The Anorexia Workbook: How to Accept Yourself, Heal Your Suffering, and Reclaim Your Life (A New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook)

"You will learn to accept and live with the uncontrollable thoughts and feelings that haunt you about your weight, and you will learn to take charge and move your life in directions that you value," promise the authors, both specialists in treating people with anorexia. They use the ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) philosophy: Accept the thoughts and feelings, and commit to actions that take charge of your life in a positive way. Step by step, you learn to understand that what you've been doing isn't working, deal with emotions and thoughts more effectively, identify your life values, start living a life that reflects those values, and cope with barriers. The overriding point is that you can act before you "get things right in your head." The style is warm, simple, and accepting--no stern lectures or commands to eat. The workbook has large pages and is well laid-out and easy to follow. Each chapter presents bulleted preview points at the beginning, clear content, and plenty of self-tests, exercises, and worksheets to get you immediately involved in each part of the process. Highly recommended for people challenged by anorexia and those who love them or work with them. --Joan Price