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Eating Disorder Expert Dr. Gregory Jantz Says New Reality Series on Eating Disorders May Hurt More Than Help

Edmonds, WA (Jan. 5, 2012) – Eating disorders are once again in the spotlight with the premiere of a Lifetime network reality show focusing on women who suffer from anorexia, bulimia and binge eating. It’s not the first time reality TV has covered the subject, and eating disorders specialist and author Dr. Gregory Jantz cautions that these shows can do more harm than good.

Starving Secrets aired its first episodes in December, telling the stories of seven different women undergoing treatment for eating disorders. The show is hosted and co-produced by Tracey Gold, a teen star of the 1980s sitcom Growing Pains and one of the first celebrities to have her anorexia widely publicized in the media. Gold has since become a spokesperson and activist on eating disorders.

A&E has dealt with eating disorders on its popular reality show Intervention, and in 2010, the E! network ran What’s Eating You?, a reality series devoted to the topic.

At best, these shows can raise awareness of eating disorders, says Dr. Jantz, and even that can have a down side. Watching such a program can be “triggering” to someone with a history of or predisposition to eating disorders, and may give sufferers ideas on ways to hide the problem from family and friends.

“A television show, no matter how well-intended, just can’t show the true depth and complexity of problems like anorexia and bulimia, nor can it accurately portray the kind of treatment that’s necessary for a person to recover from an eating disorder,” says Dr. Jantz.

Dr. Jantz advocates a “whole-person” approach to promoting recovery from eating disorders, one that he practices at The Center for Counseling and Health Resources, a residential treatment facility in Edmonds, WA, that he founded in 1984. Dr. Jantz’s whole-person methods address clients’ physical and medical needs, as well as the psychological, emotional and spiritual components of their disorders.

In addition to his work as an eating disorder counselor, Dr. Jantz operates Caring Online, website that offers information on eating disorders, and has written numerous acclaimed books. Jantz’s bestselling Hope, Help and Healing for Eating Disordersdetails his whole-person philosophy of treatment.

Visit aplaceofhope.com to find out more about eating disorder treatment and to take a  free, confidential eating disorder survey.

Effects of Physical, Emotional Abuse Can Linger Long into Adulthood

Edmonds, WA (November 23, 2011) - Amid a national debate about corporal punishment and child abuse set off by a sensational video posted on the internet, therapist and author Dr. Gregory Jantz reminds families that child abuse of all kinds - physical and emotional - leaves lasting scars that can affect victims throughout their adult lives.

A 23-year-old Texas woman, Hillary Adams, posted hidden-camera footage on YouTube that shows her father punishing her by hitting her with a belt during a 7-minute ordeal that took place in 2004, when she was 16. The video has been viewed well over 6 million times in just 3 weeks and led several national news and talk shows to interview Adams recently.

Although the video has sparked discussion about the appropriateness of corporal punishment for teens and children, and about what differentiates legitimate punishment from physical abuse, Dr. Jantz says much of the reaction to the video ignores the fact that it unquestionably documents verbal abuse, which is a form of emotional abuse and can be just as damaging as other forms of abuse.

In the video, Adams’s father screams and swears at her as he strikes her repeatedly with the belt.

“Emotional and verbal abuse denigrate their target’s personhood,” says Dr. Jantz. “A parent who abuses a child this way is attacking him or her as a person, calling into question the child’s worth and value.”

Dr. Jantz says that emotional abuse and physical abuse reinforce each other, and that the combination can be even more damaging to a child’s well-being than either form of abuse alone.

Many adults who seek counseling for a variety of psychological disorders and even physical symptoms suffered abuse as children. Studies have shown that an abused child stands a greatly increased risk of growing into an adult who must contend with one or more psychological problems such as severe anxiety, clinical depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Dr. Jantz is founder of The Center for Counseling and Health Resources in Edmonds, WA, which offers whole-person treatment for those facing major life challenges. Dr. Jantz is the author of many books including Healing the Scars of Emotional Abuse and his latest title for parents of adolescents called The Stranger in Your House.

Men with Courage to Face Depression Can Find Help at the Center for Counseling and Resources

Edmonds, WA (October 4, 2011) - Men seek treatment for serious depression only about half as often as women do, but that doesn't mean men are suffering from depression only half as much. In fact, it's estimated that 6 million men in the U.S. suffer from clinical depression each year, a figure that represents an incidence of depression that's only about 15 percent lower than that in women. For depressed men, overcoming reluctance to admit their problem can be one of the biggest obstacles to treatment and recovery, according to Dr. Gregory Jantz of The Center for Counseling and Resources, a residential treatment center for depression in Edmonds, WA.

”Men who silently suffer through depression not only accept a lower quality of daily life than they have to,” says Dr. Jantz, ”they also put themselves at greater risk for certain physical problems like heart disease.”

Dr. Jantz founded The Center in 1984 to bring a "whole-person" approach to assisting both men and women facing depression and other major life challenges. He is also the author of many books, including Moving Beyond Depression, Happy for the Rest of Your Life and Becoming Strong Again.

The symptoms of depression in men may differ from those shown by depressed women. Because of the societal pressure on them to maintain a masculine image, depressed men tend to exhibit symptoms that others may not associate with depression at all. These may include:

Men afflicted by depression can also experience apathy, guilt, hopelessness, indecisiveness and feelings of worthlessness. However, men may find it harder to verbalize these ”softer” feelings.

Statistics show that depression is more prevalent in men who are not married, including divorced or widowed men. Men who are unemployed or retired are also disproportionately affected by depression.

A Place of Hope for Depression offers a free online depression survey that can help you determine whether you have feelings, attitudes and behaviors that may indicate that you're currently suffering from depression or are at risk for depression.

For more information on The Center's depression treatment program, visit APlaceofHope.com or call 1-888-771-5166.

The Center Provides Resources, Help for Self-Mutilation

Edmonds, WA (August 22, 2011) - Cutting and self-mutilation are silent and often damaging cries for help, affecting roughly 25% of today’s youth between the ages of 13 and 19. Most who self-injure are female but males do so as well. Whether suffering from depression, anxiety or another form of hurt or anger, self-injury is a painful yet private external expression of severe internal pain. Dr. Gregory l. Jantz, PhD and founder of The Center for Counseling & Health Resources, urges sufferers to seek treatment for cutting and self-mutilation before it’s too late.

The Mayo Clinic defines self-injury as “the act of deliberately harming your own body... not meant as a suicide attempt... rather self-injury is an unhealthy way to cope with emotional pain, intense anger and frustration.” There are numerous forms of self-injury from pulling out hair to interfering with wound healing to breaking bones. The following are the most common forms of self-mutilation and their most dangerous side effects:

Cutters - scarring; infections; excess loss of blood; weakness/numbness from severing nerves, blood vessels and muscles

Burners - scarring; infections; limb loss from burning with chemicals or acids

Head Bangers - bruising, swelling, long-term brain damage

“Most often, self-injurers are struggling with emotional issues such as depression, stress, eating disorders, lack of self-esteem and the inability to cope,” says Dr. Jantz. “Out of a need for control, they hurt themselves knowing they will experience physical pain and, for them, that is better than feeling nothing at all. Without help and therapy, it usually only gets worse.”

Dr. Jantz’ 25-plus books offer advice on how to deal with unhappy and struggling teenagers and adults. The Center also offers loving, whole-person treatment for the underlying issues that lead to this kind of self-destruction.

APlaceofHope.com is the most informative and private means of getting help on the Internet and will direct you to Dr. Jantz’ books, The Center and all the physical, emotional and spiritual resources you need to move forward.

Online Depression Survey Helps Detect Depression and Anxiety in Youth

Edmonds, WA (July 6, 2011) - With more than 24% of youth between the ages of 10 and 24 suffering from depression and/or anxiety, it's no surprise suicide is the third leading cause of death in America. Every year in the U.S., approximately 4,400 young people kill themselves and more than 14,900 youths show up in the hospital with self-inflicted injuries. Dr. Gregory L. Jantz, PhD, founder of The Center for Counseling & Health Resources, urges you to seek treatment for depression or anxiety for your child before it's too late. Dr. Jantz has created an online depression survey designed to help identify signs of depression and anxiety in youth as well as sufferers of all ages.

Depression is commonly defined as a long-term sense of sadness without any real reason or cause, and anxiety is an unconscious, ongoing sense of dread or tension without any real danger. Dr. Jantz' depression survey asks survey takers if they've experienced more than 30 indicators of depression or anxiety, including:

If you are experiencing several of the indicators in the survey, Dr. Jantz urges you to seek help for depression or anxiety.

In today's competitive, success-driven culture, the pressures on kids are overwhelming. Dr. Jantz's books, The Molding of a Champion and Healthy Habits, Healthy Kids, offer practical parenting advice based on his whole-person concept of healthy healing. Whether or not the Depression Survey confirms a problem of depression or anxiety in your children, these books can help you create a well-balanced, healthy and spiritual living environment for your family.

With more than 25 empowering books and more than 25 years of successful healing at The Center, Dr. Jantz's whole-person approach to addressing the physical, emotional and spiritual health of individuals has proven itself over and over again. Contact The Center at www.aplaceofhope.com for more resources and treatment options for depression and anxiety.