Hundreds of millions of people worldwide have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or related mood or mental health issue. The majority of those diagnosed or struggling with an anxiety disorder don’t receive treatment or have access to the information, treatment, or tools they need during their journey to recovery. Read more ›
Just over a year ago, CHC opened its doors to a new Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) for teens in Palo Alto. Now, in collaboration with Stanford Children’s Health, the program is expanding to serve more adolescents struggling with self-harm, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, severe anxiety and depression.
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It can be difficult to know the difference between having social anxiety and being awkward, introverted, or shy. The American Psychological Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders defines social anxiety as “a persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations” that involve being “exposed to unfamiliar people or to possible scrutiny by others.”
Modern life provides us with constant opportunities to be scrutinized by others, and while few among us wouldn’t be nervous about giving a work presentation or a speech at a wedding, an ongoing fear of saying the wrong thing in casual conversations can become problematic. Conversation anxiety, though not itself a disorder, is an aspect of social anxiety that can make dates, parties, and mixers anywhere from mildly stressful to intolerable. Read more ›
If I had been asked to list my parenting worries, my daughter dying from a heart attack caused by an eating disorder wouldn’t have made the cut. Norah scoffed when doctor after doctor asked her about body image. “I like the way I look; my body is fine,” she said. “I’m just nauseous.”
Most parents are familiar with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, both of which stem from issues with body image. I learned, however, that there is another type of eating disorder: avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, which isn’t related to body image at all.
ARFID was introduced as its own diagnosis in 2013, but according to a report from the National Institutes of Health, up to 23 percent of patients being treated for an eating disorder have ARFID.
For other children, ARFID may stem from a fear of choking, vomiting or an aversion to certain food textures or colors. These things can render them unable to eat, and over time their list of “safe foods” may grow more restrictive. More serious than what some would call picky eating, this type of restriction can lead to a serious limitation of both the quantity and variety of foods a person consumes. That can result in not consuming enough calories and nutrients necessary for growth and good health.
Norah’s eating disorder onset was rapid, and she deteriorated quickly. She has always been thin, and from when it started in December to her hospital admission in May, Norah lost eight pounds (about 10 percent of her body weight). Just after Thanksgiving in 2016, Norah developed a sinus infection and immediately after completing a round of antibiotics, she came down with pneumonia. We gave her an aggressive course of probiotics, but we weren’t surprised that her stomach hurt after two rounds of antibiotics in a month. But as January rolled around Norah still wasn’t herself, and she wasn’t getting better.
. . .Norah’s anxiety increased markedly, and she struggled to regulate her emotions. In addition to constant nausea, she was experiencing severe constipation, dizziness, crushing fatigue and body aches and had lost more weight. We also noticed that her blood pressure and resting pulse were dropping. Each test raised more questions but provided no clear answers. By March she was so ill she was no longer regularly attending school and had stopped participating in extracurricular activities.
What made me think my daughter could have an eating disorder? She is a perfectionist, a stellar student and a fantastic athlete. She also battles anxiety and puts a great deal of pressure on herself. I was familiar with the warning signs of anorexia and bulimia in older teens, but none of those markers were visible in my 10-year-old. Her doctors thought that perhaps her nausea was anxiety-based and was contributing to her illness, but not one of her specialists mentioned a non-body image eating disorder.
Excerpted from, “She was 11, with an eating disorder. It took her mom to figure it out.” Read the full article in The Washington Post.
Do you need someone to talk to? CHC can help. We invite you to call or email our Care Coordinators at 650.688.3625 or careteam@chconline.org to set up a free 30-minute consultation.
Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) was previously referred to as “Selective Eating Disorder.” ARFID is similar to anorexia in that both disorders involve limitations in the amount and/or types of food consumed, but unlike anorexia, ARFID does not involve body image issues.
A person with ARFID is not merely a “picky eater,” but rather, does not consume enough calories to grow and develop properly. In children, this results in malnutrition, low weight gain, and restricted growth. Read more ›
#BeThe1To is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline’s message for National Suicide Prevention Month and beyond, spreading the word about actions we can all take to prevent suicide. The Lifeline network and its partners are working to change the conversation from suicide to suicide prevention, to actions that can promote healing, help and give hope. Read more ›
written by CHC staff member Mike NavarreteSummer is a time to relax, recharge and have fun. But for many, these months are also a complex time of transition between the freedom of ending one school year and the anticipation of entering the next. These transitions can be especially challenging for those struggling with a mental health condition. Read more ›
A national survey of 14- to 22-year-olds provides new evidence on the growing mental health crisis affecting young people. The survey, sponsored by Hopelab and Well Being Trust (WBT), finds that large numbers of teens and young adults experiencing moderate to severe symptoms of depression are turning to the internet for help, including researching mental health issues online (90 percent), accessing other people’s health stories through blogs, podcasts, and videos (75 percent), using mobile apps related to well-being (38 percent), and connecting with health providers through digital tools such as texting and video chat (32 percent). Read more ›
Mental health among autistic individuals is an underdeveloped area of research—a situation that many autistic people are advocating to change. This is especially crucial since rates of depression and thoughts of suicide are higher among autistic people than in the general population. Read more ›
In June, 2018, Kidsdata.org, a program of the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, featured mother and daughter guest authors, Olga and Magaly. When Magaly was 11, her mother found suicide plans on her phone. Six years later, they continue to navigate the challenges of Magaly’s diagnosis of depression and psychosis. Their journey touches upon the importance of early identification, access to care and the struggles for support. Read more ›
