Recovery Quote Of The Week: October 25, 2011

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. .... Beautiful people don't just happen.
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross


picsourcehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/uajith_set1/4264930783/

Recovery Links: As We Near The End Of Recovery Month 2011

Though National Recovery Month 2011 is coming to a close, the importance of recovery remains a daily focus. Below you will find some helpful links within Weighing The Facts to aid you with some of the aspects of recovery.


Reach Out for Help

Help Hotlines, Websites, and Organizations:

Eating Disorders

Males with EDs

Mental Health

Self-Harm

Suicide Prevention

Domestic Violence 

Sexual Abuse



Tools

Relapse Prevention

Self-Soothing Techniques 

Using Affirmations 

Morning Recovery Affirmations

Bedtime Recovery Affirmations
 
NEDA Tool Kits

When You Can't Afford Treatment   


Information

ED Information Links

*For more ED info please see sidebar drop down menu "ED Information."

Recovery Inspiration 

In the sidebar menu you will find drop down lists that link to Inspirational Recovery Quotes, Recovery Quotes of The Week, and Submissions (poems, stories, and personal accounts) by readers.

Recovery Is Possible! 


pic source:http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajc1/4659799248/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Eating Disorders Poetry: Pray For Me

 *Warning: Poem may be triggering


Pray For Me

this isn't one of those poems about recovery
this isn't one of those poems about how beautiful I know I am
this isn't one of those poems about how I overcame the odds
this is one of those poems about how I didn't
I spent my life trying to fit into this picture
Aryan brothers and sisters standing
5 foot 6
115 pounds
beautiful
I am twenty years old and I long for the androgyny of adolescence
I wish I could will away the curves on these hips
the prominent bulges of double D tits
and pants size weighing in the double digits
I know I was meant to be "curvy"
my body was built to wield the twists and turns of a full-figure woman
and standing at 5 foot 3
weighing 173 pounds
I look every bit the plus size woman
that was meant to reside in this skin
but god
I don't want it
bless another with this body so vivacious
and give me something devoid of interest
I want flat-chested brilliance and a size two waist
I used to be beautiful, you know
a long time ago, when I gave up living
I starved myself for just a little feeling
and I guess I did it wrong
because I can never go back
I have to eat now
every bite filled with resentment as I force it past these lips
but I do it because I have to
I look at you and I pray to god that I can one day stop
stop the madness reeling inside me that prays for just a little death
just a little decay
a taste of the impossible
for these improbable lips
screaming for mercy and begging forgiveness
I want to be healthy for you
but some days it's hard to breathe
cold sweats cover these sheets as you slumber away
pretending that I'm okay
some days it bothers me how you don't seem to notice
but other days
I'm glad you can't watch me fall
it's selfish, the way I torture myself
because I know I drag you with me
but I've spent a lifetime tearing myself down
and I'm not sure I know how to stop
but for you, baby
I'm willing to try
throw myself into an empty sea
where empathy used to live
and I'll wait for my salvation
By Alana Rosen

*See sidebar menu for additional, original poetry/writing submissions.
*Share your ED/BI writings and be featured on Weighing The Facts

picsource:http://www.flickr.com/photos/milkthin/4419662652/

National Recovery Month 2011: Join The Voices For Recovery

September is National Recovery Month 2011.

Recovery Is Possible!

 "Recovery Month is a national observance that educates Americans on mental health, addiction, and recovery support services and how they can enable those with mental and/or substance use disorders to live healthy and rewarding lives. This observance highlights individuals who have reclaimed their lives and are living happily and healthily in long-term recovery; it also honors the treatment and recovery service providers who make recovery possible. Recovery Month spreads the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can and do recover"

Share you recovery experience with others. Let them know what recovery means to you and how it has changed your life.  Spread the word and the hope.

Join The Voices For Recovery! 
Would you like to share your recovery story and experiences on Weighing The Facts? If so, please send me an email to MrsMenopausal@yahoo.com.

Eating Disorder & Body Image: Share Your Poetry/Writings

Writing is a very powerful tool for many with Eating Disorders and an excellent way for others to relate and be inspired. Do you have a poem(s) and/or writing(s) about your struggles, experiences, or recovery with your Eating Disorder that you'd like to share with others? Weighing The Facts would like to feature your writing here so that others can relate, find support, and encouragement towards recovery.

Participation may be anonymous or credited, whichever you feel comfortable with. Poems/writings must be your own work. If you're interested in participating please contact me at Mrsmenopausal@yahoo.com.

Thank you.

MrsM


*Check out the sidebar menu for submissions and read the wonderful poetry and writings others have already shared on Weighing The Facts.




picture source:http://www.flickr.com/photos/thorinside/675520667/

Letting Go Of Resentment: Eating Disorders Recovery

Resentment:
~noun
the feeling of displeasure or indignation at some act, remark, person, etc., regarded as causing injury or insult.
dictionary.com


Resentment is like taking poison and waiting for the other person to die.
Carrie Fisher

The resentment felt when someone causes us pain, big or small, is especially difficult to deal with when the person who caused that pain is someone we trust and love. Unfortunately, harboring feelings of resentment is harmful to our health, both emotionally and physically. It can affect our relationships with others, cause us stress, raise our blood pressure, increase symptoms of depression, anxiety, and even chronic pain. It keeps us from being able to heal, to move on, be as happy as we can be, and live a fuller and more enjoyable life. For the sake of our own well-being it is imperative that we learn to let go of our resentments by recognizing them and dealing with them. 


Forgiving is one way of doing this. Forgiving someone who has hurt us is not something the majority of us are eager to do. We think that in forgiving we minimize the action(s) that caused us pain and excuse the person of their responsibility in inflicting that pain. We feel that we are also expected to forget it entirely, compromise our self-respect, and act as if it never happened. Some may fear they are expected to continue to have a relationship with the person if they forgive them. This is not true. Forgiveness is something that you choose to do for yourself.  


Is forgiveness always necessary? Opinions vary when it comes to the subject of forgiveness in it's relation to letting go of resentment. Both sides of the argument make sense, in my opinion, and so it's difficult to say either way. Some that believe it's not necessary state that when the hurt is caused by extreme events (sexual abuse, rape, incest, physical abuse, etc.) that the anger and rage have their place in protecting and allowing a person to distance themselves from the offender and that letting go of the resentment is possible without forgiveness. 


Either way, letting go of resentment is a conscious decision to empower yourself. It moves you out of the position of victim. It allows you to move on and enables you to experience a better and more fulfilling life. It is a process. It takes time, effort, and patience.


Resentments or grudges do no harm to the person against whom you hold these feelings but every day and every night of your life, they are eating at you.
Norman Vincent Peale


Some things we can do to work towards letting go of resentment:


Journal: 
   Journaling is a powerful tool and it can be an extremely useful one in the process of letting go of resentment. Take pen to paper and let it all out. All of it. Don't hold back. Don't be afraid to express your rage, sadness, or anything that you are feeling. This can be a painful process but is very cleansing. 


Analyze: 
  What has holding onto this resentment done to your life? How does it affect your relationships, decision making, feelings of security, happiness? What changes has it brought to your life? What have you missed out on because of it? What affect has it had on those you love? How has it affected how you see the world and those you come in contact with each day? How does it make you feel?


Visualize:
   Envision what letting go of your resentment would do for your life. See yourself living without those feelings. See yourself free of the thoughts, anger, fear, sadness, and free of the burden of carrying it with you each day. See yourself as you are meant to be. 
   Visualize your resentment (and pain) as if it were an object clasped in your hand. Open your hand and let it go, watch it as it is caught by the breeze and carried away from you, getting smaller as it is floats off into the distance. Watch it as it becomes a barely visible speck on the horizon. Keep watching until you can no longer see it. Now, imagine the space it occupied inside of you filling with a bright, comforting light. Feel it's warmth and it's joy spread through you.


 Put love first. Entertain thoughts that give life. And when a thought or resentment, or hurt, or fear comes your way, have another thought that is more powerful-- a thought that is love. 
Mary Manin Morrissey


These are just some suggestions for helping you let go of resentment. Experiment. See what works best for you. Practice. Keep practicing until it works. 


Those who are free of resentful thoughts surely find peace. 
Buddha


* See sidebar menus for more recovery tools and articles.


©Weighing The Facts

picture source:http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimrose/2584640774/

PURGE: Eating Disorders Poetry

Purge

Pain devours my judgment.
Unsatisfied it consumes my spirit.
My heart lay torn
All the threads of time
Will never make me whole again.

My eyes scream for mercy.
But my shallow breath
Gets caught in my throat-
Choking all that is left of me.

Tears stain battered soul.
As I long for forgiveness
The evil in me strikes.
Naked and bruised
It has finally stolen the last of my strength.

My worn and crippled body waits.
Sweet starvation softens the ache
Until torture rots my veins.
My enemy. Myself.
I beg you to stop.
Let go.

Yet I cling to you.
My disorder- my comfort.
You take me as your victim,
Smirk at my weakness.
Removing my identity until all that remains
is the outline of everything I used to be.

Beautiful. Thin. Free.

Lost and judged
I suffer on my own.
Tainted by obsession
Wounds masked by smiles.
You wouldn’t understand.

Nowhere else to turn, I depend on You.
Always faithful and always present.
Forever linked to me like a bad dream.
Please, God, wake me up.
I’d die to know how life feels.
written by: Anonymous

See sidebar menu for more ED poetry and writings

*Click here to have your Eating Disorders / Body Image poetry / writings featured on Weighing The Facts

picture source:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/supersonicphotos/ / CC BY 2.0

Eating Disorders Poll: What Are Your Favorite Recovery Tools?

Are you recovering/recovered from your eating disorder(s)? What are your favorite recovery tools? Please take a moment and participate in the poll located in the sidebar and share what tools have been most helpful to you.

Poll Results:

What are your favorite recovery tools?

(choose all that apply)

Journaling	24 (72%)
Art/ Creative Activities	16 (48%)
Inspirational Quotes	18 (54%)
Affirmations	7 (21%)
Group Meetings	10 (30%)
Therapy/Counseling	19 (57%)
Positive Self-Talk	8 (24%)
Supportive Friends	19 (57%)
Supportive Family	9 (27%)
Helping Others	9 (27%)
Websites	12 (36%)
Books	11 (33%)
Music (listening)	18 (54%)
Music (performing)	5 (15%)
Recovery Videos	7 (21%)
Meditation	9 (27%)
Physical Activity (non-obsessive)	11 (33%)
Blogging	12 (36%)
Religion/Faith	10 (30%)
Other	3 (9%)

Votes so far: 33

Additional polls and results can be found here.

picture source:publicdomainpictures.net

Eating Disorders And Art Therapy

Art therapy can be a very beneficial tool in the treatment of eating disorders. Here are some examples of how others have used art to help their recovery.


"FAITH. HOPE. LOVE. LIGHT. These are all real pictures of me. Now, a little more than a year later, my health and heart are filled with hope. We are all beautiful and we all deserve to live the lives we have dreamed. While in my eating disorder I was dead to the world, now in recovery I am a goddess of the earth. I never thought that I would survive the ups and downs of my recovery but pain doesn't last forever and the battle gets easier if you stand strong. God Bless, keep faith, RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE. You are a blessing to this earth and you deserve all that you can dream."
Video by brittybr



"I've always found art to be a creative and soothing outlet for my emotions, particularly the art of collaging. These are a collection of collages from the past 5 years as i've worked towards recovery."
Video by Shanzeeegirl



"Karin used art therapy to deal with her eating disorder. Now she makes spoon pendants and sees the beauty that can be created out of mistakes."
Video by RealWomenRealAdvice



See also:
The Use Of Art Therapy In The Treatment Of Eating Disorders
Relapse Prevention: Eating Disorder Recovery

Share Your Poetry And Writings About Your Eating Disorder

Writing is a very powerful tool for many with Eating Disorders and an excellent way for others to relate and be inspired. Do you have a poem(s) and/or writing(s) about your struggles, experiences, or recovery with your Eating Disorder that you'd like to share with others? Weighing The Facts would like to feature your writing here so that others can relate, find support, and encouragement towards recovery.

Participation may be anonymous or credited, whichever you feel comfortable with. Poems/writings must be your own work. If you're interested in participating please contact me at Mrsmenopausal@yahoo.com.

Thank you.

*Submissions can be found in sidebar drop down menu.

Recovery From An Eating Disorder Is Possible

A recovery video by elbie1230

See also:

Eating Disorder Recovery: Relapse Prevention

Eating Disorder Help: Hotlines, Organizations, and Websites

Size Ate: One Woman's Search For The Perfect Fit

Size Ate is the one-woman show of Margaux Laskey which chronicles her struggles with eating disorders and body image. Slim fast dieting and dealing with anorexia at the age of 13, body image, culture, and food are some of the issues she speaks of.

Her blog describes her show as, "one woman's search for the perfect fit. whatever the hell that is. she’s eaten too little, she’s eaten too much, she’s weighed too little, she’s weighed too much, she’s been too little, she’s been too much. interested in exploring and challenging the culturally accepted standards of too anything and encouraging others to do the same. this blog and her one-woman show of the same name are expressions of this exploration. take a bite."

Most of us are guilty of the mindset that we'll be better off/more loved/accepted/worthy when (if) we finally manage to get down to size ____. Yes, life will be good then. Life will be perfect. We see ourselves as numbers. Numbers on a scale, measuring tape, clothing tag.

Size Ate "chronicles this futile quest for measured perfection and -- in a unique blend of monologue, poetry, and song -- illustrates the often opposing internal and external forces that drive us to obsession, addiction, and ultimately, something like self-acceptance."

"By turns heartbreaking and hysterically funny, size ate is one woman's honest commentary on -- and coming to terms with -- the labels, images, and assumptions we all live with."




More Margaux Laskey:
Sizeate.com
Size Ate Blog
Facebook
Myspace


Sources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0O_d_8eGbY
http://www.myspace.com/sizeate1
http://www.sizeate.com/
http://www.sizeate.blogspot.com/
http://sizeate.blogspot.com/2008/03/facebook-size-ate-on-road.html