“The beauty of Aimee's Liu's brilliantly researched book, GAINING: THE TRUTH ABOUT LIFE AFTER EATING DISORDERS, is right there in the title. There is life after eating disorders, and Liu writes about that life with unflinching candor, exceptional insight, and remarkable bravery. While much has been written on the devastating effects of the illness itself, Liu gives us a unique and provocative look at recovery, taking away the shame and helping us to "gain" hope and understanding. This is a ground-breaking work that's a must-read for anyone who has struggled with food or weight but didn't quite understand why.”

--Lori Gottlieb,
Author of STICK FIGURE: A DIARY OF MY FORMER SELF

Liu's book, Gaining: The Truth About Life After Eating Disorders, immediately grabbed our attention because it focuses on life after a person overcomes an eating disorder. It incorporates theory, evidence, and examples that are meant to provide knowledge to
individuals who may suffer from eating disorders and also help them feel that they are not alone. The families of individuals who suffer from eating disorders may also benefit [from new insight into] the psychological worlds(thoughts, fears, beliefs, worries) of their loved ones. One of the strongest contributions of this book is that clinicians may learn about the lives of individuals after they overcome their eating
disorder.

-PsycCRITIQUES
Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books
Volume 52, Issue 51
What, If Anything, Do Our Clients Gain From Life
After Eating Disorders?
by Maria Karekla and Margarita Kapsou

With uninhibited truthfulness Aimee Liu reveals incidents in her own life which propelled her into anorexia... She believes the greatest asset any of us possess is our own life story and to realize the full power and dimension of this treasure, we have to be willing to tell the whole truth, and courageously, she does so...
‘Gaining’ lights the way into understanding the root causes and hidden origins of these surprisingly common eating disorders. These origins are not limited to eating disorders, in various degrees they lurk in all of us.

- JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association

Aimee Liu published “Solitaire”, the first memoir of anorexia, in 1979 after she struggled with the eating disorder as an adolescent. Although at the time she considered herself recovered, a relapse thirty years later encouraged Liu to reconsider the meaning of the word “recovery”.

Liu draws from multiple sources — her own experience, interviews with former anorexics and bulimics, research findings from leading experts in the field - as she explores the psyche of individuals who have suffered from an eating disorder. She describes how people with certain personality characteristics or tendencies are not only more prone to developing eating disorders, but that these characteristics can remain problematic throughout one’s life. Perfectionism, avoidance, social isolation, alexithymia, fear of intimacy, and disconnection from one’s self can continue to haunt people and destroy lives for years after they have “recovered”. Although no longer meeting DSM criteria, the characteristics that make an individual vulnerable to developing an eating disorder in the first place can continue to restrict one’s capacity to fully live life. If these tendencies are not addressed, they can also set the stage for relapse years later, particularly during times of stress. Liu encourages the question: Once someone no longer meets criteria for an eating disorder, what work still remains to be done?

“Gaining” is an engaging and incredibly insightful book. Those who have suffered from an eating disorder will see themselves on every page. Liu’s brutally honest approach in retelling her story will hopefully encourage readers to examine their own lives and consider making changes that will contribute to their long-term health. The book is also extremely thought-provoking, and will encourage researchers and clinicians to continue to question what is meant by “recovery” and how it can best be achieved.

-Renee Rienecke Hoste, PhD
The University of Chicago Hospitals
Reviewing for Academy for Eating Disorders
AED Forum

With heart-wrenching interviews from more than 40 men and women, Liu's book lobbies for cultivating self awareness (as well as getting a doctor's help) and for realizing that change, in life and in our bodies, is natural. Says Liu:
By unlocking ourselves, we unleash our power to change the world. This ultimate message of Gaining applies to us all.
Brave and timely, Gaining isn't just a good book, it's an important one.

-Caroline Leavitt
Cookie Magazine
http://www.cookiemag.com/

Click Aimee's name below for her full calendar of events

A NOTE FOR PROFESSIONALS
about Gaining

"I am a psychologist in private practice in Manhattan. I see patients with disordered eating of all kinds.
In my work, I often have patients read memoirs of people who have had struggles with food. I favor the ones where there is at least some hope of recovery and, ideally, a description of how the person came to the process of recovery. In this regard, your book fills a significant void.
I am currently using your book with several patients. We go through it together chapter by chapter. It has been a useful component of treatment.

I think the area of how to work effectively with people in recovery (out of the clutch of disabling symptoms) is vastly neglected. My sense is that bibliotherapy is well suited for 'the temperament' of this group, particularly as a way into identifying with others and connecting to feelings in a useful manner."

-Leah DeSole, Ph.D., NYC