EDMONDS, WA--(Marketwire -12/21/11)- The only program that treats adult sufferers of eating disorders in the Canadian province of British Columbia may be prematurely discharging some patients, according to news reports. Dr. Gregory Jantz, a top U.S. eating disorders specialist, wants such patients to know that comprehensive help is available at his treatment center, The Center for Counseling and Health Resources, just a few hours south of the border.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation recently reported that at least a dozen adult patients being treated for eating disorders at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, BC, said they were discharged despite their failing health, although provincial health officials denied the accusations.
Dr. Jantz runs The Center for Counseling and Health Resources, a residential facility in Edmonds, WA that specializes in treatment for conditions such as anorexia and bulimia. Dr. Jantz founded The Center in 1984 in order to practice his philosophy of "whole-person" care for eating disorders, which addresses the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual aspects of these complex problems in order to foster long-term healing.
Eating disorders disproportionately strike adolescent girls and young women, but older people can also be affected. Relapses after treatment are also quite common. The discharged Canadian patients were all adults and said they were sent home as "chronic cases" that would never improve.
The CBC News report highlighted the case of a 30-year-old anorexic woman who was sent home weighing just 80 pounds. The woman has lost more weight, suffers from failing organs and has had another heart attack, her third. Such life-threatening conditions can result from severe anorexia, which has the highest fatality rate of any mental illness.
"Eating disorders potentially can affect anyone, regardless of age or sex," says Dr. Jantz. "Any person suffering from one of these devastating conditions deserves compassion and professional treatment as long as they are struggling."
In addition to offering eating disorder counseling at The Center, Dr. Jantz runs the website Caring Online, is a prominent media commentator and has written numerous acclaimed books, including the bestselling Hope, Help and Healing for Eating Disorders. Dr. Jantz has also authored books about other mental health topics such as depression and anxiety, as well as books on healthy living, relationships, parenting and spiritual life. To reach The Center admissions, call 425-771-5166.
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