The Long Road Back: A Survivor's Guide to Anorexia Book

Judy Tam Sargent, RN, M.S.N., chronicles her spiraling descent, deep into the jaws of Anorexia Nervosa. She spent ten years in and out of over twenty-five treatment centers, many of which committed atrocious acts against their eating-disordered patients. She was then only a teenager.

In efforts to 'treat' Judy, staff members tied her to her bed for months at a time, force-fed her through garden-hose sized nasogastric tubes, and at one time, an intern pumped ten pounds of intravenous fluids into her body, causing her to suffer congestive heart failure.

Somehow, Judy survived. She describes, in heart-breaking detail, the stories of her friends who died of anorexia. Mary, a fellow inmate, was released from one medical center, and yet a few months later, returned for help, weighing only fifty pounds at five foot seven inches tall. Mary's insurance ran out, so she was denied treatment by the infamous Dr. Bailey, her former doctor. Shortly thereafter Mary died of heart failure, brought on by self-starvation.

Judy is now a fully recovered nurse-therapist, and treats other eating disordered patients. She describes in vivid detail both proposed treatment programs, and bio-physiological, chemical changes that accompany anorexia, while telling her story in a clear, simple voice. Her scholastic, musical, and career achievements have been extraordinary in the years since overcoming anorexia.

Join Judy as she descends into the depths of starvation, following severe family trauma. Rejoice with her as she slowly recovers. Learn about treatment plans that are effective, and how to avoid treatment that will surely fail. Read a never-before published, insider's view of the little understood disease that strikes millions of Americans. If you or a loved one have ever suffered from eating disorders, The Long Road Back, A Survivors' Guide to Anorexia will help. The book lists treatment facilities that follow humane protocols, along with organizations designed to assist both families and their loved ones.

Judy Sargent lights the way in a path formerly filled with darkness. She illustrates the flaws in our current psycho-medical system, brings hope to those afflicted with eating disorders, and provides new information on treatment plans that lead to full recovery.