Happy Thanksgiving! 2011

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

Ralph Waldo Emerson


I hope your day is filled with love, support, family, and friends.
 Happy Thanksgiving! 



If you find yourself struggling today, these links may help:






picsource:http://www.flickr.com/photos/teo/1314249/

This Week's R.I.S.E. :Plant Seeds Of Recovery

This week's R.I.S.E. (recovery inspiration strength exercise) is to Plant Seeds Of Recovery.

Imagine yourself standing in a garden. It's bare. The soil has been turned, amended, and fertilized, waiting to be seeded. This is your recovery garden. What grows here will depend on the seeds you choose to plant in it, and the care you give it.

Each thought is like a seed and so it's important that we are careful about the seeds we allow to take root. Simply put, we reap what we sow.

Visualize yourself:
  • with a handful of big, healthy, seeds. Each one labeled with a word of your choosing
  • on your knees, the sun shining down, birds singing, a warm breeze
  • taking your time to plant each seed carefully
  • watering it lovingly
  • watching it grow
Tend to your garden every day so it will thrive. Don't view it as a chore. Have fun with it. See it as relaxing, self-healing, and fruitful. Keep it positive.

 Even when we're good at staying positive, negative thoughts are bound to creep in now and again, but we don't have to water them, fertilize them, and help them grow.  Consider them a weed and start weeding!

See sidebar menu for more R.I.S.E.

©Weighing The Facts


picsource:http://www.flickr.com/photos/tgerus/4662650273/in/photostream/

Recovery Quote Of The Week: November 18, 2011

Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.
Oprah Winfrey


*see sidebar for recovery quotes of the week and inspirational recovery quotes


picsource: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ipoxstudios/6186268524/in/photostream/

Anti-Bullying Resources




Anti-Bullying Resources:
 
Anti-Bullying Alliance.org 

National Bullying Prevention Center

Stomp Out Bullying.org

Stop Bullying. gov

Anti-Bullying Network

Kids Against Bullying

Teens Against Bullying

No Bully.com

GLSEN (gay lesbian and straight education network)

Bully Police. org (ant-bullying laws by state)

The Anti-Bully Blog

Bullying Information and Facts 

Suicide Prevention Resources


*If you know of any anti-bullying resources that should be added to the list please include them in a comment to this post and I will add them. 
Thank you.

This Week's R.I.S.E. : Breathe and Visualize

This week's R.I.S.E. (Recovery Inspiration Strength Exercise) is practicing two techniques to soothe yourself to help see you through stressful times. Breathe and Visualize. These two exercises are excellent to add to your collection of recovery tools. They are simple and easy to do. You don't need any special equipment or setting, just a few minutes and a willingness to forge ahead even if you find it awkward to do at first. The more you practice, the less awkward it will feel.

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.
Breathing Technique

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
Visualization Technique
  • 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.
Make it as vivid as you can. It should be filled with the imagery of the things you find beautiful, enjoyable, and relaxing.

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

Eating Disorders News and Views: November 15, 2011



















Warning: Some articles may be triggering


Anorexia and Cheerleading: A Dangerous Combination
By Samantha Van Vleet

Anorexia, a very serious and life-threatening eating disorder, appears to occur more commonly among the aesthetic sports, such as figure skating, gymnastics and cheerleading.

A growing concern regarding anorexia has become evident in the cheerleading realm. In fact, Gymnastics Australia has banned cheerleaders from wearing uniforms that expose their stomach. This decision may have been led to by research conducted that suggested cheerleaders who bared their stomachs in uniform were at a greater risk for developing eating disorders.

What is anorexia?

Anorexia is commonly used to describe the eating disorder anorexia nervosa, characterized by excessive dieting and calorie restriction to the point of emaciation. Anorexia, although it prevents physical symptoms, is thought of as a psychological disorder as the underlying cause is usually emotional.

What are the symptoms of anorexia?

Cheerleaders suffering from anorexia are likely to exhibit incredibly odd eating habits and behaviors. A cheerleader may have lost substantial amounts of weight in a relatively short period of time and may over-exercise. Cheerleaders suffering from anorexia are also likely to suffer from hair, skin and nail issues, such as dry, flaky skin, discolored skin, hair loss and brittle purple fingernail beds. Additionally, a cheerleader may exhibit the signs and symptoms of depression and may seem preoccupied with her weight and size.
Read Cheerleading ED in full here.


Images of airbrushed fashion models should come with 'cigarette-packet' warning, says Norwegian minister
By Ian Sparks
Mail Online

Images of airbrushed fashion models should come with a ‘cigarette-packet’ style health warning in a bid to tackle eating disorders in teenage girls, a government minister in Norway has declared.

Advertisements of super-skinny models are causing young women to starve themselves to obtain ‘unobtainable ideal bodies’, equalities minister Audun Lysbakken said.

He has called for stark warnings on all posters and press adverts when a photo has been digitally altered.

One suggested text for the warning reads: 'This advertisement has been altered and presents an inaccurate image of how this model really looks.'

We have to reduce the pressure the beauty ideal generates.' The call comes after countries including Spain, Italy and Brazil have all clamped down on skinny models at catwalk shows.
Read Warning Label in full here.


My five-year bulimia nightmare, by Diane Keaton
Mail Online

Diane Keaton has spoken for the first time about her 'awful' five-year battle with bulimia.

The actress revealed that she used to gorge herself on huge tubs of ice cream before making herself sick.

She said she was a struggling actress when she was ordered to lose 10lb for a part in the original Broadway production of Hair in 1968. It was the beginning of her bulimia nightmare.

Miss Keaton, now 65, said that she did not think her condition was called bulimia at the time, but it was real for her. 'It was just this trick you could do,' she added. 'It's a horrible problem. Ugly and awful.'

After undergoing psychotherapy – what she called the 'talking cure' – she one day realized that she did not want to binge any more.

Miss Keaton – who dated a string of Hollywood stars including Woody Allen, Warren Beatty and Al Pacino but never married – claimed that she was not beautiful, even when she was younger.

'I was friendly looking, no Candy Bergen,' she said. 'The smile, maybe, was all I had.'

Her disclosures may surprise many as she is known for shunning the spotlight – Vanity Fair magazine once described her as 'the most reclusive star since Garbo'. But now she has written a memoir, Then Again, due out next week.
Read Keaton in full here.


Vail health: Bulimia and the brain
Adolescent anorexia stems from both nurture and nature
Randy Wyrick

VAIL — Don't put your kid on a diet, because diets don't work, says Dr. Kenneth Weiner, an expert in eating disorders and brain development.

Within three years, 90 percent of people weigh more than they did before the diet. The other 10 percent have built lifestyle changes into their lives, Weiner said.

Weiner is co-founder, CEO and chief medical officer of the Eating Recovery Center in Denver and has been treating eating disorders for more than 25 years. He talked to Colorado School Counselors Association's annual conference at the Vail Cascade Resort & Spa on Friday.

To help adolescents avoid eating disorders, concentrate on who they are and not what they are, what's on the inside rather than what's on the outside, he said.

“We live in an obese society and childhood obesity is going to break the healthcare bank. My patients are the collateral damage,” Weiner said.

Nurture vs. nature
Eating disorders stem from nurture more than nature, he said, and so many things can feed that beast: Trauma, certain interests and hobbies, modeling, dancing, swimming, violence, culture, media.

“For many people with an eating disorder, it's preceded by some sort of trauma,” Weiner said.

Still, genetics play a role.

Between 40 to 50 percent of the risk is genetic. Fifty to 60 percent is psychosocial. If her mother has it, a girl is 12 times more likely.

It's as inheritable as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, Weiner said, and it's treatable.
Read Vail in full here.


10% OF GIRLS ARE FANS OF PRO-ANOREXIA WEBSITES
By Lucy Johnston and Chloe Randall
Express UK


ALARMING numbers of teenagers are using a network of underground “pro-anorexia” websites that glamorise and promote the life-threatening eating disorder.

New research reveals that more than 10 per cent of schoolgirls aged 13 to 17 have used a pro-anorexia site, and almost six per cent of boys, despite high-profile search engines blocking them after media outrage.

A Sunday Express investigation has discovered that many sites have gone underground, allowing access only to those who know a password.

Tips and tricks to reach a “goal weight” include eating cotton wool, inflicting pain to inhibit cravings and viewing pictures of skinny models, celebrities and other site users to boost motivation.

There are also suggestions on how to dupe family and friends that a meal has been eaten.

Websites may have trademark emblems with which followers ­demonstrate their dedication to an anorexic lifestyle, such as a red bracelet, worn by celebrity Nicole Richie and actress Lindsay Lohan in the past. Mary George, of eating disorder charity Beat, said: “These sites should act responsibly. Anorexia and bulimia are dangerous activities and people can be encouraged to copy them.”
Read 10% in full here.


Former child star to host eating disorders TV series


Former child star Tracey Gold is to share her experiences with anorexia as the host of a new U.S. reality show about eating disorders.

The actress, who battled the illness while starring in hit sitcom Growing Pains, will be seen working with patients undergoing intensive treatment for anorexia or bulimia as part of U.S. series Starving Secrets.

Gold admits shooting the show was an emotional rollercoaster, but she hopes it will give audiences an insight into the participants’ fear of gaining weight.

She tells The Daily Beast, “It’s not an easy show to watch, but it’s riveting and it really lets you know what it’s like. When we first started, every story tore me apart. I had such a close relationship to the subjects. As we got further along, I was able to get some distance.”
Read ED TV series in full here.


Anorexic Mum Fits into Seven-year-old Daughter’s Clothes

by Savitha.C.Muppala

A 26-year-old mum and her seven year old daughter look pretty much the same as the mother can easily fit into the daughter’s clothes.

Rebecca is extremely proud of the fact that she weighs just five stone and easily fits into the clothes meant for seven or eight year olds.
Rebecca has been a victim of anorexia for most part of her life. She recalls that it all began after she started putting on weight at the age of 13 following her parents’ divorce.
Read Anorexic Mum in full here.


How do lesbians' and gay women experience anorexia and bulimia?

Health Canal

A psychology PhD student at UWE Bristol (University of the West of England) is researching lesbians' experiences of anorexia and bulimia and how these experiences may be similar to and different from those of heterosexual women.

The research involves in-depth interviews with self-identified lesbian women who are experiencing anorexia and/or bulimia.

Researcher Rebecca Jones said, “This new research will build on the pilot study I did at UWE Bristol as an undergraduate, which has just been published by the online journal Psychology and Sexuality.

“My motivations stem from having past experience of an eating disorder and self-identifying as a lesbian. When I started University I became interested in lesbians' eating disordered experiences from a research perspective which prompted me to explore the literature further in my undergraduate research project.”

According to Rebecca, there is now a considerable body of research exploring how our culture's norms and ideas about gender impact upon girls' and women's experiences of anorexia and bulimia and heterosexual girls' and women's experiences of anorexia and bulimia.

“However,” she says, “much less is known about lesbian experiences of anorexia and bulimia. The article I have just published explores some of the similarities and differences between lesbian and heterosexual women's experiences of anorexia and/or bulimia. Analysing interviews with a small number of self-identified lesbian women with a history of anorexia and/or bulimia indicates that many of the ways in which these women described their eating disorders were similar to those identified in research with girls and women assumed to be heterosexual – such as a search for identity, an exertion of self-control, and a pursuit of feminine beauty.
Read Experience Anorexia and Bulimia in full here.


Teens who eat with parents less likely to be depressed
By Simon Collins


Kiwi teenagers who eat meals with Mum and Dad are less likely to be depressed and much less likely to be suicidal, a new study has found.

Teenagers who eat with their families frequently are also less likely to binge drink, smoke cigarettes or cannabis or use inconsistent contraception.

They are more likely to eat fruit and vegetables and less likely to eat fast food. But, apparently because of other lifestyle factors, they are just as likely to be overweight.

The study, published today by the Families Commission, is based on Auckland University's Youth 2007 survey of 9100 New Zealand high school students. Previous reports have shown that the teens were happier, less likely to be depressed, had better nutrition and were more physically active than in a similar survey in 2001.

The first survey did not ask about family meals, but the latest one found that 24 per cent of teens ate meals with all or most of their family less than three times in the previous week.

The other three-quarters ate meals with the family three to six times a week (41 per cent) or at least seven times a week (35 per cent).
Read Eat With Parents in full here.

Eating Disorders Poetry: Done























Done

I don't want you in my life
I don't want you in my head
You play sick mind tricks on me
While I lay awake in bed

You convince me that I'm ugly
That I'm too fat to go outside
You want me to be skinny
Even if it causes me to die

I can see through your lies now
I won't entertain your attacks
I'm not saying that it's easy
But I'm never looking back

I won't let you control me
Not like you did before
I'll decide what's right for me
And your insults will go ignored

Written by: Jessica of Periwinkle Paradise

*Check out Jessica's recovery / awareness jewelery,  Periwinkle Paradise, on Etsy.
Jessica says: 10% of the purchase price of ALL Periwinkle AND Dragonfly items AND Art pieces will be donated to NEDA - the National Eating Disorders Association - the largest National non-profit for eating disorder awareness. I look forward to raising awareness about eating disorders and helping those in need through this line of Periwinkle/Dragonfly Pieces and Recovery Art and to sharing these and all of my other pieces of jewelry with you!

Please see sidebar menu for more eating disorders and body image poetry and writings. 
Be featured on Weighing The Facts


picsource:http://www.flickr.com/photos/charamelody/4844302605/in/photostream/

This Week's R.I.S.E. : Daily "Me Time"






















This week's R.I.S.E. (Recovery Inspiration Strength Exercise) is to give yourself some "Me Time" every day.

Life is hectic. It keeps us running. As we tend to our many obligations, we often put ourselves on the back burner ... quickly slipping lower and lower on our own priority list. It doesn't take long to find ourselves overwhelmed, tired, and even disheartened.

Everyone needs to recharge. Add recovery efforts to the mix and recharging takes on yet another layer of importance. We cannot be any good to anyone (including ourselves) if we're worn out and discouraged. Taking "me time" is healthy for our spirits, minds, bodies, and our recovery. It's even beneficial for those who share our daily lives.

Where can you find the time to devote to yourself when your days are already filled to the brim?

Taking time for yourself doesn't have to be an hour long obligation (but if you've got an hour, take it!).

Me time can be as simple as taking 15 (more is better) minutes to:
  • sip a cup of your favorite tea, undisturbed, feet up, relaxing. 
  • read a few pages of a delicious book while waiting for your child to get out of (drama, band, sports) practice. 
  • grab some headphones and listen to your favorite music or relaxation cd while walking the dog (as long as you enjoy walking the dog).
 .... you get the idea.

Do not feel guilty for giving this to yourself. It's not selfish to take care of yourself. It's necessary. Like the saying goes, it's time to put yourself at the top of your own priority list. 

So, just some simple ground rules:
  • during me time you must let go of all the things your mind is juggling or worrying about.
  • you cannot devote this time to a chore, task, or phone call that's waiting for your attention. 
  • let it be known to those who share your home that this time is sacred and you're not to be disturbed. They'll catch on after a few times (if you have little ones, let another adult be in charge while you are taking care of you).
  • Be alone during this time. It's too easy to be distracted if you're not. 
  • Do this EVERY day (more than once if you can).
  • Enjoy your time! 
Don't worry if it doesn't go well at first. Don't give up. You'll feel more comfortable as you go along.

You are going to be amazed at what a difference letting go of your obligations, and giving yourself a little much need attention for a few minutes, can make in how you feel and function.


Have fun with it!


See sidebar menu for more R.I.S.E.

©Weighing The Facts



picsource:http://www.flickr.com/photos/meddygarnet/3392686660/in/photostream/

Recovery Quote Of The Week: November 8, 2011


















Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become.
Unknown



*See sidebar menu for more Recovery Quotes Of The Week and Inspirational Recovery Quotes


picsourcehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/rachel_joy94/5819332643/in/photostream/

This Week's R.I.S.E. : Start A Gratitude Journal























This week's R.I.S.E. (Recovery Inspiration Strength Exercise) is to start a Gratitude Journal.

Let's focus on the good in our lives by recognizing and giving thanks for the many things we're grateful for.

1). At the end of each day, reflect on what you are grateful for.
     No matter what is going on in our lives, there is always something 
      to be grateful for. What our bodies do for us, the support we 
      receive, getting through a difficult day, recovery, being 
      alive... big or small, it all matters.

2). Choose at least one thing you are grateful for. Write it down.
       It can be one word or a more in depth entry. Whatever 
       works for you.
         If you do not have a journal, don't wait to get one. 
        Use any paper you have and keep your entries together in one place. 
    
3). Read your entry aloud. Do this a few times. Let it sink in.

4). Lastly, give thanks for what you are grateful for.


 Keeping a Gratitude Journal is an exercise in positivity. It reminds us that no matter how difficult our lives may be, there is also good in our lives, too. Your journal will be there to reread when you need a reminder or to lift your spirits.


*See sidebar for more R.I.S.E.

©Weighing The Facts

picsourcehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/hanssolo/1810380734/sizes/o/in/photostream/

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/





This Week's R.I.S.E.: Make A Feel Good Image File

This Week's R.I.S.E. (Recovery Inspiration Strength Exercise) is to create a file of Feel Good Images.

1.) Collect images that:
*lift your spirits
*give you a warm, comforting feeling
*make you smile
*make you laugh
*inspire you
*relax you

2.) Place them in a file on your computer or a file folder at home.

3.) View them several times a day.

4.) Choose a favorite or two to carry with you.

5.) Hang one on your computer at your desk at work or at home (or make a collage).

6.) Enjoy them, absorb the good feelings your images give you.

 Choose images that do not relate to personal appearance, weight or body size.

You can find images online, magazines, your own personal photos, or doodle/draw your own

*There are many images that are available for download that are free for personal, noncommercial use. Please comply with copyright laws when collecting your images.

 Click the sidebar icon for more R.I.S.E.

©Weighing The Facts



picsourcehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/kratz/3903400295/in/photostream/

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/

Dove Self-Esteem Weekend 2011


Self-Esteem:  
noun
a realistic respect for or favorable impression of oneself; self-respect.
dictionary.com


Positive Self-Esteem is essential to a happy, healthy life. It gives us the ability to adapt, grow, cope, and survive. It allows us to successfully navigate the frustrations, difficulties, and problems that we will inevitably be faced with along the way.

Parents are crucial to a child’s positive sense of self. A parent’s role is to provide stability, security, and love so children will flourish and grow to be self-confident, responsible, and capable. It is of great importance that parents are role models who display a positive view of self so the child will learn by example.

Self-esteem isn’t arrogant, self absorbed, or narcissistic. It’s a healthy understanding of who you are. It is liking yourself for who you are.

When a child (or adult) has a positive self-concept they are empowered, and protected. Understanding yourself, your beliefs, strengths, and even weaknesses, strengthens a child’s ability to understand, withstand, cope, and handle difficult situations and decisions...
Fostering Positive Self-Esteem In Children




Dove:

Share who inspired you and why.

Check out Dove's Toolkits and Resources:

1 on 1 Activities for Girls Aged 8-12 and 13-18

A Girl’s Guide to the Digital World—How to Log Off of Digital Drama!

Self-Esteem Guide for Moms of Girls, Ages 8–11

Self-Esteem Guide for Moms of Girls, Ages 11–16

True You! Workbook for Girls 8–12

Find a meet-up group in your area

Dove® Movement for Self-Esteem | I PLEDGE TO BUILD SELF-ESTEEM IN GIRLS




















Weighing The Facts:

Tests: How is your self-esteem?

Related Posts:
Building Self-Esteem
Self Empowerment: Inspirational Recovery Quotes
Body Image and Self-Esteem

picsource:http://www.flickr.com/photos/adwriter/153347901/in/photostream/

Feature Your Poetry and Writings on Weighing The Facts























Would you like to be featured here, on Weighing The Facts?

Writing is a very powerful tool for many with Eating Disorders and Body Image issues. Sharing those writings is an excellent way for others to relate and be inspired.

So many times I have been told how a submission here has struck a cord, make someone feel less alone, and inspired someone in their recovery. 

Do you have original poetry/writings about your struggles, experiences, or recovery with your Eating Disorder, or Body Image? Would you like to share them with others?

Weighing The Facts would like to feature your writing so that others can relate, find support, and encouragement towards recovery.

Participation may be anonymous or credited, whichever you feel most comfortable with. Poems/writings must be your own work.

If you're interested in participating, or have any questions, just send me an email at mrsmenopausal@yahoo.com. Include your submission (as an attachment or pasted into the body of the email) and state how you would like to be credited (anonymously, a pen name, your real name, etc)I will send you an email letting you know when it has been posted.

Please check out the wonderful submissions that have already been featured here. They can be found in sidebar drop down menu.



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Love Your Body Day 2011: 5 Ways To Celebrate


















It's LOVE YOUR BODY Day!

You are not defined by the reflection in your mirror. You are an amazing creation both inside and out. It's time to let go of the negative images you hold of your body and give it (and you) some much deserved love!

5 Ways to Celebrate Love Your Body Day

Use Body Positive Affirmations:

I treat my body with kindness. I make healthy choices that benefit my body. I am grateful to my body for all that it does for me. My body is worthy of my own love and respect.

My beauty cannot be defined by my physical appearance. My worth is constant and undeniable. Today I celebrate the beauty of my mind and my spirit. Today I appreciate the amazing and unique individual that I am.

I am grateful for my body. I nurture and take care of my body. I take time to appreciate my body for all the wonderful things it allows me to do. Today I treat my body with dignity and respect.


Put it in Writing:

list the wonderful things your body does for you.

list the wonderful things you will do for your body.

write love notes (encouraging and positive statements) to yourself and hang them on the bathroom mirror, the dash of your car, tuck one inside your pocket/purse.


Squash Negative Self-Talk:

Replace old negative inner talk with positive statements. Do it each time you find yourself thinking or saying something negative about your body and/or yourself. Say them with meaning. BELIEVE them. Positive self-talk brings about positive results. You'll be amazed!


Be Confident:

Forget about weight, size, and imperfections. Be confident in who you are. You are beautiful just as your are!

Be who you are and say what you feel 
because those who mind don't matter 
and those who matter don't mind.
Dr Seuss


Pamper Your Body and Your Mind:

Take a long, hot bath. Use scented candles, essential oils (lavender relaxes, sweet orange lifts your spirits, grapefruit energizes and cheers), or bubbles, and oils to moisturize.

Listen to your favorite music

Relax

Slip on your softest, most comfortable pjs and your old fluffy robe and settle down for the night with a book or a movie.


Give your body some extra love and appreciation today, tomorrow, and from here on out!


How are you celebrating Love You Body Day?

This post is part of the 2011 Love Your Body Day Blog Carnival

NOW Foundation (National Organization For Women)

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This Week's R.I.S.E. Create A Recovery Soundtrack























This week's R.I.S.E. (Recovery Inspiration Strength Exercise) is to create a soundtrack for recovery.

Music can have a profound affect on our outlook, our mood, and our enjoyment. So, let's take advantage of that...

1). Make a folder for your ipod, a playlist for your computer, or a CD for the car (whatever works best for you).

2). Fill it with music that lifts your spirit, makes you feel good, and that makes you smile.

3). Listen to it daily as you get ready in the morning, (while you eat your breakfast, drive to work, get the kids ready for school ...etc).

4). Listen to it again on the drive home, while doing chores, or whenever you can, whenever you need it.

5). Sing along, dance around, enjoy yourself!

* while you're at it, why not make one full of peaceful, calming music, or nature sounds, to listen to before bed?

Why not share your song list in the comments. You may inspire the music choices of someone else.

See sidebar for more weekly R.I.S.E.

©Weighing The Facts

picsource:http://www.flickr.com/photos/leontinemay/4875329525/

Recovery Quote Of The Week: October 18, 2011


Inner peace can be reached only when we practice forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past, and is therefore the means for correcting our misperceptions.
Gerald Jampolsky


More Recovery Quotes of the Week and Inspirational Recovery Quotes can be found in the sidebar menu.


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This Week's R.I.S.E.: Set The Tone Of The Day























This week's R.I.S.E. (Recovery Inspiration Strength Exercise): Set the Tone of the Day


Set your alarm clock 5 minutes earlier than usual.
  Use those extra 5 minutes to set the tone for the day by ...

 1. stretching slowly in bed (like a cat)

 2. smiling (your body and mind respond to the physical act of smiling)

 3. say at least one positive statement before leaving bed

Have a great week! 

See sidebar for more weekly R.I.S.E.

©Weighing The Facts


picsourcehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/dialettica/4859099011/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Inspirational Recovery Quotes: Courage

















Courage is fear that has said its prayers.
Dorothy Bernard

History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.
Maya Angelou

The only courage that matters is the kind that gets you from one moment to the next.
Mignon McLaughlin

Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.
John Quincy Adams

It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things.
Theodore Roosevelt

To him that waits all things reveal themselves, provided that he has the courage not to deny, in the darkness, what he has seen in the light.
Coventry Patmore

Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.
Maya Angelou

Courage can't see around corners, but goes around them anyway.
Mignon McLaughlin

The key to change... is to let go of fear.
Rosanne Cash

Everyday courage has few witnesses. But yours is no less noble because no drum beats for you and no crowds shout your name.
Robert Louis Stevenson

Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.
Christopher Robin to Pooh
Milne

The bravest thing you can do when you are not brave is to profess courage and act accordingly.
Corra May Harris

Come to the edge.
We can't. We're afraid.
Come to the edge.
We can't. We will fall!
Come to the edge.
And they came.
And he pushed them.
And they flew.
Guillaume Apollinaire

Courage is never to let your actions be influenced by your fears.
Arthur Koestler

Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.
William Shakespeare

Courage is simply the willingness to be afraid and act anyway.
Robert Anthony

Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.
Raymond Lindquist

Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.
Bruce Lee

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.
Anais Nin

Fear and courage are brothers.
Proverb

Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Courage is to feel the daily daggers of relentless steel and keep on living.
Douglas Malloch

Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as fuel, as a reminder of your strength.
August Wilson

Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.
George Smith Patton

You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.
Aristotle

Courage is looking fear right in the eye and saying, “Get the hell out of my way, I’ve got things to do.”
Unknown

Optimism is the foundation of courage.
Nicholas Murray Butler

Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.
Winston Churchill

Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It's courage that counts.
John Wooden

You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Courage is being scared to death... and saddling up anyway.
John Wayne

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow.
Mary Anne Radmacher

It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.
E. E. Cummings

If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it.
Jesse Jackson

All you need is the plan, the road map, and the courage to press on to your destination.
Earl Nightingale

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.
Walt Disney

A brave arm makes a short sword long.
Unknown

Courage is as often the outcome of despair as of hope; in the one case we have nothing to lose, in the other everything to gain.
Diane de Poitiers

People are made of flesh and blood and a miracle fiber called courage.
Mignon McLaughlin

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
Winston Churchill

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.
Mark Twain

Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.
Mark Victor Hansen

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
Nelson Mandela

The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.
Sven Goran Eriksson

Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising, which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?
Vincent Van Gogh

One man with courage is a majority.
Thomas Jefferson

Most of us have far more courage than we ever dreamed we possessed.
Dale Carnegie

Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.
Amelia Earhart

Have the courage to act instead of react.
Oliver Wendell Holmes

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.
Albert Einstein

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.
John F. Kennedy

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.
Winston Churchill

Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Reinhold Niebuhr

Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow.
Dan Rather

Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace.
Victor Hugo

We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities... because it is the quality which guarantees all others.
Winston Churchill

Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.
W. Clement Stone

Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.
C. S. Lewis

You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor.
Aristotle

Every man has his own courage, and is betrayed because he seeks in himself the courage of other persons.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Courage is the greatest of all virtues, because if you haven't courage, you may not have an opportunity to use any of the others.
Samuel Johnson

You don't develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.
Epicurus

 See sidebar menu for more Inspirational Recovery Quotes and Recovery Quotes of the Week



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World Mental Health Day 2011: Links and Information























Links:

 Mental Health Statistics

Children's Mental Health Statistics and Information

Mental Health Resources: Hotlines, Websites, Organizations

MHA (Mental Health America)

Finding Help
Finding Treatment
Parity Laws
FAQS


US Dept Of Health And Human Services

Children and Families
Organizations and Financing
Resources


NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

Eating Disorders
Bipolar Disorder
Major Depression
Schizophrenia
Borderline Personality Disorder
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
More: By Illness
Find Support


National Institute Of Mental Health

Outreach Partnership Program
Statistics


Prescription Assistance Programs

Needy Meds
RX Assist
Partnership For Prescription Assistance
NAMI Prescription Assistance Programs
Merck Programs For Those In Need
The Access Project
Disability Resources Org
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
MHA Prescription Payment Assistance

Additional Links:
Mental Health Resources By State
Mental Health Matters
Mental Health Resources On The Web For Families (PDF)
National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse
When You Can't Afford Treatment




picsource:http://www.flickr.com/photos/stansich/181354778/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Recovery Quote Of The Week: October 8th, 2011

















Don't let yesterday use up too much of today.
Will Rogers


See sidebar for more Recovery Quotes of the Week, and Inspirational Recovery Quotes.


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R.I.S.E. Recovery Inspiration Strength Exercise

















 R.I.S.E.

R.I.S.E. (Recovery Inspiration Strength Exercises) are activities meant to give a little positive boost to self-esteem, body image, and self-talk to help strengthen recovery efforts.

Each week a simple and easy activity will be listed in the sidebar marquee (located below the morning and bedtime affirmations. Previous R.I.S.E can be found by clicking the icon in the sidebar).

I hope you find them helpful.

This Week's R.I.S.E. 

1. Write down your favorite positive affirmation on paper or index cards. Make it something that you really need to hear. Make several of them.

2. Put them where you'll see them often (suggestions: bathroom mirror, dash of your car, over your bed, the door use use to leave the house, in your purse to read whenever you need it).

3. Each time you see it take a moment to read it, say it aloud, mean it! Choose just one or two affirmations, duplicated on your index cards, one per card (or paper).

4. Believe! 

©Weighing The Facts
 
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