Helpful Books on Eating Disorders
Below are some of the most helpful books on eating disorders that I have found. While not each one is about food exactly, each book contains tools and techniques for mastering your relationship with yourself and the day to day influences that we all face.
When Women Stop Hating Their Bodies
By: Carol Munter and Jane Hirschmann
This book is a wonderful tool for anyone looking to explore their overeating behaviour, and to let go of it once and for all.
The Obsession
By: Kim Chernin
A fantastic book that gave me the gift of knowing that I wasn’t the only one who ever felt out of control with food. Kim shares her personal experience with overeating and how she came to let it go. If you are feeling isolated and misunderstood around food and body image, this is a great place to start.
Codependent No More
By: Melody Beattie
Subtitled: How to stop controlling others and start caring for yourself. A wonderful exploration of the concept of positive self regard and letting others be responsible for their own lives. A very freeing experience.
I Could Do Anything If Only I Knew What It Was
By: Barbar Sher
This book does not pertain specifically to Overeating but it does deal with procrastination – one of our biggest problems as Compulsive Eaters. Barbara helps us get from helplessness to hopefulness with the help of some very pertinent examples and some great exercises.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
By: Stephen Covey
If you are not ready to appreciate that you are responsible for your life and you can affect change in all areas of your life – you may not be ready for this book. If you are ready to be responsible and take charge – even if (especially if) you don’t know where or how to begin – this is a fabulous resource and will effect change in your life.
Kids Are Worth It
By: Barbara Coloroso
In a back issue of The Genuine Article you will find a full review of this great book. Coloroso outlines so clearly the elements involved in raising children who are independent thinkers and confident in themselves. But, what I got out of it more than anything was an education on the different types of families that exist and the impact that different parenting styles have on children. I learned a lot about myself as a parent but even more about myself as a child of a brickwall/jellyfish mix family.
The Dance of Connection
By: Harriet Lerner
Lerner adds to her success in The Dance of Anger with this clear and concise exploration of communication in relationships. She provides us with case studies and shares her own life experiences to illustrate the effect that different styles of communication can have on a relationship. My favorite piece is the education around and support for each of us to have a clear bottom line in our relationships with others. A very empowering and very doable technique!
Why Marriages Succeed or Fail
By: John Gottman
Gottman is the first psychologist to conduct a long term, in depth study of couples with intent to answer the question: Why some marriages succeed where others fail. His studies have identified the key behaviours that will determine if a couple will divorce or stay together. This book provides you will self-checklists to assess the state of your relationship and valuable tools to change the pieces that are troubling. Gottman is said to have identified the tell tales of troubled relationships so well that he can, with 99% accuracy predict if a marriage will end within 2 years. Wow! There is clearly something to this work.
Food For Love
By: Janet Greeson
This is the best book I have come across, in all my years of searching, that specifically deals with the relationship between Sexual Abuse/Assault and Compulsive Eating Behaviour. Janet Greeson provides readers with a clear understanding of the connection between our food addiction and our feelings about sex and sexuality. Wonderful exercises to explore your personal experiences, and to move beyond the pain of the past.
Note: This book is out of print, so watch for it at a used book store and grab it while you can. To find it on-line try ABE Books.