Questions and Topics We Can Help You To Answer:
Paper Instructions:

Judy Allison has a severe eating disorder, known as bulimia nervosa, which can be life threatening. This condition is one “in which a pathologically excessive appetite with episodic eating binges is sometimes followed by purging”. The purging may occur through such means as self-vomiting, or the abuse of laxatives, diet pills, or diuretics. She was admitted to the hospital two days ago after her sister found her unconscious in the bathroom of the home they shared. As a hospital social worker, you have interviewed Judy at the request of the physician who has been treating her during her hospital stay.

Judy acknowledges she has a serious problem, but says a friend told her that it can be cured by a diet of fruits and vegetables. You are unaware of any current research for treating this illness that involves the diet she describes. Instead, you are aware of two treatment programs which have been very successful in treating eating disorders.  Both are multidisciplinary programs offering inpatient and outpatient treatment, individual and group therapy and follow-up. You recommend that Judy consider entering one of these programs and offer to have a representative of the program contact her. Judy says she’d rather try the new diet her friend told her about first. She refuses further treatment.

What is your reaction? What would the hospital social worker do? Or how would they respond to Judy’s refusal of treatment?