68. The Neurobiology of Recovery with Dr. Jeffrey DeSarbo

Understanding Disordered Eating

What happens to the brain when someone recovers from an eating disorder? Is it really possible for EVERYONE to recover?

In today’s episode, I’m talking with Dr. Jeffrey DeSarbo to answer exactly that. If you were with us for Episode 23 on the Neurobiology of Eating Disorders, then you’ve already met Dr. Jeffrey DeSarbo once before! Today’s episode pairs well with that one, so go back and listen to that one as well.

Dr. DeSarbo is a physician, psychiatrist, and medical director of ED-180, an eating disorder treatment center in Garden City, New York. He’s dealt with thousands of patients and is one of the leaders in the field. If you’re a visual person, you might find his video series on the neurobiology of eating disorders very helpful (I did!).

Today, as we talk about the neurobiology of recovery, we’ll discuss what recovery really means, if it’s possible for everyone, and of course, the processes that happen in the brain as someone is recovering. The last part of our conversation is one you won’t want to miss: we talk about SEED (Severe and Enduring Eating Disorders) and palliative care. This is a very tricky conversation, and we talk about our personal/professional experiences and opinions… so be sure to listen to the end!

Disclaimer: We are talking in general terms, so as always, take those generalities with a grain of salt and know everything said here may or may not apply to you.

Tweetable Quotes

“[After suffering from an eating disorder,] adults will lose 4-6% of their brain cells and brain connectivity… children can lose 7.5-8% of their gray matter in their brain.” – Dr. Jeffrey DeSarbo

“[After treatment,] studies show that the volume in both the gray matter and the white matter starts to restore itself in almost every brain region.” – Dr. Jeffrey DeSarbo

“It’s important to me that the treatment team makes it clear to [a patient] that yes, it’s hard. It’s going to keep being hard. That’s one thing I never do – minimize it. It’s easier to say, ‘This is going to be very difficult. You’re going to go through a lot of pain. But you can do it. People do it.’” – Dr. Jeffrey DeSarbo

“[After my patients recover], they’ll usually say, ‘I can’t even remember what I was like. I can’t really remember how I thought like that.’” – Dr. Jeffrey DeSarbo

“Recovery is possible. It’s going to be really hard for most people. But no matter how hard it’ll be, it’s always worth it in the end. I’ve never had somebody say it wasn’t worth it. When you change your neural networks, it changes your mindset on a molecular level, and that’s what recovery is.” – Dr. Jeffrey DeSarbo

Resources

Understanding Disordered Eating Episode 23: The Neurobiology of Eating Disorders with Dr. Jeffrey DeSarbo, DO

Dr. Jeffrey DeSarbo’s YouTube Channel

Dr. Jeffrey DeSarbo’s Website

ED-180

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