The harmful effects of bullying are widely recognized. The victim often feels powerless, fearful, and can be led to believe something is wrong with them, even long after the harassment occurs. Another type of damage that is only just now coming to light is the potential for bullying to lead to eating disorders. According to UK charity, Beat, a recent study of 600 people in the UK showed that a staggering 90 percent of respondents were all bullied at some point in their lives. Further, more than 75 percent of individuals suffering from an eating disorder name bullying as one of the major causes. Susan Ringwood, chief executive for Beat, had this to say about the study: “Bullying undermines young peoples’ self-confidence and lowers their self-esteem, raising the …
recovery
Posted on:
Eating Disorders – An Overview
; What exactly is an eating disorder? Simply put, these are very serious conditions where the sufferer is so preoccupied with food and weight that it takes over their lives. Someone with such a disorder is usually aware of what they are doing but feels powerless to stop themselves. The 3 most common types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder. Eating disorders can have serious ramifications both physically and emotionally and for many, can potentially be deadly. Women tend to be at the highest risk but anyone can potentially develop these disorders. Statistics show that binge-eating seems to affect both men and women equally. There are many approaches to treating eating disorders, including therapy, nutritional education, psychotherapy, family counseling, medications and sometimes…
recovery
Posted on:
Bulimia – An Overview
It’s a universal experience: we eat when we’re bored, or lonely, or excited… for a multitude of different reasons that sometimes do not include hunger. But our psychological reactions to this experience can vary greatly. For some, it becomes a cycle, a burden. Some will binge eat then panic when the sick feeling sets in, taking drastic measures to reverse the damage they have just inflicted on themselves. Bulimia is a very real and common problem, affecting (millions) of men, women and children of all ages. What Is Bulimia? Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by regular episodes of binge eating, followed by frantic efforts to avoid gaining weight. Bulimia is a significant public-health problem, both because of the physical and mental health …
recovery
Posted on:
What to Expect When Entering a Food Addiction Program
It’s not hard to see why someone might feel some sense of trepidation when committing to a food addiction treatment program. Any time we face the unknown or throw ourselves in to the deep end, it can seem very frightening, especially if we know that we will not come out of it the same. With this in mind, we want to shed a little light on the “mysteries” of a typical food addiction program in hopes to demystify the process just a little bit. ; We should establish upfront that food addiction programs follow a similar trajectory to most other addiction treatments. The idea is to help addicts get to the root cause of their disease. Through food addiction treatment help, a person comes to understand the role …
recovery
Posted on:
Befriending Hunger
Sitting in the restaurant the other day with my daughter I became aware that I was experiencing a familiar dynamic of dis-ease as I repeatedly looked at the waiter and toward the kitchen doors, as if my very impatient stare could result in a quicker delivery of my lunch. I had been so wrapped up in my morning errands that I forgot to take care of my nutritional needs and now I was HUNGRY. When I finally became aware of the ridiculous emotional state I was in, a combination of irritation and anxiety (verging on panic), I had to chuckle to myself. This was certainly an emotional relic from my past harkening back to my food and diet obsessed days of vilified hunger. Now I teach …
recovery
Posted on:
Divine Spark of Light
When I was 17 yrs old I had an experience that I will be eternally grateful for. I was selected to be a part of a team of youth in a summer camp environment where we presented ‘talks’ to kids and other youth on a variety of topics. There was an incredible amount of creative license afforded to us by the adults who administered the program. We were able to select the topic and create all the content with no outside shaping. This allowed the unbridled imagination of youth to emerge forth in a discussion of the world from a largely unjaded mind. Having had, what can only be called, a spiritual awakening the summer prior, I had an undeniable knowledge of God/Spirit/Source (etc) that …
recovery
Posted on:
Mindful Eating Meditation (audio)
Have you heard the buzz about mindful eating? The research supports that mindful eating leads to regularly choosing smaller portions, healthier food selections and more satisfaction with every bite. What I have discovered is the incredible beauty and abundance in every bite when approached with the total attention offered through mindfulness. Mindful Eating can completely shift how you experience food. By awakening to your senses the food can become alive, more vibrant and more delightful than ever before. So often we eat without really experiencing, we are forking for the next bite while the current bite is just underway. How many times have I nearly finished a meal only to realize I hadn’t been there for it at all. In this meditation I will give a …
recovery
Posted on:
A Profound Courtesy
There are times when I look at my children and become so overcome with gratitude it actually momentarily takes my breath away. In our family we call these ‘love attacks’. “Oh honey” I say through teary eyes while having held a stare a little too long, “I’m having a love attack” and my kids ready themselves for a relentless round of hugs and smooches. A couple of weeks ago I had a poignant ‘love attack’; only not for another person but for life itself. I was on a run through my favorite forested route, Beyoncé’s ‘Halo’ was coming through my headphones on high volume, the sun was offering reams of golden ribbons through the leafy branches, the breeze was cool …
recovery
Posted on:
Baring it all in the Bedroom
Ever wrap a bed sheet around your behind so your lover wouldn’t see you as you got up to go to the bathroom? I talk a lot about the impact of negative body image on one’s relationship with oneself but I don’t often discuss how it impacts our relationships with others. Loathing our bodies has many detrimental repercussions on our willingness to get out in the world and connect. Before I walked The Deeper Cravings Path™ and learned to love my body how many social gatherings and family events did I dread for fear of someone noticing I had gained weight? How often did I want to stay home rather than go out because nothing fit right? How often did I meet someone with …
recovery
Posted on:
3 Tricks for Handling the Treats
This time of year can induce feelings of dread; the taunting of the treats in the cupboard, the overage at the end of the night when not enough kids came by, the guilt about the carnage of shiny wrappers in the trash bin. Halloween doesn’t need to be so frightful. There are ways we can approach these sugar filled holidays gently and joyfully. Here are my 3 tips for shifting your relationship with sugary delights: 1) Permission Our past shame-filled eating escapades have left us telling a story that we can’t be trusted with anything sweet. What usually results is a promise to ourselves of absolutely none. That’s when the battle begins. We feel the restriction and deprivation and the rebel in us rears …
recovery
Posted on:
The Comparison Trap
“She is so amazing, articulate, beautiful, thin, accomplished, confident” with every recognition of beauty in that person, that object of our envy, we sink further and further in to self doubt and inner criticism. I call these experiences our toxic comparisons. In my body loathing days I was filled with them – daily. All around me were women I perceived to ‘have it’, the secret to having it all together in the realm of diet and weight management. They looked so cute and put together in their tiny outfits and radiated with confidence. With every observation came more and more reason to beat myself up. I recently had this familiar experience once again only not about my body but about my work. I was at…
recovery
Posted on:
From Weight Watchers to Weight Wisdom
I had a big reaction initially when I heard the news that my beloved teacher Oprah is not only on the Weight Watchers diet herself but she has also decided to become a major shareholder in the company. Following my first response of gutted disappointment I was able to temper my response to one of loving curiosity. Everyone is entitled to change their minds after all. However, I so wonder what has led her to this place? What has transpired in her relationship with food and her body since her outspoken support of the non-diet movement to bring her to Weight Watchers’ door? What will be the impact of this decision? Are there any positive opportunities for women that could possibly come from this influential move? …