June Alexander

AUSTRALIAN
Author and Journalist
Speaker

Welcome! Here you will find answers, encouragement and support in understanding and recovering from Anorexia Nervosa. Research is ongoing to learn more about the genetic and environmental causes of this mental illness and to improve treatment. Until recently, parents were considered part of the cause, but evidence-based research has revealed they are a vital part of the solution. Research outcomes suggest that early intervention with family-based treatment offers the best hope of recovery for children and adolescents who develop Anorexia Nervosa.

I wish family-based treatment had been around when I was young! I developed Anorexia Nervosa at the age of 11, in the early 1960s, in a rural area of Australia where no help was available. I went on to develop Bulimia Nervosa, chronic anxiety and depression. I was in my 30s when I began a recovery journey of more than 20 years. Now, I am at peace and life is beautiful! My message is: Never give up hope, and seek assistance quickly! I invite you to use this site as a beacon on your recovery path.

This is explained in my book My Kid Is Back – Empowering Parents To Beat Anorexia Nervosa. Written in collaboration with Professor Daniel le Grange, director of the Eating Disorders Program at the University of Chicago, and voicing the experiences of ten families, this book offers valuable insight and inspiration for parents.

**You can order My Kid Is Back from the following online book stores.**

BUY ONLINE in Australia/New Zealand:

Alexander and Le Grange have combined heart, history and healing in this thoughtful book. My Kid is Back should be required reading for any parent with the slightest suspicion that an eating disorder may be developing in their child. June Alexander's own testimonial should be a warning enough that families need to take action early and head on.

- Lynn S. Grefe, Chief Executive Officer, National Eating Disorders Association (USA)

www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

BUY ONLINE outside Australia/New Zealand:

My Kid Is Back is stocked by eating disorder specialist sites including The Butterfly Foundation and The Oak House.

Calendar

New Decade - New Directions

Developments in the Treatment of Eating Disorders
8th ANNUAL CONFERENCE of the AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND ACADEMY FOR EATING DISORDERS
27th to 28th August 2010 – Hilton Auckland
26th August - Clinical Training Day

Click here for more information or to register.
As a member of ANZAED, I recommend this very worthy conference in beautiful New Zealand. Unfortunately I cannot make it there this year. Instead, I will head for the USA in October to attend the National Eating Disorder Association conference …

October 8-10th
Theme for the 2010 NEDA Conference is Building Bridges to Recovery.
Keynote speaker will be Naomi Wolf, author of the landmark bestseller The Beauty Myth.
I was greatly inspired by The Beauty Myth when this book was first released in 1991. The insights provided by Naomi became an important part of my recovery journey. Sometimes I wonder how far we have progressed since then in confronting the issues surrounding eating disorders, and I look forward to listening to Naomi.

Click on the website link to download the schedule for the NEDA conference.
I look forward to attending the workshops, participating, catching up with friends in the eating disorder ‘family’, meeting treatment providers and professionals, and widening my network of friends. I hope to see you there.

As the NEDA brochure says:
Something very special happens when families, people in recovery and professionals meet together to learn at our conferences...

Two books set for 2011 release

Memoir

I am excited to share that my memoir A Girl Called Tim is due for release in Australia and New Zealand in February, 2011 by New Holland Publishers, Sydney. My literary agent is Margaret Gee. My memoir describes the journey I took over more than four decades, to reach freedom from my eating disorder.
More about this soon!

Textbook on eating disorders

As well, an international textbook on eating disorders, with Professor Janet Treasure, of King’s College, London, as my co-author, will be released by Routledge is due for release in April, 2011. This ground-breaking, collaborative work includes leading researchers and clinicians as contributors; it features families and sufferers from eating disorders who courageously and generously share their stories so others may learn; and powerful messages from eating disorder support groups and activists, from around the world.