Mental Health Toolkit #3

Eating Disorders

Jill Jones
Nicole Kingsley
Lisha Nay
Melissa Rempel
 The holidays are a difficult time of year for many
people who are in recovery from an eating disorder. In
December, there are many holiday parties planned
Rachel’s Holiday with food at every social occasion. School is no
exception. Rachel is on the Student Council and they
& are planning spirit week festivities that culminate in a
food-related event.
New Year’s
Plan As holiday parties wrap up and a new year begins, the
talk is all about New Year’s Resolutions. Many of her
friends and classmates are talking about dieting. Her
social media is full of dieting ads. Rachel requires a
plan to make sure her “New Year, New Me” is all about
healthy choices.
Environmental Factors

Ensure that a variety of healthy food choices continue to be made available to all students.

Use comments about food or weight loss as conversation starters/education opportunities

for all students (zero-tolerance on letting comments slide).

December January
Class party Focus goal setting on internal goals (academic,
Provide many options for food and non-food social) rather than body-related
related activities - Ensure note for phys ed.
- Reflective exercise, concerns over
Extracurricular events exercising
Plan non-food related events as well as food-
related events
Healthy options available for holiday festivities
Interpersonal

Ensure that all students maintain a sense of belonging and seek positive friendships.

Protective Factors (Waluk, 2022):

- All students have one or more supportive adults or peers
- Participation in a minimum of one extra-curricular activities to build a sense of
belonging
- Educational experiences that support and challenges all students
- Strong sense of self and belief in their potential
Rachel’s Plan
December
- Participate in at least 1 school activity that
includes food (example: cookie decorating
party with student council)
- Have a plan in place for how to handle the
school activity
- Share her plan with a trusted teacher
- Ensure her plan includes a trusted
individual who will be in attendance
- Plan includes an “exit strategy”
- Discuss plan for at-home management
techniques over the break to avoid relapse
January
- New Years Resolution focused on non-weight
parameters (feeling stronger, getting involved
in new hobbies, etc.) to be discussed and
determined with a trusted teacher/adult
- Rachel creating a plan on handling diet relate
conversations with her peers (New Year New
Me)
- Continuing to work with protective factors as
she enters the new year
 - Spending more time with her peers
- Asking to leave the classroom less often
Measured/Observed - Appears less anxious
- More talkative in class
- Smiles more often
- Participating in school activities
 - Talking with a trusted adult
- Journalling

Interventions - Time to connect and talk with peers in a

quiet space
- Guidance counselor providing supports (ex.
Avoidance Hierarchy worksheet)
- Discussing with counselor how effective
strategies can be used at home over the
break
 Avoidance Hierarchy

Avoidance is often used to mitigate feelings of anxiety.

This strategy uses small, manageable steps to build up

tolerance to anxiety.

In Rachel’s plan, small steps lead up to participation in

Grad Dinner and Dance, beginning with being in the
cafeteria during a non-meal period, and including the
cookie decorating party as an intermediate step.

*See attached Avoidance Hierarchy following slides

 - Connecting with Rachel’s therapist directly about
your concerns and maintaining open
communication
- Connecting with outside support
- Connecting with coaches, other teachers, etc.
Resources involved in Rachel’s extracurricular programming
- Accessing resources from the Women’s Health
Clinic
- Literature support for parents as recommended
by Eating Disorders Manitoba
- Help your teenager beat an eating disorder by James Lock
& D. LeGrange. New York: Guilford Press, 2005.
- Help for Eating Disorders: A parent’s guide to symptoms,
causes and treatment by D. Katzman, D. & L. Pinhas.
Robert Rose: Toronto, 2005.
- Websites such as:
https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/recovery/s
elf-help-tools-skills-tips
Limitations/Future Considerations
December
- Can’t remove food from social gatherings
- Can’t avoid the event
- Can’t stop peers from discussing food
- Cannot prevent comments from peers or
family members about food quantity, body
size, or guilt
January
- Can’t avoid social media adds for weight
loss
- “New Year, New Me” goals will be
discussed by family and friends
- Can’t prevent peers from post-holiday
dieting
 References
Adelman, H. S., & Taylor, L. (2009). Mental health in schools : engaging learners, preventing problems, and
improving schools. SAGE Publications. Retrieved November 10, 2022, from
http://public.ebookcentral.proquest.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1993410 .

Avoidance hierarchy. Psychology Tools. (2022, April 5). Retrieved November 10, 2022, from
https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/avoidance-hierarchy/

Desmond, M. (2022). Best practices for eating disorder recovery during the Holidays. Eating Disorder Hope.
Retrieved November 10, 2022, from
https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/recovery/self-help-tools-skills-tips/best-practices-for-eating-disord
er-recovery-during-the-holidays-2
.

For children & teens. Eating Disorders Manitoba. (2021, November 22). Retrieved November 10, 2022, from
https://eatingdisordersmanitoba.wordpress.com/get-help/teen/ .