Integrated enhanced cognitive behavioural therapy (I-CBTE) for the treatment of severe and long-standing eating disorders (SEED). Commentary on Paper 2: From SEED to recovery

This commentary forms part of a series of three interconnected papers. The first paper is a personal narrative by a patient with lived experience of having a severe, longstanding eating disorder1; the second paper is a detailed case study on the first paper2. Specifically this paper is a commentary on the second paper entitled ‘Integrated enhanced cognitive behavioural therapy (I-CBTE) for the treatment of severe and long-standing eating disorders (SEED). Paper 2: From chrysalis to butterfly – a detailed case study’. In this commentary the author outlines her own eating disorder (ED) history. The ED started in early adolescence and she describes how she ‘coped’ with a severe and enduring eating disorder (SEED) for several decades as an adult, and how ‘coping’ developed into being seriously malnourished and at risk. She then documents how I-CBTE had brought her into recovery, and how this was only possible in tandem with full weight restoration. The hope is that the author’s personal narrative and commentary will provide further lived experiences and insights into the recovery journey from SE-AN. This commentary highlights the human aspect of the condition and the transformative potential of effective treatment models like I-CBTE.