Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds.
Gordon B. Hinckley
*See sidebar menu for more Recovery Quotes of the Week and Inspirational Recovery Quotes
Showing posts with label eating disorders recovery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eating disorders recovery. Show all posts
Recovery Quote Of The Week: March 24, 2012
Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds.
Gordon B. Hinckley
*See sidebar menu for more Recovery Quotes of the Week and Inspirational Recovery Quotes
2
commentsFinding Support For Recovery From An Eating Disorder
From groups to one-on-one, there are free resources available for eating disorder recovery support both online and off.
Below you will find links to the resource pages, support group listings, and forums of the following sites and organizations:
Eating Disorders Anonymous
Food Addicts Anonymous
Overeaters Anonymous
Anorexics and Bulimics Anonymous
Bulimia.com
The National Association of Males with Eating Disorders
Mentor Connect
National Eating Disorders Association
EDReferral.com
Eating Disorders Help: Hotlines, Websites, Organizations
Something Fishy
We Bite Back
Eating Disorder Hope: Support Groups By State
You can also contact these resources and inquire about support groups they may have or know of.
Several Eating Disorder Treatment Centers also offer support groups. Contact one in your area and inquire about them.
*If you know of any resources for Eating Disorder Recovery not listed above, please email me at mrsmenopausal@yahoo.com and let me know. I will add them to the list.
Thank you.
*
Recovery Quote Of The Week: March 5, 2012
Your greatness is revealed not by the lights that shine upon you, but by the light that shines within you.
Ray Davis
See sidebar menu for more Recovery Quotes of the Week and Inspirational Recovery Quotes
picsource:http://www.flickr.com/photos/devastar/3564243244/in/photostream/
Eating Disorders News and Views: March 3, 2012
Senate Recognizes National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
Surfky
FRANKFORT, KY (3/1/12) – The Kentucky State Senate has recognized that February 26 through March 3, 2012, as National Eating Disorders Week and honored the National Eating Disorders Association on the floor of the Kentucky State Senate.
“Eating disorders are a continually growing problem in Kentucky,” said Jerry P. Rhoads, D-Madisonville. “It is important to raise awareness about this issue so that our citizens will achieve a healthier lifestyle.”
Read Recognizes in full.
Anorexia on the Rise Among Kids and Anti-Obesity Campaigns Blamed
MedicalNet
According to Dr Jane Morris, chairwoman of the Scottish Eating Disorder Interest Group, healthy eating drives are causing anorexia in children. She said children were obsessing about their diet because of drives to combat obesity.
Last week reports of children as young as six were being treated for anorexia emerged, and figures showed medical treatments were on the rise. Dr Morris, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Royal Edinburgh hospital, said it was a ‘huge concern.’
Read On The Rise in full.
Anorexia Research Finds Government Intervention Justified
The Guardian
Governments are justified in using the law to prevent modelling agencies from using very skinny women on catwalks and stop magazines from printing adverts and photographs that suggest extreme thinness is attractive, according to research from the LSE.
The first-ever economic analysis of anorexia, studying nearly 3,000 young women in the UK and the rest of Europe, found that the social and cultural environment influences decisions by young women to starve themselves in search of what they perceive to be an ideal body shape.
Young women, who make up 90% of anorexia nervosa cases, are influenced by the size and weight of their peer group.
Anorexia, say the researchers, is a socially transmitted disease and appears to be more common in countries such as France, where women are thinner than the European average. It mostly affects girls and women between the ages of 15 and 34, they found, who were willing to trade off their health against self-image.
Read Justified in full.
Peer Pressure Drives Spread of Anorexia: Study
HealthNews
LONDON (Reuters) - Anorexia is a socially transmitted disorder and appears to be more prevalent in countries such as France where women are thinner than average, according to new research from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
The "economic analysis" of anorexia, using a sample of nearly 3,000 young women across Europe, concluded that peer group pressure is one of the most significant influences on self-image and the development of anorexia and appeared just as the autumn/winter season is winding up with Paris Fashion Week.
The research by LSE economist Dr Joan Costa-Font and Professor Mireia Jofre-Bonet of City University, showed that it is becoming increasingly apparent that standards of physical appearance are important and powerful motivators of human behavior, especially regarding health and food.
Read Peer Pressure in full.
Research Fail: New Anorexia Study Focuses On Weight, Not Behavior
Blisstree
Anorexia is widely seen as a disease of isolation and loneliness–but according to a new study, it could be a “socially transmitted disease,” passed from one skinny woman to another. Researchers in London have found that body image and weight are greatly impacted by the behaviors, attitudes, and even weights our peers, which is all well and good. Unfortunately, the study has one gigantic flaw that makes it difficult to take seriously: the definition for who is “anorexic” seems to be based solely on weight, not behavior. Which may be how they do it in the DSM, but that doesn’t mean it’s accurate.
Reuters reports that the researchers used a sampling of 2,871 women ranging in age from 15 to 34. The participants reported their age, gender (even though they were all female), marital status, weight, eating habits, political attitudes, education level, and body image perception.
Read Research Fail in full.
Binge Eating is Common Yet Misunderstood
NewsWorks
It's the most common eating disorder, but it often goes undiagnosed or is misdiagnosed. Participants in this week's Binge Eating Disorder conference in Philadelphia want to change that.
Binge eating disorder can easily look like obesity since people who have it tend to be overweight. But it goes far beyond food choices and exercise. Binge eating is triggered by deep psychological distress and eating offers relief -- albeit short-lived.
Chevese Turner said she felt extremely depressed and upset after an eating binge, yet felt unable to stop this behavior which started early on in her life.
Turner was an overweight child experiencing trauma at home and at school, and food became a momentary escape. She said she was able to break the vicious cycle and get better once she understood what she was dealing with, and found a therapist specializing in this disorder
Read Misunderstood in full.
Eating Disorders Quietly Plague Black Communities
The Grio
Although white women were once thought to be the sole group battling eating disorders, over the past few years, reports of eating disorders among minorities -- particularly African-Americans -- have increased.
Stephanie Covington Armstrong, an African-American woman, shares her struggles with bulimia with theGrio.
Raised in Brooklyn, NY, Covington said she grew up poor and dealt with a series of issues that impacted her childhood, including poor eating habits, low self-esteem, and rape. She believes these traumas led to her eating disorder.
"I started thinking that something was wrong with me... that I wasn't lovable... and that I was damaged," she said. "So the way that I was able to kind of calm those fears was with food. My eating would push down all of those fears, and my eating disorder pushed over the edge."
Covington emphasized that the eating disorder gradually took over her entire life.
Read Quietly Plague in full
Weight History May Be Vital to Bulimia Treatment
PsychCentral
In a new study, researchers discovered a majority of women with bulimia nervosa reach their highest-ever body weight after developing their eating disorder — even though bulimia is characterized overall by significant weight loss.
The study concludes that exploring a woman’s weight history and the course of the eating disorder will improve productive discussion of weight and weight history, and thus improve treatments.
Read May Be Vital in full.
Anorexia Loved Me: Victim of Officer's Sex Abuse
smh.com.au
"Anorexia became my friend, it loved me"
"I could not come to terms with what he did to me"
"I have learnt that no one is above the law"
"I now have the power and no one can take that away from me"
A young woman has spoken of her battle with anorexia and depression, which left her "an inch away from death" following the sexual abuse inflicted upon her as a child by a NSW police officer.
The woman fought back tears as she delivered an extended victim impact statement in the sentencing of former Senior Constable Gregory Ernest Urch, 61, who sexually assaulted her and another minor during the mid-1990s.
Read Loved Me in full.
Is Anorexia A Female Disease? Think Again
FairfieldMirror
What do Nicole Richie, Lindsay Lohan, Billy Bob Thorton and Elvis Presley have in common? They have all suffered from eating disorders.
While eating disorders in females are often identified, male celebrities are not publicized as much but they too have fallen victim to the same disease.
In 2008, a student was diagnosed with an eating disorder after witnessing many female schoolmates obsessing over how “fat” they were. Currently receiving treatment four years later at age 14, Avi Sinai is one of many males who have suffered from anorexia nervosa.
According to the National Eating Disorders Association, anorexia nervosa is a “life-threatening eating disorder”, but sex or gender is not mentioned.
Compared to women, men tend to be more secretive about anorexia due to cultural and social expectations within their own society. Thinness amongst women is advertised within the media, allowing them to battle with weight issues without it being socially unacceptable.
Read Think Again in full.
Binge Eating: Patients Struggle to Break Free When Food Takes Control
USA Today
Peterson had been struggling with binge-eating disorder since the mid-'90s, from the time she was just 11. By late 2009, she carried more than 200 pounds on her 5-foot-2-inch frame.
"I was feeling miserable," said Peterson, who works in retail. "I couldn't walk across the parking lot, couldn't run, my back hurt. I felt like my customers thought I was stupid and were judging me."
But her vision kicked her into action, inspiring her to seek help to control her binges and lose weight.
"I lost it, because if I didn't, the binge-eating disorder would have killed me," said Peterson, 29, and more than 70 pounds lighter.
Read Struggle in full.
Anorexia Sees No Age, Color, or Gender
DailyRx
Many people believe that anorexia and bulimia are disorders most apparent amongst white teenage girls, yet a recent report demonstrates that they’re increasingly affecting minorities, children, and boys.
David Rosen, M.D, M.P.H. professor of pediatrics at University of Michigan Medical School, is the author of a new clinical report entitled "Identification and Management of Eating Disorders in Children and Adolescents".
He explains, “the epidemiology of eating disorders has gradually changed.”
He calls upon his fellow pediatricians to “be familiar with early detection and appropriate management of these disorders.”
Read Anorexia Sees No in full.
Eating Disorders Consume the Lives of the Affected
Iowa State Daily
Most people are familiar with the two main types of eating disorders: anorexia and bulimia. Anorexia involves limiting the amount of food one eats while bulimia involves ridding oneself of the eaten food through purging or excessive exercise.
With this week being National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, it is the perfect time for people to become educated about what eating disorders are, who they affect and where to get help.
Eunice Bassler, senior lecturer of food science and human nutrition, explained a common misconception about eating disorders. “Eating disorders are disordered eating patterns with a psychological component.”
Bassler most often deals with disordered eating patterns, which are simply irregular eating patterns. These do not get classified as eating disorders until a psychological condition, such as a distorted view of the body or a fear of gaining weight, is identified along with the disordered eating pattern.
Read Consume in full.
Five Warning Signs of Eating Disorders in Your Teen
TimesUnion
To help attract attention to National Eating Disorders Week (February 26-March 3, 2012), eating disorders and food addictions expert Tennie McCarty offers tips to parents on how to spot eating disorders in their teen children.
“Over the years, most of the talk about eating disorders in teens has focused on anorexia and bulimia, typically blamed on unrealistic body images portrayed in the media. Increasingly however, the discussion has turned to the opposite end of the spectrum - compulsive overeating and food addiction. As the obesity rates in American children continue to skyrocket, teen overeating and addiction to food are becoming serious concerns to many parents,” said McCarty.
Read 5 Warning Signs in full.
Why You Should Care That New Eating Disorders Might Make The DSM-V
BlissTree
When most people hear ‘eating disorder,’ they think anorexia or bulimia. But there are lots of different types of disordered eating—binge eating, compulsive night eating, obsessively health-conscious eating—and psychiatrists may officially recognize several ‘new’ eating disorders in the upcoming Diagnostic and Statistic manual. The DSM guides the way psychiatrists diagnose and treat mental health patients, how insurance companies cover treatment, what researchers get grants for studying and the drugs pharmaceutical companies develop. I asked Dr. Janet Taylor, a clinical psychiatry instructor at Columbia University’s Harlem Hospital, about the DSM, new eating disorders and what these mean for mental health care.
What is the DSM-V?
Read Why You Should Care in full.
May Institute: What Women Over 40 Should Know About Eating Disorders
Wicked Local
It’s not just teenage girls who are willing to starve themselves or “binge and purge” in order to become as thin as the movie stars and fashion models they admire. Today, more and more women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s are seeking help for eating disorders they have developed as they battle slowing metabolisms and thickening waistlines.
"A growing number of older women are developing eating disorders or have hidden them for years," confirms Lauren Solotar, Ph.D., ABPP, May Institute’s Chief Executive Officer and a clinical psychologist who has specialized in the treatment of eating and anxiety disorders.
Read Women Over 40 in full.
Drawing on Experience to Tell Their Eating Disorder Stories
Derby Telegraph
The idea was developed through users of the charity who found it difficult to express how they felt with words.
Lauren Hind, 20, has been using the First Steps programme for the past four years and now volunteers with the organisation.
Her creation involves a picture of her face and words, such as "fat" and "worthless", describing how she has felt.
She said: "When we first had the workshops, I got really angry because I couldn't draw.
"But then the teacher told me that art didn't have to be drawings, it could be words too. Then I came up with my piece. It doesn't have a name. It's all my thoughts and feelings that I've ever had but couldn't say."
Lauren, who lives in Sinfin, used to binge-eat and said she had avoided getting help sooner because she was afraid of being turned away.
Read Drawing On Experience
Healthy Eating Campaigns ‘Causing Anorexia’
Deadline News
A SCOTS expert has said government healthy eating drives are causing anorexia in children.
Dr Jane Morris, chairwoman of the Scottish Eating Disorder Interest Group, said children were obsessing about their diet because of drives to combat obesity.
Last week reports of children as young as six were being treated for anorexia emerged, and figures showed medical treatments were on the rise.
Dr Morris, a consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Royal Edinburgh hospital, said it was a ‘huge concern.’
Read Causing Anorexia in full.
Anorexia and Aging: Is There a Silent Crisis of Eating Disorders in Older Women?
Family Goes Strong
Expert: "Eating disorders are the deadliest mental illnesses and premature death is very common."
It's National Eating Disorders Awareness Week from Feb. 26 – March 3. There is a lot of helpful information available on how younger and younger kids are struggling with eating disorders, how 5-year-old girls are complaining they are "fat," and how boys are now struggling in significant numbers with one of the deadliest mental illnesses there is.
Read Anorexia and Aging in full.
Eating Disorders Awareness: Pro-Recovery Project
Last week I had the pleasure of participating in a Pro-Recovery Project with 11 other bloggers to help raise awareness about Eating Disorders. Each blogger shared their views on, and reasons for, recovery.
Check out their inspiring posts:
Together We Can Recover
A Piece Of Me
Until Eating Disorders Are No More
Be Inspired
Life After Anorexia
Lost In Translation
Just As I Am
Fighting Anorexia
Actively Arielle: A Voice With A Commitment
A Pensive Insight
Creating A Path To Wellness
Weighing The Facts
Recovery Is Possible!
Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2012: Choosing Recovery
It's the first day of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, 2012.
Let's talk about RECOVERY...
What is an Eating Disorder?
eating disorder
Function: noun
: any of several psychological disorders (as anorexia nervosa or bulimia) characterized by serious disturbances of eating behavior
Eating disorders involve extreme behaviors, attitudes, and feelings surrounding food, weight, and body image which are harmful to a person's health and well-being.
Eating disorders are dangerous and can be fatal.
Though someone may be suffering from one eating disorder, they may also exhibit behaviors /traits of other eating disorders (or trade one eating disorder for another).
Eating Disorders Symptoms
Do I have an eating disorder? (self-assessment tests)
Is Recovery Possible?
Many, many people have recovered from their eating disorder and gone on to live healthily and happily. It takes time. It's a process. You can expect to experience ups and downs along the way but it is definitely possible.
What defines Recovery from an Eating Disorder?
Opinions vary, both medically and individually, but my favorite description of recovery is found in the book 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder: Effective Strategies from Therapeutic Practice and Personal Experience by Carolyn Costin and Gwen Schubert Grabb. It says;
Being recovered is when the person can accept his or her natural body size and shape and no longer has a self-destructive relationship with food or exercise. When you are recovered, food and weight take a proper perspective in your life, and what you weigh is not more important than who you are; in fact, actual numbers are of little or no importance at all. When recovered, you will not compromise your health or betray your soul to look a certain way, wear a certain size, or reach a certain number on the scale. When you are recovered, you do not use eating disorder behaviors to deal with, distract from, or cope with other problems.
Why would I want to Recover? What are the benefits?
The benefits are too many to list in full. Here are just a few:
- Increased Energy
- A better sense of self
- Self-respect
- Self-acceptance
- Self-confidence
- Being more comfortable around others
- Being more comfortable in your own body
- Physical and emotional strength
- Feeling more peaceful
- Increased passion for life
- A better appreciation for your body
- A more comfortable relationship with food
- Better relationships with family and friends
- Better physical and emotional health
- Healthier hair, skin, and nails
- Longer life expectancy
- A more loving relationship with yourself
What steps do I need to take to Recover?
The first step is admitting that you have an eating disorder.
The second step is to decide that you want to recover.
Step three is to find professional eating disorder treatment.
There are several options available for professional help in recovering.
Here are a couple of resources to help you with deciding your plan of action for recovery:
Something Fishy
Help Guide. org
Check out the non-profit org, Mentor Connect for recovery mentoring. It's free.
Here is a list of more Eating Disorder Organizations and websites that you can contact for help and info.
What can I do, in addition to professional eating disorder treatment, to enhance my recovery efforts?
here are a few suggestions:
- surround yourself with positive, loving, supportive people
- journal
- use positive affirmations each morning, at bedtime, and throughout the day.
- join a support group
- visit positive recovery forums and sites
- take time for yourself
- be forgiving, kind, and loving to yourself
- be patient
- take a step back, and rethink before reacting
- make a relapse prevention plan
- take care of yourself
- nurture your mind, your body, and your spirit, daily
- volunteer/help others
I asked readers three questions about recovery:
1.What has recovery meant for you?
2.What are the benefits of recovery?
3.How did you deal with your emotions when ED was speaking louder than your recovery?
Here are their amazing and insightful answers:
A said: Recovery for me has been an awakening of my real and authentic self. I lived for so long in the grips of ED and yearning for approval and acceptance from others. I was constantly looking outwards and thought that if I could fix the external aspects of myself, somehow I would be happy. Once I admitted to myself that I needed help and asked for it, I realized that the only way to happiness was to seek within first.
The days when ED yelled in my head and tried to break me down, I yelled back and constantly challenged my distorted thoughts. With the help of a wonderful therapist, family, and friends, I began to see that ED was very simple, black-and-white, and that I wasn't any of those things.
The benefits of recovery are that I actually accept and like myself just as I am. I am my own best friend instead of my own worst enemy. Most days I can see myself clearly and I am beautiful, inside and outside. Recovery for me is about choosing love and life, and I have never looked back.
S said: I want to be in healthy relationships with those close to me. I want companionship but I also want the capability to live alone. I want to use food as fuel not as an emotional crutch. I want to have a healthy body, regardless of its size. I want to be okay with the resulting size.
I want to sprint towards life, not away from death. I want to run a marathon and be healthy enough to do so. I want to compete in challenges regardless of fear of failure. I want to chase down every dream and capture them. I want to live.
L said: Recovery means peace and freedom to me. The benefits are wonderful - no more shouting in my head, able to work, smiling and laughing without the guilt, meeting friends for a cheeky drink or two etc.
When my ed spoke louder than my recovery I did my best to not respond. It was a struggle to get through the days without giving into it but I wanted to prove it wrong. So I did :)
B said: Recovery means to be me that i will be strong (mentally and physically) and healthy. Recovery will allow me to love myself and my body and accept that i can not be perfect because no one actually is. Recovery shows me everyday that i can do anything.
The benefit of recovery is that i will be happy and truly learn to love life and myself. I have learned that being a smaller size is not a good thing, and a healthy size is a good thing.
I've learned to say, "No, I'm not listening to you" or "You already said that." I deal with my emotions by repeating positive quotes or watching a pro-recovery video on youtube. I've found that writing down all the negative comments my ED makes and then counteracting them with positive ones is the best. But, above all, i refuse to restrict and let my ED win me over because I'm stronger than that.
K said: I am not in recovery yet, in all reality I think I'm relapsing, but I still have my hopes and dreams. Recovery means freedom and time. Freedom to think about things. Freedom to act with integrity to myself. Freedom to not hide myself. It will mean all the time I spend obsessing about my disordered behaviours can be spent on the life I want to live.
One day - this ED won't even be an option for me. I'll face stressful situations with a healthy set of coping skills. At the moment my flirtations with recovery, ED has still been an option. But I want to fight this, I need to fight this, so one day I'll look back at the journey I've taken and know I'll never go back.
Life with an ED is a half life, a life in the shadows. I want more. I will get there. There isn't an alternative.
Choose Recovery! When you have an eating disorder, recovery is the most important factor in being able to live a healthy, happier life... to living the life you deserve. Recovery will cause the world to open up wide so that you can experience it completely and enjoy the life you desire for yourself.
see sidebar menu for more recovery inspiration
©Weighing The Facts
resources:
8 keys to recovery excerpt http://blogs.psychcentral.com/weightless/2011/08/what-full-recovery-from-an-eating-disorder-means/
Weighing The Facts Turns 4 Today!
Weighing The Facts turns four today!
What a wonderful experience these past 4 years have been. I have had the pleasure of meeting some of the most amazing people through this blog, and the eating disorders, body image, and mental health communities. Whether you have shared your comments, and/or amazing poetry and stories here (and on facebook), are a subscriber, or passerby,
I'd like to take this opportunity to let you know how much I appreciate you and to say THANK YOU!
MrsM :)
This Week's R.I.S.E: 10 Ways To Love Yourself Better This Valentine's Day
It's true, loving yourself more does improve your life. How well can things go if you're worst enemy is yourself? How good can you feel if you're always concentrating on perceived flaws, past mistakes, and shortcomings?
This week's R.I.S.E. (recovery inspiration strength exercise) is to love yourself better. When we truly love ourselves the world responds to our positivity... and so do we.
10 Ways To Love Yourself Better
1. Put down the mirror. Without taking your appearance into consideration, make a list of all the wonderful things that make you special.
2. Dump the negativity. We all have flaws. There is no such thing as a perfect human being. Stop negative self-talk in it's tracks and replace those thoughts with positive, loving statements. Say them aloud. Say them with meaning.
3. Help someone in need. Lend a shoulder, and ear, a hug of support, volunteer at a soup kitchen, visit with the elderly... do something that makes the life of another happier, easier, and more enjoyable. Helping others, helps ourselves.
4. Smile. The act of smiling actually makes you feel better. There's a chemical reaction that occurs when we smile which makes us feel happy, lowers our blood pressure, lowers our stress levels, and adds years to our life. Smiling at a stranger affects their day, too, so be generous and give some smiles away.
5. Be grateful. No matter what is going on in your life there is always something to be grateful for. Start giving thanks before your feet even hit the floor in the morning. Being grateful in the midst of difficult times shifts our focus and allows us to get some perspective.
6. Take a time out. Our days can get hectic. Take the time to slow down, pause, take a few deep breaths, and re-balance yourself. A few moments can make a big difference in how you feel.
7. Mix it up. Do something out of the ordinary, something different from the usual scheduled routine of your day. Leave for work early and take a different route. Walk to an appointment instead of driving or taking the bus. Meet up with a friend for lunch, a movie, or simply for coffee and catching up.
8. Change your environment. Add elements that will treat your senses and lift your spirits. Scented candles, a great painting or photograph, play your favorite music, add a jar with a collection of things that you've collected while walking on the beach... the choices are endless.
9. Get out. Don't isolate. Interact with others in person.
10. Laugh. Watch a funny movie, get together with funny friends, tell a few corny jokes. In a pinch, fake it. Even fake laughing will make you feel better. Like smiling, laughing causes a chemical reaction that benefits us in many ways.
If we really love ourselves, everything in our life works.
Louise L. Hay
Happy Valentine's Day!
©Weighing The Facts
See sidebar menu for more R.I.S.E.
Eating Disorders News and Views: February 7, 2012
Integrative Medicine to Treat Eating Disorders
By Carolyn Coker Ross, MD
psychcentral.com
Integrative medicine can be defined as “a healing-oriented discipline that takes into account the whole person — body, mind and spirit — including all aspects of lifestyle. It emphasizes the therapeutic relationship and makes use of both conventional and alternative therapies.”
Complementary and alternative therapies used in integrative medicine can include acupuncture, chiropractic, herbal medicine, dietary supplements and others that give the clinician a wide array of treatments for difficult conditions. This is particularly true in the integrative medicine approach to eating disorders.
Read Integrated Medicine in full
Council ‘Pleased’ at Action Against Bullying Teacher
hestar.co.uk
A COUNCIL has said it is ‘pleased’ action was taken in a case of a teacher found to have bullied a bulimic colleague who later died at school.
Moira Ogilvie, former acting deputy headteacher at Rotherham’s High Greave Junior School, was found guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and sanctioned by the General Teaching Council this week.
The committee found she had ‘bullied, intimidated, undermined and victimised’ Britt Pilton, who collapsed and died at the school, aged 29, in February 2009.
Her inquest ruled her stress and bulimia had been worsened by issues at work.
Read Bullying Teacher in full
Vancouver Media Maven Ralks About Her Eating Disorder
vancourier.com
Rachel McHollister has suffered from anorexia since she was 14 years old. Now an owner of a boutique public relations firm, she first started restricting what she ate. As she got older, she binged and purged. She’s been fighting the disease for 13 years and continues to wage war against it on a daily basis.
McHollister recently participated in a UBC panel discussion on body image and related issues such as self-esteem, social pressure, and media messages that can contribute to eating disorders to raise awareness of the issue.
Read Media Maven in full
La Scala Fires Ballerina Over Frank Talk of Anorexia
latimes.com
An act of whistle blowing has landed a ballerina at La Scala in Milan, Italy, in big trouble. The famed company has reportedly told her to hand in her pink tutu in exchange for a pink slip.
Mariafrancesca Garritano, who has danced with the company for about 17 years, has been fired following an interview with a British weekly in which she said that one in five dancers at La Scala Theatre Ballet suffers from anorexia. The interview, which ran in Britain's Observer, contains an unflattering account of how the company pressures its dancers to lose weight.
Read La Scala Fire Ballerina in full
Children Under 10 in Northern Ireland Treated for Eating Disorders
bbc.co.uk
A number of children under 10 have been treated in hospitals in Northern Ireland for eating disorders.
The Department of Health has not published the exact number, but up to 12 children were hospitalised in the three years between 2007 and 2010. Nearly 80 teenagers have received hospital treatment for conditions such as anorexia in the past five years.
It is understood up to £4m is spent each year on adults and teenagers who travel to England for treatment.
Ann McCann from the Eating Disorders Association said the organisation had dealt with a girl as young as eight, who had been bullied for being a "little bit overweight".
She said the numbers of children affected are growing - the vast majority are girls, but one in ten are boys.
Read Children Under 10 in full
Openness About Eating Disorders Overdue
therepublic.com
Although we don’t exactly shout it from the rooftop, my family never has hidden the experience of our middle daughter’s struggle with anorexia nervosa, the eating disorder that leads some people — and especially smart and pretty young women — to starve themselves.
Very often, the conversation produces a flash of understanding.
There was the baseball executive. The City Council member back in Wisconsin. The fellow parishioner. The neighbor. The casual professional acquaintance.
All had firsthand experiences with eating disorders.
Surprised? You shouldn’t be.After all, the theme of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, to be held Feb. 26 to March 3, is “Everybody Knows Somebody.”
Read Openness in full
The Realities of Living With Eating Disorders
With support and therapy, sufferers can still live a fulfilling, normal life
Sally Chaster / timescolonist.com
am in my early 50s, and I have struggled with a severe and debilitating eating disorder since I was six.
I suffer from anorexia, but there are many other serious, debilitating eating disorders, including bulimia, binge eating and others.
People with these disorder may be underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese, and may die at any size from any of the disorders. They can be young or old, male or female, any colour, nationality or religion.
How can people help? The answer to that is "nothing" and "everything."
Eating disorders are mental illnesses which often result in medical problems. There is increasing evidence of a genetic predisposition to eating disorders, and the trigger for activating a disorder may be any number of things.
Read The Realities in full
Crystal Renn Reveals The Truth About Her Recent Weight Loss
huffingtonpost.com
With her background in plus-size modeling, Crystal Renn always finds herself on the hot seat about her weight. Is she gaining? Losing? What size is she? It's all a bit ridic, if you ask us.
But Renn herself has been vocal about her struggles with anorexia -- she once confessed to surviving on Diet Coke and sugar-free Jello -- and in a new interview with "Entertainment Tonight," she rebuts rumors that she's recently slipped back into unhealthy eating habits.
The model defended her weight loss back in February 2011, saying:
Read Crystal Renn in full
EveryBODY’s Beautiful Shines the Light on Eating Disorders
kingstonthisweek.com
When you look in the mirror what do you see? Do you see someone confident staring back, who looks great, flaws and all? Or do you see someone who never quite looks good enough?
In today’s world, where society is inundated with images of what is deemed to be perfection, many people are often plagued with feelings of doubt when it comes to their own body and body image. And sometimes those doubts can lead to more serious issues, including eating disorders.“These are issues that directly or indirectly affects everybody,” says Pam Fountas, founder and host of EveryBODY’s Beautiful, a fundraising event Friday, Feb. 10, in support of local eating disorder clinics.
“I’d argue that 99.9 per cent of the population knows what it’s like to not feel comfortable in their own skin at one point or another in their lives.
Read Shines in full
This Week's R.I.S.E. : Kisses In Your Pocket
This week's R.I.S.E. (Recovery Inspiration Strength Exercise) is Kisses In Your Pocket.
Years ago, when my now grown son was little, I gave him something to help buffer the insecurity he was feeling at the thought of the unknown ... being away from me for part of the day while he attended preschool. Each day I put on some lipstick and covered a piece of paper with kisses for him to keep in his pocket. Each time he felt he needed it, he could pull out that little slip of paper and take a kiss of encouragement. It was enough to see him through those days he felt unsure or anxious.
Years earlier my husband was in a horrible accident. Surviving it was a miracle. The road ahead was uncertain. One night, while I was spending the night in the hospital solarium, I met a patient who couldn't sleep. We got to talking. He told me his story, and I told him my husband's. He took a necklace from around his neck, removed the old, worn medal of St. Michael and asked me to give it to my husband. He told me how it had seen him through so much and he wanted him to have it. My husband kept that medal with him at all times, switching it his wallet when he was released. It reminded him to stay strong, to hang in there, he could do this.
Sometimes, all we need is a little something that says to us "you can do this, you're going to be okay, this moment of struggle is going to pass."
So this week put some kisses in your pocket. Choose something easily carried with you. Break it out whenever it's needed and draw strength from what it symbolizes. You CAN do this!
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©Weighing The Facts
Eating Disorders Recovery: In Recovery ...
click image to enlarge
In recovery I'm learning to love myself again. I'm discovering that I can trust myself and take care of myself. I'm finding out that what I really need is to nurture my body and my spirit. Believing in myself and working my recovery is the most important step in achieving the life I desire for myself, the life that I am worthy of... the life I deserve.
Recovery!
This Week's R.I.S.E. : Don't Hang Around Waiting For Perfection
This week's R.I.S.E. (Recovery Inspiration Strength Exercise) is Don't Hang Around Waiting For Perfection.
Are you waiting for perfection before you participate? Have there been events, gatherings, classes you'd like to take, a career move you'd like to make, or anything else that you've put on hold because you're waiting for the perfect time, perfect weight, perfect outfit, perfect conditions?
The problem with perfection is that it's practically unattainable and, in my opinion, boring (said with a long, drawn out, sing songy type inflection). When I think back on some of my favorite memories, it's the imperfections that made them so extraordinary, so memorable. The imperfect friends and family, and the imperfect situations led to unexpected turns of events that left me belly laughing with glee, or happily surprised by an outcome I couldn't have even imagined. Even when I wasn't thrilled by the end results, I came away from it with a life lesson that I wouldn't have learned otherwise and that I was (if not immediately, at least down the road) grateful to learn.
Putting your life on hold because you don't feel thin enough, good enough, pretty enough, worthy enough (and the list goes on and on) is one of the biggest life cheats there is.
The hard, cold fact is that we only have right now, this very moment, for certain. Everything else is a gamble and a gift. Keep hanging around waiting for perfection and you could find you've missed a huge hunk of life.
We hold ourselves back by worrying what others will think of us when, in reality, they're really not giving us much thought. Not in the sense that we worry they are. Have you ever noticed that the people who go out and meet life head on don't seem the least bit concerned with how you feel about it? They're not worried that you don't approve, or don't think they look the right way, or think they're good enough to do whatever it is they're choosing to do. They're too busy living their lives.
This is no dress rehearsal (paraphrasing Rose Tremain) so stop waiting and start participating.
For this week do something you've been wanting to do. Attend or host a gathering of friends you've been eager to see, go somewhere new, do something... just don't hang around waiting for perfection.
Jump in without weight, appearance, or any other self-limiting thoughts holding you back. Let go of the self-negativity and worry. Take your-self with you. The real you. The one that matters. Enjoy! Laugh! Live it fully! And if it doesn't turn out the way you had hoped, go with the flow and make the best of it.
There's a whole lot of living to be done out there and it's waiting for your wonderfully imperfect self!
* See sidebar menu for more Weekly R.I.S.E.
©Weighing The Facts
picsource:http://www.flickr.com/photos/tangaroo/1280739738/
Today I Smile: Eating Disorders Poetry
wind blowing
peacefully
music playing
beautifully
this content feeling …
make it last, eternally
slow breaths in and out
any feeling of uneasiness
has flown away with the breeze
going far away
and I’ll do anything to make it stay that way
there have been times when I didn’t care to stay
but with THIS day …
I can’t see it any other way
Finally
It’s been a while
Finally
I can feel the smile
No worries, no anxiety
The sun beating down on me
Mirrors the light
That has just been turned on inside myself
Positively affecting my emotional health
Happy people passing by
Smiles on their faces, helping to erase all the “whys”
Its.time.
To let go
Its.time.
To finally say .. no
No
To the emotions that force themselves upon me
Because today, I am happy … as happy as can be.
by: Life Is Sweet
picsource:http://www.flickr.com/photos/lanuiop/4499445972/in/photostream/
Links to Help See You Through This Holiday Season
I hope you find yourself surrounded by people who love and support you this holiday season and that you all have a wonderful Holiday!
Below are some links to help if you find yourself struggling:
Surviving the Holidays: Links
Eating Disorders Help Hotlines, Organizations, Websites
Eating Disorders Christmas Survival Guide from Cambridge University (PDF download)
Coping with Christmas SWEDA Somerset & Wessex Eating Disorders Association
Holiday Survival Kit Eating Disorder Hope
FEAST Holiday Survival Tips
Eating Disorder Recovery: I Refuse To Be
I refuse to be defined by my past, the size of my jeans, the number on a scale, or the opinion of others. I am an amazing, unique, and worthwhile person just as I am, here, now, as I stand before you today. I am a work in progress; ever growing, ever changing, ever moving forward. I am an amazing individual worthy of respect, love, and joy. My journey is no less important than your own. I do not seek your approval or permission to be who I choose to be. I am walking my own path at my own pace.
©Weighing The Facts
This Week's R.I.S.E. : Tidy Up Your Inner House
This week's R.I.S.E. (Recovery Inspiration Strength Exercise): Tidy Up Your Inner House.
We all carry around with us emotions, thoughts, and memories from our past. Some are positive, encouraging, and emotionally comforting. Some, on the other hand, only serve to feed our negativity, fears, and anxiety.
Not all that we feel and think is rooted in reality. We may see ourselves through our past and allow thoughts that spring from that to influence our present. Things that happened to us as children are remembered from a child's point of view and so may carry a heavier weight. Maybe the scarring words of someone we looked up to whispers in our ear, making us feel less than, unsure, scared, or helpless. Maybe a past event has altered how we see ourselves and carries with it feelings of shame that, in turn, make us feel unworthy of the good we deserve.
How do you know if your thoughts or feelings need tidying up?
- How do they make you feel?
- Are your feelings about it outdated?
- Do they derail your positive progress?
- Are they attached to an event that you had no control over?
- Do they serve to help you on your new path?
Tidying up and cleaning out isn't a simple task. Not all the negative things we feel and think are so easily gotten rid of and require a professional to guide us to understanding the whys and the why nots so we can move past them. There are, though, things we can do on our own to make a big difference in how our thoughts, and even memories, affect us.
Start small. Stay positive. Be patient. Be repetitive.
Forgive your past self of past mistakes. You, today, are not that person. You are allowed to change. You are capable of change. You are deserving of change.
Let go of negative narratives. Those old tapes that play in your head, telling you you're not worthy, that you can't accomplish something, that you don't deserve anything good ... toss them! Replace them with positive, encouraging ones. Start a new inner dialogue that's supportive, and forgiving.
Be patient with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be loving to yourself.
Tidying up is a bit more involved than past R.I.S.E. but the idea isn't to tackle it all. The idea is to pick one emotional negative that's dragging you down and chip away at it until you can rid yourself of it, then move on to another and do the same.
So this week, tidy up just one small corner of your inner house. Let the old stuff go and start anew. Your inner talk is a powerful cleaning tool. Make good use of it.
Throw out that old set of emotional baggage and make room for a more positive set. Fill the new set up with only good things. Visualize the process.
*See sidebar menu for more Weekly R.I.S.E.
©Weighing The Facts
picsource:http://www.flickr.com/photos/mildlydiverting/9033447/in/photostream/
This Week's R.I.S.E. : Be Silly, Laugh, Have Fun!
Laughter isn't just fun, it's good for your health and improves your quality of life!
It's free, fun, can happen just about anywhere, and it doesn't require any special equipment or membership fees.
When we're acting silly, enjoying ourselves, and laughing we actually change physiologically. Though studies are less than abundant and results are debated by many, there's no arguing that a bit of silliness and a good dose of laughter sure can make a person feel good.
Some of the physiological benefits include:
- releases endorphins (make us feel good and help decrease pain)
- facial muscles stretch
- blood flow is increased
- breath is increased and oxygenates our tissues
- immune cells increased
- blood sugar lowers
- better sleep
- increased energy
Some of the emotional benefits include:
- decreased stress
- reduced anxiety
- increased feelings of hope
- increased creativity
Try these to add a little silliness, fun, and laughter to your life:
- Watch a favorite (or new to you) funny movie
- Watch a funny sitcom with a friend or loved one
- Hang out with your funny friends
- Fake it. Really. Try out different laughs, be goofy, make funny faces.
- Sign up for a joke a day email. There are several online you can sign up for
- Go to a comedy show
- Play comedy charades with friends. All categories must relate to something humorous
- Don't forget to laugh at yourself. Find the humor in mishaps, etc.
Here's a little something to help get you started. :)
See sidebar menu for more weekly R.I.S.E.
©Weighing The Facts
sources:http://women.webmd.com/guide/give-your-body-boost-with-laughter?page=2
http://www.pbs.org/thisemotionallife/topic/humor/benefits-humor
picsource: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alinieri/3687736037/in/photostream/
This Week's R.I.S.E. : Breathe and Visualize
Breathe
Not your usual breath in, breath out. This is deeper, more controlled. It oxygenates the body. It is very calming and beneficial both physically and emotionally.
Did you know that ...
- Our bodies are designed to release approximate 70% of it's toxins through breathing.
- Carbon dioxide that has passed through the body makes it's way to the lungs. Exhaling deeply gets rid of it.
- Stress/tension causes our bodies to constrict and our breathing to become shallow. Deep breathing relaxes our muscles and calms us.
- Deep breathing oxygenates the brain which reduces anxiety.
- Deep breathing ups the immune system.
- The lungs are strengthened by deep breathing. So is the heart.
- Neurochemicals (which cause feelings of pleasure)increase in the brain. This elevates mood and helps lessen pain.
Sit comfortably, spine straight, feet on the floor, shoulders and arms relaxed.
Keep your throat open and your lips slightly parted.
Close your eyes.
Breath in slowly, through you're nose, to a slow count of 5. Let your stomach expand with each breath, followed by your chest expanding. Once you get the feel of how long a 5 count breath is, stop counting them.
Let the breath linger for a moment before exhaling slowly through your mouth for 5 counts. Think of your breath like a wave that washes up onto the shore and lingers before receding back into the ocean.
Visualize
Visualization, simply put, is imagining. You can visualize a scenario, place, goal, and even self-healing. There are no limitations as to what you can visualize. The more you practice, the better at it you will become. We all already visualize throughout the day and may not even realize it.
Benefits of visualization include ...
- Stress relief
- Calmness
- Better mood
- Inspiration
- Improved focus
- Improved attitude
- Start with the above breathing technique.
- Choose a word that you can relate to how you want to feel, such as "relax, calm, or safe." Say this word to yourself as you exhale.
- As you begin to relax, picture yourself walking along a beautiful beach (or any other place that suits you). Take in the sounds and sights... the waves, the gulls, the wind.
- Feel the warmth of the sun and the cool breeze on your skin.
- Feel the sand under your feet.
- Notice how blue the water and the sky are.
- The tall grasses move gently with the breeze.
Do this at least once a day.
Pressed for time or at your desk at work? You can still benefit. Do some deep breathing and release your chosen word as you exhale.
You may find this post helpful: Self-Soothing Techniques
©Weighing The Facts
picsource: http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulshughes/4475998276/in/photostream/
some info compiled from the following sites:
http://www.onepowerfulword.com/2010/10/18-benefits-of-deep-breathing-and-how.html
http://www.positivethinking-toolbox.com/benefits-of-visualization.html
The Emotional & Physical Benefits Of Smiling
Did you know that smiling has both emotional and physical health benefits? It does!
We are blessed from from the moment we are born. We come equipped with the ability to smile at birth. It's true, we are all born already knowing how to smile.
When the zygomaticus major muscles in our cheeks contract, the corners of the mouth are drawn up into a smile. But what else is happening when we smile?
Better Than Chocolate
Researchers at The British Dental Health Foundation revealed that after participants were shown pictures of smiling people, their brain and heart activity was equivalent to being given the stimulation of 2,000 Chocolate bars.
Ups Your Serotonin
Serotonin is a vital component of the regulation of mood, sleep, appetite, and sexuality. The biological connection to elements of happiness in the production of Serotonin is evident. It's a two way street... good sleep, good mood, good food, and good sex will up your Serotonin production.
Smiling is a Natural Drug
Studies show that endorphins, natural painkillers, and serotonin are released when we smile. Together these make us feel good. Just like how exercise releases endorphins, smiling does, too. Try smiling 50 times right in row for a good boost.
Lowers Blood Pressure
Studies confirm that when you smile, your blood pressure is reduced. Smiling and laughing regularly can make a measurable difference.
Helps To Relieve Stress
Stress causes many physical reactions including an increase in blood sugar levels, disturbs the natural function of the digestive system, pulse rate increases substantially, breathing becomes faster and our breaths are more shallow.
Smiling and slowing your breathing can keep the stress from increasing and help reduce it. It's those glorious endorphins again... the feel good neurotransmitters.
Changes Our Mood & Increases Our Happiness
The British Dental Health Foundation conducted a study that showed the act of smiling dramatically improved mood. It increases happiness not only in ourselves but in those around us. Endorphins come into play here, too. Smiling tricks your mood into being more positive (faking does this, too) because the muscles we use to smile ties into how the how the brain assesses mood.
There's a theory called Facial Feedback Hypothesis that suggests that our expressions can actually intensify our feelings.
Increases Longevity
While happiness comes at every age, the smiles of our golden years can actually improve longevity. A study, published in General Psychiatry, consisting of participants over the age of 65, concluded that those optimists were 71% less likely to die from certain causes, in contrast to pessimists.
Smiles Are Contagious
Really! Scientific studies have shown that people have a difficult time maintaining a frown when those around them were smiling. Their bodies react, their facial muscles twitching into smiles of their own. It actually takes more effort and muscles to frown.
We Are Drawn To Those That Smile
There's an attraction that happens when we see a smiling, happy, face. The smile draws us in. We want to get to know the smiler. We want share in the good feelings they possess.
A Smile Is The Best Makeup
A research study by Orbit Complete discovered that a whopping 69% of people find a makeup-free, smiling face more attractive than a makeup-wearing, non-smiling one. Another benefit of smiling is that it exercises the face, using between 5 and 53 facial muscles, helping to prevent sagging, droopy skin.
Smiling Changes Our Tone Of Voice
When we smile we project a more welcoming, warmer tone to those that are listening. Our voices convey that feeling, even if the person we're talking to cannot see us. Smiling while talking on the phone ensures a more positive and happier conversation.
We Even Benefit From A Stranger's Smile
That warm and contagious smile someone bestowed upon us actually carries over into our daily interactions with others. How's that for powerful, positive interaction?
Smiling Can Help You In Court
Smiling certainly isn't always appropriate in a courtroom setting, but when it is you may end up with lighter penalties. It's a phenomenon known as The Smile-Leniency Effect and it has shown that judges have given lighter punishments to smilers. Several court studies have revealed that it truly happens... even if you're guilty.
Universally Recognized
Anthropologists, biologists and psychologists agree that smiles are globally recognized. It's the real, teeth baring, lifted cheek inducing, squinting eye reaction that's globally recognized as a reaction to happiness.
Size Matters
The size of your smile increases the pleasure you feel. Smiling wider than a grin reaps the most physical and emotional health benefits.
Smiling is infectious,
You can catch it like the flu.
Someone smiled at me today,
And I started smiling too.
~Unknown
So.. what are you waiting for? SMILE!!! It's good for you. It's good for your physical and emotional health... and so, in turn, it's good for your recovery.
Share the cheer and good health with friends, family, coworkers, and even strangers.
Everyone benefits when we smile.
©Weighing The Facts
picsource:http://www.flickr.com/photos/eflon/4246570737/in/photostream/
compiled from: http://www.organicnutrition.co.uk/articles/immune.htm
http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/15-fascinating-facts-about-smiling/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/18859-health-benefits-smiling/
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/benefits-of-smiling.htm
http://web.psych.ualberta.ca/~varn/bc/Kleinke.htm
http://odyb.net/discoveries/little-known-reasons-and-benefits-of-smiling/
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