In this episode, I am joined by father and daughter Mike and Mary Polan. After “an extremely long and painful process with many twists and turns, detours and crashes along the way,” Mary recovered from a 10 year battle with anorexia, which nearly took her life. Mike’s personal experience supporting Mary’s recovery led him to shift his passion to support parents navigating the eating disorder treatment and recovery process. He believes that, "Recovery is possible. Even in the darkest times, never lose hope. There is a fighter within all of us."

SOME OF THE TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• As a caregiver, not assuming that a child’s abnormal eating patterns are “a phase”

• The importance of finding caregiver support from trained professionals

• Researching treatment programs that a parent and client can put their trust into

• Involving the whole family, including siblings, in the recovery process

• The ownership of self that comes with choosing recovery as opposed to being forced into treatment

• Residential treatment as a starting place, not the end of, the recovery journey

ABOUT MIKE AND MARY POLAN:

Mike Polan is a retired teacher and Dad to his daughter who recovered from a grueling battle with an eating disorder. Mike’s passion for helping parents navigate the eating disorder treatment and recovery process stems from his personal experience of his daughter’s eating disorder. Mike brings his background as a former NEDA Navigator and a member of the NEDA steering committee to the team. He has written multiple articles for NEDA newsletters and has spoken at a variety of Eating Disorder Conferences, including the 2016 NEDA luncheon in Westchester County. Additionally, Mike has spoken at multiple Monte Nido Family groups, sharing his triumphant experience with others and offering a compassionate understanding to those who are at the beginning of their family’s healing journey.

Mary Polan was diagnosed with an eating disorder at the age of 10 years old and recovered after “an extremely long and painful process with many twists and turns, detours and crashes along the way.” Mary proudly considers herself recovered from her eating disorder, which she struggled with since starting at 10 years old. She currently resides in California with her boyfriend where she attends graduate school pursing a career in the field of exercise physiology.

CONNECT WITH MIKE AND MARY:

• Read Mike and Mary’s featured articles below:

  • “NEDA Helped Me Realize That I Am Not Alone” for NEDA

  • “Stories of Hope” for NEDA’s Hope for Parents series

  • “Anorexia Can Strike and Kill as Early as Kindergarten” for ABC News

ABOUT KARIN LEWIS:

Karin Lewis, MA, LMFT, CEDS has been recovered from Anorexia Nervosa for over 20 years and has been specializing in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders since 2005. Karin is the founder of the Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center located in Boston, MA. You can visit Karin Lewis Eating Disorder Center online to learn more about Karin and her center’s services. You can also connect with Karin on social media by following her on Facebook and Instagram.