The Anorexia Diaries: A Mother and Daughter's Triumph Over Teenage Eating Disorders

"I wish I had this book when I was trying to overcome my own struggle with anorexia and bulimia. Tara and Linda's courageous and dramatic story comes straight from the heart. You won't want to put it down. Dr. Craig Johnson's reassuring advice and thorough explanations take the mystery out of the illnesses. This is a very helpful and interesting book. Read it and share it with others."
--Paula Abdul, star of TV's "American Idol," Emmy Award winner, and Grammy Award-winning recording artist
Tara Rio was an ordinary teenager-- good student, good athlete, good daughter. She was also good at keeping a secret. Only her diary knew. Her mom, Linda, kept secrets, too, in a diary of her own, confessing private doubts about herself, her marriage, and her ambitions for a better life. When Linda discovers her daughter's secret struggle with eating disorders, they finally find the ways to connect with each other to protect their family and steer Tara's path to recovery.
Unlike any other book, "The Anorexia Diaries" takes you inside the puzzling world of teenage eating disorders. Witness the real-life story through intimate journals that reveal the Rio family's darkest moments-- and greatest triumphs.
"The interwoven diaries of daughter and mother go beyond a typical autobiography and offer a poignant view of Anorexia Nervosa as it unfolds from the inside looking out. Tara and Linda's ultimate success highlights how important it is never to give up on yourself and never to give up on your children."
--Cynthia Bulik, Ph.D., president of the Academy for Eating Disorders and William R. Jordan Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
"I highly recommend this very informative and interesting book because it is so positive and yet illustrates the struggle to recovery so well. The painful and necessary steps in recovery emerge in the journal pages of mother and daughter, and Dr. Craig Johnson's insights provide an excellent understanding of the causes and treatments of eating disorders."
--Pauline Powers, M.D., president elect of the National Eating Disorders Association and founding president of the Academy for Eating Disorders