DR MARIANNE MILLER
CARING EATING DISORDER TREATMENT IN SAN DIEGO AND THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA, TEXAS, AND WASHINGTON D.C. FOR ADULTS & TEENS
Three Tips for Taming Anxiety in Eating Disorder Recovery
Overwhelmed with anxiety in your eating disorder recovery? Does it feel like anxiety crashes over you like a huge wave? Is it like you’re walking on the beach in San Diego, and all of a sudden you feel flooded with emotion, left shivering in your soaking wet shoes? Do you just want to scream and run away when you feel anxious? Or, do you freeze like a deer in headlights? However anxiety manifests, it can be very difficult to face.
Seeking Teen Eating Disorder Treatment? Meet UCSD Adolescent Admissions Clinician Andi Fessler
Is your teen suffering from an eating disorder? Seen pediatrician after pediatrician and not gotten a straight answer on what your child needs? It can be so heart-wrenching to watch your teen struggle and not know how to help them. In San Diego, you just want your kid to be having fun with friends, going to the beach, sitting around bonfires, and living a happy life. One wonderful resource we have is the University of San Diego Eating Disorders Center (UCSDEDC). They have an amazing adolescent program that uses the gold standard of evidence-based treatment for teens—Family Based Treatment (FBT). Andi Fessler is the adolescent admissions clinician for this program. I’ve known Andi for a few years (she actually used to work with one of my former doctoral students!). She is a compassionate, caring person who really empathizes with the challenges families face when a teen has an eating disorder. In this blog, she provides key information about the first steps families will take when they call UCSDEDC for help.
Confused About Eating Disorder Treatment? Two San Diego Eating Disorder Therapists Explain
Considering eating disorder treatment and not sure where to turn? Confused as to what type of treatment you need? Not sure what Residential/PHP/IOP/Outpatient levels of treatment all mean? Well, I HAVE THE ANSWERS FOR YOU! :) I’ve asked two San Diego eating disorder therapists to detail all the options of eating disorder treatment, explain how you progress through each level, and discuss how treatment can help you recover. Eating disorder therapist Edie Stark, LCSW, and eating disorder psychologist Dr. Jennie Wang-Hall are outpatient providers in private practice in Bankers Hill and Oceanside, respectively. Both of these amazing women have worked in multiple levels of eating disorder treatment, and so they have provided excellent explanations so you can make an informed decision. I’m so excited for you to read what these amazing women have to offer!
How Can Psychiatrists Help Eating Disorder Recovery? Meet San Diego Physician Dr. Heather Mak, M.D.
Struggling with anxiety and depression in your eating disorder recovery? Seeing all the people frolicking in the sun and surf in San Diego, wondering when the heck you will feel like participating in life again? Working with an eating disorder psychiatrist may help! There is research on how mood disorders such as anxiety and depression are more frequent in people with eating disorders when compared to the general population. If that is the case, it can be helpful for your eating disorder recovery to work with a psychiatrist as well as an eating disorder therapist. I prefer to refer people to psychiatrists rather than their primary care physicians, as psychiatrists are specialized in psychopharmacology. They know the nuances and can manage any side effects of psychotropic medications (medications that can help with moods, etc.). One amazing psychiatrist in San Diego is Dr. Heather Mak, M.D. She is a very kind person who does great work with people in eating disorder recovery. Plus, she loves dogs (like me!). :) I’m excited for you to get to know her!
Introducing San Diego Eating Disorder Dietitian Christina Gaunce, RDN, CEDRD
Hi everyone! I want to introduce you to an eating disorder dietitian in San Diego who is new to Scripps Ranch—in fact, she now shares my office suite! Christina Gaunce is a Certified Eating Disorder Registered Dietitian and a wonderful individual who loves helping people recover from eating disorders. She embraces the intuitive eating approach and the Health at Every Size (HAES) perspective. Christina also offers video sessions. In this interview, she shares about her own recovery from an eating disorder. All in all, Christina is a caring, compassionate individual who is very skilled in nutritional healing in many areas. I’m excited for you to get to know her!
How Do Eating Disorders Affect Your Teeth? Hear from San Diego Dentist Dr. R. Andres Garcia, DDS
Ever wonder how eating disorder symptoms affect your teeth, mouth, and gums? Not sure how to treat it? Well, I have FABULOUS blog interview today—it’s with my amazing San Diego dentist, Dr. R. Andres Garcia, DDS, at Carmel Heights Dentistry, located in Carmel Valley. At my last check up, I was curious as to how he treats patients with eating disorders, and he graciously agreed to let me interview him for my blog! In this post, Dr. Garcia identifies teeth/mouth/gum eating disorder symptoms and details the requisite dental treatment. Some of these symptoms may sound scary, and they definitely are serious. I want to emphasize, however, that these symptoms ARE treatable, and that’s why it’s important to see a dentist right away so you can come up with a treatment plan that’s right for you. I know many of you may feel ashamed of how the eating disorder is affecting your teeth. I totally get it. At the same time, seeking dental care is a wonderful way to further your eating disorder recovery and practice self-care. Plus, a good dentist knows how to treat it, and I think Dr. Garcia is one of the best in San Diego.
Seeking Adult Eating Disorder Treatment? Meet UCSD Admissions Clinician Alyssa Kauffman
Looking for eating disorder treatment and don’t know where to turn? Meet Alyssa Kauffman, M.A., APCC, who is the Associate Admissions Clinician for the adult program at University of California San Diego Eating Disorders Center (UCSD EDC). I got to know Alyssa a few weeks ago, and she is a very kind person who has a heart for helping people get the eating disorder recovery they need in San Diego. In this blog post, she shares a little about herself and explains what the first steps look like in seeking eating disorder treatment at UCSD EDC.
Curious about Dialectical Behavior Therapy? Meet San Diego Eating Disorder Therapist Mia Najor, LMFT
If you are in recovery from an eating disorder, it’s likely that you’ve heard of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Originally developed by Psychologist Marsha Linehan, PhD, at the University of Washington, DBT is an evidence-based model that treatment centers and therapists employ to help people manage overwhelming emotions. Many San Diego eating disorder therapists and treatment programs also use DBT or DBT techniques, as emotion regulation is a key part of eating disorder recovery. Another type of DBT has emerged is Radically Open DBT (RO-DBT), with which therapists can treat people who have trouble accessing their emotions. In many cases, whereas DBT practitioners can help people who have big emotions, Radically Open DBT practitioners assist individuals who have small emotions. In San Diego, Mia Najor, LMFT, is an eating disorder therapist who uses both DBT and RO-DBT in her practice. Mia is a dynamic person with a heart of gold who feels passionate about helping people. She also co-hosts podcast in San Diego on a variety of mental health and eating disorder topics. It is called Breaking Down: The Podcast. I’m excited for you to get to know her!
Four Steps to Stomp Out Self-Criticism in Eating Disorder Recovery
Ever wish you could take a break from negative thoughts—like take a vacation from your brain? Feel like you’re on a self-criticism merry-go-round that you can’t get off? Many people struggle with self-criticism, especially those in recovery from eating disorders. It can be easy to be hard on yourself in San Diego, as you see people around you splashing in the ocean and laying on the warm sand. You might think, “what’s wrong with me that I’m not like them?” Even on social media you see everyone else posting about how wonderful their lives are, triggering negative thoughts that crash over you like a wave. You may feel hopeless and that there’s no way out. I want to convey that you CAN get out of the self-criticism cycle and live a more satisfying life. Check out the four steps in this blog post, and you’ll be on your way!