BONUS EPISODE: JORDYN’S STORY: A FAMILY’S JOURNEY THROUGH AN EATING DISORDER

Bonus Episode: Jordyn’s Story- A Family’s Journey Through An Eating Story

Episode Summary:

For many women, issues with body image and eating are lifetime struggles. In this week’s episode, Colleen and her daughter, Jordyn, have an open and candid conversation about the impact eating disorders on their family. Through their discussion, Jordyn gives a personal recount of her journey to healthy eating, offering an authentic perspective on the hardships of Anorexia, Bulimia, treatment, and recovery.

As a teenager, Jordyn struggled with Anorexia as well as depression. Now, as an adult in recovery, she is sharing her story in hopes of shedding light on the realities of eating disorders and offering support to those who may have or still are going through similar experiences.

Jordyn’s story:

Our guest is Jordyn Rosenblum, a 24-year-old graduate student and preschool teacher. She currently attends Lipscomb University and is a full-time teacher at the High Hopes Development Center in Franklin, Tennessee. She has been working with children both neurotypical and neurodivergent since she was a teenager and has a passion for helping kids.

From early teenage years to young adulthood, Jordyn struggled with Anorexia and depression. It was a long term battle that affected her physically, socially and emotionally. After attending therapy and using out-patient services at The Renfrew Center, Jordyn learned coping mechanisms to help conquer her eating disorder. In this episode, she sharesnher story in hopes of inspiring and educating others who also struggle with eating disorders and mental health issues. 

Family Journey

Jordyn started obsessing about weight and food at the end of middle school and at the time, she kept is hidden from everyone. While it was clear that she was losing weight, Colleen chalked it up to puberty and did not know the extent of Jordyn’s issues until they had an explosive conversation the beginning of high school. It was during an argument where Jordyn admitted that she was “starving herself!” Colleen knew she had to act quickly if she wanted her daughter to get help but she had no idea where to begin. It is in that time that the reality of how isolating this disease can be for teenagers and family.

Jordyn reluctantly began treatment three days a week with a therapist, psychiatrist and nutritionist. She quickly developed ways to manipulate her therapist and went through several of them for similar reasons. She spent years going back and forth: showing some improvement and then falling back into the cycle of the illness. A mixture of individual therapy, out-patient treatment at The Renfrew Center and group therapy seemed to be the combination that was needed to get her healthy. It is an addiction like any other and Jordyn makes the choice to be healthy everyday.

If Colleen could give any advice for mothers who also have a child struggling with an eating disorder, it would be to emphasize the importance of time. Try and get them into therapy and a treatment plan as soon as possible, especially if they are approaching legal age (18). Once they reach 18, your rights as a parent to be involved in the treatment program all but disappears. Both Jordyn and Colleen also encourage parents and children to continuously have open and honest conversations throughout treatment and recovery. It is important for a teenager or young adult struggling with an eating disorder to feel heard and have some control over their treatment.

The Renfrew Center

• The Renfrew Center is a treatment center that specializes in helping women of all ages conquer eating disorders. They offer services for various eating disorders including Bulimia, Anorexia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, as well as others. 
• They have over twenty facilities across the United States 
  • Locations:
    • Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Illinois, California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York
• The Renfrew Center offers both in-patient and out-patient treatment.  
• Outpatient services: 
  • Group therapy
  • Individual therapy
  • Family therapy 
  • Couples’ therapy 
  • Nutrition consultation 
  • Virtual group therapy
• Residential (in-patient) services: 
  • Individualized treatment plans
  • Nutrition plans
  • Group therapy
  • Individual therapy
  • Family therapy
  • Psychotherapy group 
    • Family patterns, belief systems, body image, nutrition, etc.

In this episode, we discuss…

• [0:01] Show Introduction
• [0:29] Introducing Our Guest
• [1:41] Start of the Interview
• [1:44] How Jordyn’s Eating Disorder Began
• [3:15] Eating Disorders and Teenage Years
• [4:03] The First Time Jordyn Opened Up About Her Struggles
• [9:08] How A Mother Copes with Feeling Helpless 
• [11:30] Not Being Ready to Accept Help
• [14:00] Bulimia
• [19:27] It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better
• [20:42] Journey to Out-Patient Treatment
• [27:19] Experience in The Renfrew Center
• [30:55] The Turning Point
• [33:26] The Importance of a Specialized Therapist
• [34:43] The Beginnings of Recovery
• [37:55] How Other’s Perceive Eating Disorders
• [38:43] How Jordyn Found Her Strength
• [40:30] Life After Renfrew
• [41:20] Romantic Relationships and Eating Disorders
• [42:35] What Jordyn Wants People to Know About Eating Disorders
• [45:39] Advice for Mothers with Children Who Have Eating Disorders
• [48:52] Closing Thoughts
• [51:20] Outro

Useful Resources:

For Education and Help Finding Treatment: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/

The National Eating Disorders Helpline: 800-931-2237

For Crisis Situations: Text “NEDA” to 741741

For Information on The Renfrew Center: https://renfrewcenter.com/ or call 1-800-Renfrew

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