Not all minerals are good for you. Some of them—like mercury, lead, cadmium, and aluminum—actually have very toxic effects. These are the so-called “heavy metal” minerals, to which we are exposed largely through environmental pollution.
How do you know if you may be exposed to heavy metals? You can start by asking yourself a few simple questions:
Do you eat tuna or saltwater fish more than once a week? If so, you are probably exposed to high levels of mercury.
Do you live next to a major roadway or airport? German researchers recently found that people living next to roadways had dangerously high levels of lead, and more incidents of cancer.
Do you cook in aluminum pots or use aluminum foil? Certain acidic foods can leach aluminum into food.
Do you use ceramic bowls and dishes? Glazes used in some pottery can leach lead into certain foods.
Do you have silver fillings in your mouth? Scientists in the Netherlands found that tooth fillings can release toxic mercury into the body. Some experts believe that 30 percent of people with serious lead poisoning get it from dental fillings.
Do you regularly take over-the-counter antacid remedies? If so, read the label: one of the main ingredients in these preparations is aluminum, which can build up in the body.
Heavy metals cause a wide variety of diseases. Mercury overdose is thought to cause blood vessel disease by eroding the walls of our arteries. It also causes bloating, fatigue, and birth defects. Lead poisoning is responsible for mental sluggishness, low appetite, vomiting, and even retardation. Mercury, lead, and cadmium can weaken your immune system.
Cadmium also appears to affect the brain, leading to severe memory loss and diminished mental function. Some researchers believe that excess aluminum or cadmium may be factors in the development of Alzheimer’s Disease (premature senility).
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Role of family therapy in the treatment plan
The more doctors learn about eating disorders, the more we see the need to tackle family issues. As the number of people with the disorders has risen, so has the use of the family approach. Although we’re still learning which strategies work best, the success of family therapy has led to its increasing use for a range of other problems. Family therapy offers many benefits: It identifies the problem as solvable, it provides practical solutions, it creates a relationship with a caring professional, and, perhaps best of all, it offers hope.
Of course, family therapy often needs to be integrated into a more comprehensive treatment approach. Hilde Bruch, a pioneer in the treatment of eating disorders, stated: “Regardless of what the family contribution to the illness has been in the past, the patient has integrated these abnormal concepts about herself and others into her own personality.” Bruch felt that individual therapy is needed to correct the patient’s faulty assumption that starving will resolve her emotional conflicts.
Indications for family therapy
Careful assessment reveals whether family therapy will be appropriate in a given case. If so, we then work out when and how often sessions will be held, and who will attend.
I usually suggest family therapy in virtually every case where the patient is young – under eighteen – and living at home. If the family gets help early on, it may have a shorter and easier course of therapy.
Sometimes, though, the family comes for help only after it has struggled with the problem for years on its own. In some cases, the family gets treatment only when something occurs to upset the stability of the “sick” family system, such as another sibling going off to college.
Patients who are married or live away from home can still benefit. Despite their independence, these women are often still strongly tied to their families. Even if we can’t meet with other family members, we set up at least some sessions with as many as can attend.
Though valuable, family therapy is not required in all cases. A crisis doesn’t necessarily mean the family is sick or can’t function. Sure, parents might be angry or frightened – that’s a normal, even healthy response. One study by Dr. Arnold Andersen found that 12 percent of eating disorder families were enviably healthy, providing all the love, nurturance, and autonomy a child should have. These marriages were strong and loving, and the relationships among family members stayed within proper boundaries.
Thus, while family therapy isn’t always necessary, a family-oriented approach is.
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