Disorders: How You Can Understand and Work to Cure Anorexia and Bulimia.
By Peggy Claude-Pierre. New York: Vintage Books, 1997, 288 pp., $14.95.
The Secret Language of Eating Disorders is an in-depth, systematic examination of the causes of eating disorders, specifically Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. In addition to presenting various case studies, Peggy Claude-Pierre offers a revolutionary way of conceptualizing and treating eating disorders by explaining them in terms of the underlying cognitive issues instead of the symptoms. She further reveals methods of treatment that address and counteract the underlying negativity that causes and exacerbates eating disorders in many sufferers.
Not all sections of the book would be appropriate for the patients themselves, due to the fact that Claude-Pierre presents and discusses various “tricks” that eating disorder sufferers can employ in order to conceal their symptoms. This information may be of use to family members (above the age of 12) or caregivers of eating disorders patients so that they may identify these behaviors. However, it is possible that eating disorder patients reading this book may abuse the knowledge that they gain in order to conceal their symptoms and further their own disorder.
Some sections of this book would be very valuable for an eating disorder patient to read and discuss with a clinician. For example, Claude-Pierre describes a process by which the negativistic part of the patient’s mind can be gradually refuted and ultimately defeated by the patient herself. She gives examples of negativistic cognitions that the patients may have, and then offers techniques by which to counter these thoughts and replace them with more positive and realistic cognitions. These techniques could effectively be incorporated into psychotherapy, particularly if the therapy in question is of a cognitive or cognitive-behavioral nature.
This book would also be an excellent resource for the parents and families of sufferers of eating disorders. In addition to presenting case studies of patients with anorexia or bulimia, Claude-Pierre writes about the effect of eating disorders on family members of the patient, giving her own personal experiences with her daughters’ anorexia. This would allow parents and families of eating disorder patients to better cope with the stress of the disorder, knowing that they are not alone in these painful experiences. Thus, this book could be assigned in the initial stages of psychotherapy in order for parents to understand the disorder that the patient is suffering from as well as the therapy itself. In addition, reading this book as psychotherapy may instill in the parents hope for the patient’s recovery.
She also includes the writings and artwork of various eating disorder patients, which serve to offer significant insight into the minds of the sufferers themselves. Finally, she offers numerous practical suggestions for dealing with eating disorders within the home and family and finding appropriate help for a sufferer. For example, she suggests that caregivers and family members of the patient should never disclose the patient’s weight to her, thereby preventing her from knowing whether she has gained or lost weight. According to Claude-Pierre, if the patient is cognizant of her own weight, her Negative Mind uses this number against her by commanding her to make this number smaller. Thus, if the patient does not know her weight the Negative Mind loses some of its ammunition and can be more easily dealt with. Discussing such strategies during psychotherapy would be valuable, as it would allow parents and caregivers to become more active in the treatment of the patient.
Readers of this book will gain a sound understanding of the causes of eating disorders as well as the emotional turmoil experienced by eating disorder patients, as demonstrated through descriptions of eating disorders sufferers and excerpts from the writings of patients. Claude-Pierre gives chilling descriptions of the tumultuous experiences of patients and the havoc that these disorders can wreak on their lives. Readers will also acquire a better understanding of the behavioral aspects of eating disorders, such as manipulative behaviors, perfectionistic tendencies or rituals involving food such as hiding or stealing food. This information could play a pivotal role in the home life of an eating disorder patient, as her family may gain insight into her disorder and thereby may become more valuable to her treatment. Being in an environment where the patient feels better understood by those around her would probably be more conducive to treatment. Reading this book and gaining a better understanding of eating disorders may also encourage family members to become more active and involved in the patients’ psychotherapy creating a beneficial situation for all involved.
Another strength of this book is that it attacks many myths and misconceptions concerning eating disorders, such as the idea that they are caused by sexual abuse or molestation, or by societal expectations of women’s ideal weight. Instead, Claude-Pierre contends that the causes of eating disorders are multiple and complex, but culminate in a mindset that encourages negativity, which results in the development of an eating disorder. Reading about this theory and discussing it in psychotherapy may allow the patient and family members to gain insight into the disorder in order to recognize and confront the Negative Mind. In addition, depending on the type of psychotherapy being used, the clinician can use this theory in order to attack the Negative Mind.
Claude-Pierre also refutes the idea that sufferers of eating disorders cannot be cured but can only be maintained. She outlines a treatment plan and various techniques that confront the underlying negativity causing the condition. The techniques offered are presented in such a way that they would be understandable to a lay person, which would therefore allow the families of the patient to better understand therapy and support the patient through this process. However, one caveat to this theory is that it has not been empirically investigated and is based on anecdotal evidence from Claude-Pierre’s experiences.
One drawback of using this book in psychotherapy is that it does not define the eating disorders, anorexia and bulimia. Neither does it explain the difference between the two disorders. This book also fails to specifically describe all of the symptoms of the two disorders. Instead, the symptoms are discussed anecdotally and arbitrarily. Thus, a lay person reading this book may not understand these concepts and may still have misconceptions about the actual disorders. Thus, if lay people were to be included in the patient’s psychotherapy, it would be essential for the psychotherapist to clarify any mistaken impressions that they might be under.
In spite of the weaknesses of this book, it remains a gripping account of the experiences of eating disorders patients and their families. It provides an exceptional examination of the causes and treatments of eating disorders and therefore would be an effective supplementary tool to psychotherapy for both the victims of the disorders and their families.