Tennie gives continued treatment recommendations at the end of the 42-day treatment.
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Addicted to Food
Clients confront their families and tell their truths.
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Tennie helps to prepare her clients to confront their families about their eating disorders.
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OWN begins our final Addicted to Food on Day 37, just after family week ends. Tennie tells us that this is the week where she makes recommendations for the clients. “Some of them really do need to stay longer and others will be pretty much ok to discharge,” Tennie says. “They may not like the recommendations but as professionals, having done this a long time, I can’t just in good consciousness let them go without making further recommendations.”
Recommendations:
- For Amy – Treatment for another 42 days
- For Elizabeth – Treatment for another 42 days and then, go into transition
- For Tinisha – Transition for 30 days and then, go to the half-way house
- For Camille – Transition for 30 days
- For Dejuaii – Transition for 30 days and then, the half-way house for 6 months
- For Robby – Ready to go home
- For Layne – Transition for 30 days and within the 30 days have a family week
- For Traecey – Transition for 30 days
After the recommendations, everyone begins to think “I failed the treatment.” While this is natural, it’s not the case. The reality is that treatment is a long process…that is often a life long journey. This 42 days is just the beginning of reclaiming their lives.
As a transition back into life, the group goes on a field trip. “When you have an eating disorder and you’ve been in treatment a few weeks, it’s almost a shock to go into a grocery story,” Tennie says. Since people with these kinds of disorders cannot avoid going to a grocery store and being around food, this exercise ‘leans’ them back into the process of going to the store, finding healthful foods and avoiding the items they would binge on. Tennie reminds them, “The fresh items are on the outer-perimeter. Avoid the middle. That’s where your processed foods are.” During the outing, it’s clear that the anxiety and stress of the event can be overwhelming. It’s a new normal that they must find…to replace their old ways.
As each client wrestles with their own recommendations from Tennie and her team, they are able to call home to seek advice from their loved ones. There is a mixture of “support” to come home, to decide on your own, or to take the advice of the experts. As we move through the final rituals of the evening, we find out what comes next…and what path their journeys will take them on
As this series ends…the lessons that it leaves each viewer with is personal. Thank you Addicted to Food clients and staff for offering up your own personal journey and taking steps forward to change your own lives and the lives of those who watched you each week. Lessons shared from these journeys show us one tremendous thing. We all face struggles in our lives. It is how we make our way through those struggles that will help us heal…and each journey has the possibility of not just healing ourselves but also healing others through sharing our story.
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Family Week is here on OWN’s Addicted to Food. As we move into day 34 of the process, Tennie tells us that the purpose of this week is two-fold. “One thing we get more information about the client and two, they are going back into that system and in some ways, the family has helped support that eating disorder.” Family week helps them come together in the process…and be part of the healing.
Divided into two different groups, Tennie separates out the families with children or that are child-like to begin the work. This is the chance for the families to get real and put this pain out there in a safe environment. Within the group, clients also chime in tell their experience of what they see. In an honest and supportive environment, Tennie works with the family and sometimes we hear the most profound understanding from the youngest of family members. (Bravo Whitney!) Tennie also reminds one parent, “little girls need to hear “you’re beautiful” and “I love you”…it’s how little girls are made and their first encounter with a man that cares for them.” Sometimes, it’s just acceptance and love that we need…the words”I love you” can be the best Band-Aid.
Additional drama unfolds as Dejuaii tells her mother and sister that she is gay. The fear about speaking the words quickly melt away as the love that they have for her withstood the reveal. With the words out, we felt her deep breath and exhale. However, there is a different outcome for Layne. With Layne, no one showed up during family week to support her. (Might I add, her family is in the same state.) As this pain for her unfolded through family week, I just wanted to show up for her. Someone in her life needs to put her first for one moment….and this will make all the difference. As she is telling Tennie that she just wants to leave, Tennie says, “This could be a big turning point for you.” As soon as Layne decided to stay, sunshine went off in her face. I hope that she remembers this…always. Choose yourself – You matter.
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As the process continues, OWN’s ATF adds another element into the recovery – family. Day 29 into the 42 day process brings us to family week and this looks like it will bring with it an entirely different ‘shade’ of drama to the process.
As Tennie reads the list of family member’s coming and not coming, we learn that Elizabeth’s mother is not coming to family week and no on is showing up for Layne. “When family members are invited and don’t come to family week, that’s a huge statement and the client needs to look at that,” Tennie says. “It really shows lack of support for the client.”
On a personal call to Layne’s husband, her husband was anything but supportive. His lack of compassion and empathy to seeing things through any other perspective other than his own is clear within seconds on the phone. However, to be fair, Layne is unable to find her voice in the relationship as well. Women, when you lose your voice in a relationship, you lose yourself…and it is my experience that those are the relationships that leave you crawling and fighting to get out of.
During group, they are moving into the “life map” process. The purpose is to see how their life has formed patterns and how this impacts them today. During the process, clients draw a self pattern of their body image. Then, a partner actually traces their actual body image onto of the same pattern. From there, they begin to write down their life history…what was happening, how they were feeling, how were they abusing their bodies, etc… After a while, they are asked to step back and take a look for any patterns. Seeing these patterns empowers them to be aware and break this cycle. With these identified, the clients can work through their anger and pain and let it go. “I believe in honoring that pain and getting that pain out,” Tennie tells us. “Sometimes underneath the pain there may be anger…that’s how I know we may be hitting on something that goes into the one big part of it.”
As the clients prepare to talk with their families about different issues such being a lesbian, not being a good mother and not having support that they need, clients role play with each other to prepare for family week. This helps them to understand their fear and anxiety around communicating to their loved ones what they need. For some it’s acceptance, for others it’s more. “What do you hope to accomplish for family week?” Tennie asks the clients and then tells us, “We believe in multi-family therapy and…they realize that they are not the only family dealing with an eating disorder. What I really hope is that family membesr and clients can start speaking the truth to each other…the truth sets everyone free.”
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Thank you Oprah.com/OWN for sharing this web exclusive.
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Thank you Oprah.com/OWN for sharing this web exclusive.
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Think of your food as medication…as you would take your prescribed medication each day, this is how you should take your food.
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