Stories I Tell My Patients: 101 Myths, Metaphors, Fables and Tall Tales for Eating Disorders Recovery
An eclectic mix, Arnold’s stories are both entertaining and insightful. Some are vaguely familiar, such as the retelling of “The Emperor Has No Clothes” or Faustian deals with the devil. There are knights in shining armor, time machines, intergalactic travelers, stories derived from Greek mythology, anorexic saints of the 16th century, and current events. Most of the stories sprang from Arnold’s imagination, and many were inspired by his direct interactions with patients. Inanimate objects such as buoys and thermometers carry on conversations, and descriptions of Paris reflect the author’s love of that beautiful city.
The stories are not meant ultimately to cure eating disorders but rather to get attention and convey an idea. No matter how old we get, we can relate to roses and bike trips, shadows and catsup.
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Book details
- Author
- Arnold Andersen, Leigh Cohn
- Imprint
- Gurze Books, an imprint of Turner Publishing Company
- Published
- Pages
- 256
- Formats
- Paperback
- Subjects
- Psychology › Psychopathology › Eating Disorders
- Topics
- eating disorder recovery · therapeutic storytelling · myths and fables · metaphor in therapy · mental health treatment · body image
- ISBN-13
- 9780936077826
About the author
ARNOLD E. ANDERSEN, M.D., is a psychiatrist and eating disorders specialist and the author or co-author of more than 200 articles in scientific publications. His recent books include Stories I Tell My Patients: 101 Myths, Metaphors, Fables and Tall Tales for Eating Disorders Recovery, Making Weight: Healing Men’s Conflicts with Food, Weight, and Shape and Males with Eating Disorders.
Andersen is professor emeritus of psychiatry at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and an adjunct lecturer at Johns Hopkins Medical School. He served as director of the Eating Disorders Program at both the University of Iowa and Johns Hopkins University.
Arnold lives in Iowa City, Iowa.