Happy Thursday beautiful fighters, I came across this photo today. It’s a picture of my three little brothers that I took three years ago today. I had taken them out for a fun day of lunch and bowling. Do you see that cup of coffee to the right hand corner on the table? That was my lunch that day–my lunch and breakfast actually. I remember that day because I specifically remember every single Ed thought that I had that day. I even remember the jeans that I wore. (I remember because I chose them because they were my baggiest pair). It was a Sunday so that meant that I was going to my then-boyfriend’s mom’s house for dinner that night. How was …
anorexia nervosa
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Seven hours in the life of an eating disorder mind
I talk about self-love a lot. I write about it a lot. I instagram about it a lot. It’s kind of become who I am in my new recovery world.. I’ve been in recovery from my eating disorder for two years now. Naturally, I’m expected to love myself all the time, right? Naturally, I’m expected to not have any more eating disorder thoughts or negative self-talk, right? No. Wrong and wrong again. Maybe in our eating disorder minds that are wired for perfection, those things would be true. But in the mind of a person in recovery, like me, where perfection no longer is an option to strive for, those things cannot be true. So, let me walk you through just …
anorexia nervosa
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Time to come together to help others
Happy Tuesday dear fighters, I want to start this post off by saying thank you to all of our fighters around the world to continue to blow me away every day. To the fighters who are wearing their Hello Life bracelets, to the fighters in our multiple online support groups and to the fighters who are there for each other every single day, even a year and a half after this blog ended, thank you. I write this post today to ask for your help. Some of you may know that in the past few months I’ve decided to launch Hello Life’s nonprofit organization in Washington. Our official name is Hello Life Eating Disorder Recovery Services. After years of mentoring others and seeing how much …
anorexia nervosa
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Not the only one to eat more than one cupcake
Hello amazing fighters! I’ve been wanting to write a blog post for a while now and today I finally got the little voice that told me it was time. This past week’s experiences are definitely worth a blog post. It truly started on Tuesday when I walked to a local bakery with some of my co-workers for a video we are filming for work. Of course, I knew about this bakery, but they didn’t and they were so excited to check it out. After shooting the video, I felt like it was polite to buy something. And I was with my co-workers who have never been there before, so why not, right? Without question, it wasn’t part of my “Tuesday …
anorexia nervosa
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The first fight of 2016
Hello beautiful fighters, It’s the second day of 2016. Only the second day. And here I am, already being thrown into my fight recovery fight of 2016. I was getting my nails done today by the same person who has done them for almost two years now. I was getting ready to leave when out of no where she said, “I remember when you used to be small like me, but now your bigger.” There it was. My biggest recovery fear just came to life. The “now your bigger” comment. I could feel my eyes getting watery and the tears starting to come so I paid and rushed out of there to my car as fast as I could. I sat there in my car …
anorexia nervosa
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Celebrating three years of freedom
Happy 3rd Hello Life anniversary fighters! Three years ago today I gave up my scale for good. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, and at the time, I didn’t even know why I truly wanted recovery. I just knew one thing: that I didn’t want to let this scale, this Godlike object, to control my entire world anymore. Seven days after I gave it up, I found myself wanting it back. I missed it. I missed its certainty; I missed its validity; I missed its complete magical ability to tell me if today was going to be a good or bad day and if I was a good or bad person just by stepping on it. I missed the certainty ; …
anorexia nervosa
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being aware of weight loss during sickness
Sophie has been home and gone back to uni. Wow 6 weeks at home just flew. It was wonderful having her for so long. She had the usual depression/anxiety drop down during the peak assignment time, but this time didn’t ring me as much. With her new psychologist she handled it herself. Doesn’t mean it […]
anorexia nervosa
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negative coping skills
Often we post lots of information about ‘positive’ signs and skills. After all part of recovery is learning to focus on the positive. But what about the negative, how do you recognise negative coping skills. How do you know that the behaviours you are doing are actually harming you or not promoting recovery. We live […]
anorexia nervosa
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Returning to School after Eating Disorder Treatment
Originally posted on The Feed: Every year around this time, the back-to-school bonanza begins. Stationery stores are stock-piled with school supplies. Bedding and home stores are advertising all the latest dorm room designs. And clothing stores are clamoring about ways to refresh a fall wardrobe. Photo Credit: Creative Commons by emerille However, if your summer…
anorexia nervosa
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the definition of recovery
With thanks to FEAST for this post. They have spelt it out perfectly. Why add to it!? Defining Recovery The goal of eating disorder treatment is full recovery: living life free of eating disorder thoughts and behaviours. There is always hope, even for patients with chronic illness, but the best path to recovery is early intervention and […]
anorexia nervosa
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gut research findings for anorexia
Researchers at the UNC School of Medicine found that people with anorexia nervosa have very different microbial communities residing inside their guts compared to healthy individuals and that this bacterial imbalance is associated with some of the psychological symptoms related to the eating disorder. The findings, published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, provide more evidence […]
anorexia nervosa
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double joints and anxiety
This research sparked a big response on a group I belong to and how so many of our children who have an eating disorder, are also double jointed and flexible.It may be something my readers also relate to and recognise in their children or themselves. It’s an interesting concept and one that further research would […]