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| Hello all,
Karma has found me lounging around at home and sent me down the road to continue my counseling career at a lovely eating disorder recovery center. Very holistic and empowering "goddess" approach. The most wonderful thing is they have the women practice yoga every morning.
Anyway, I know I have read that some of you have struggled with disordered eating. If you would like to share any stories, that would be wonderful. Feel free to PM me if you would like to be confidential. I'm particularly interested on how you approached any recovery attempts. What was successful for you, what wasn't.
We'll be doing all kinds of work with the women at this center, including biofeedback, EMDR, neurofeedback, traditional cognitive behavioral therapy, QiGong, whole foods nutrition, equine therapy and others. I'm tiptoeing in as a group therapist (a modality I love) and expect to learn lots and lots from the clients themselves.
Thanking you ahead of time,
bigmamma |
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Expert Yogi
Posts: 8442
    
| Cool big mamma! I can't offer any stories but hope you get some from the gang here. Break a leg in the new job  |
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| it sounds great!
there's a book out there called "The Body Knows the Way" that's about food addiction and it's relationship to eating disorders. A friend of mine overcame eating disorders and many other problems by following a 12 step addiction model. The group that she continues to work with is the Food Addicts Anonymous. While the theory isn't popular with people like Dr. Phil, the idea is out there and i have found it to be pretty real.
as an example, when my sister is hepped up on sugar and white flour, she gets manic. it plays like bipolar disoder. when i finally convinced her to go sugar free, she became much more balanced. when i finally convinced her to avoid flour, she got even better. She's amazingly on an even keel now. So, that book may be an interesting reference to consider and present to the center as an alternative theory for treatment of eating disorders.
Also, yoga is a great help for this process. it teaches people to approach their bodies from the inside out--do i feel good? then i look good. I've found that teaching this method to my clients with various food addictions and eating disorders is a really big help. I constantly tell them that they are beautiful (because they are) because their soul is shining through. when we do yoga, we loose the spirit within--something that has been imprisoned in their bodies and their minds for a long time. we also do creative movement. everything without mirrors. in some places, it's tough because the rooms have mirrors, so i hang large, home-made mandalas (i paint them onto sheets) over the mirrors.
also, i'm in the process of making a meditation labrynth on a large canvas so that i can carry that around for meditations. this is an excellent exercise of self discovery and contemplation or meditation.
ok, do google searches for this stuff.  |
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| I have bipolar disorder, and when it gets bad i instantly stop eating due to big low. A couple of years ago I had a long episode. I was violently up and down for about 6 months or so. I lost an awful lot of weight.
When I got well again, of course the weight started coming back as I got healthier. When you are used to being very small, it feels strange, as you start developing a behind once again for example. It made me feel self-conscious and uncomfortable, and because of that i banned myself from almost everything.
It took a lot of gentle coaxing from a very caring and patient doctor, quiet but strong support from those around me and patience. It helped a great deal to change my previous eating habits and learn all about nutrition.
What didn't work was people saying "you're not fat..." and that business, it made me more anxious about it as I realised that lots of people noticed weight and found it important or else they wouldn't go on about it. Being presented with meals, being molly cuddled, being hugged all the time,... none of that was good for me. I needed to be helped to take control in a different way.
My doctor recommended yoga. I jumped at the thought of doing anything that would keep my weight down, so along i went. I didn't bank on it making me gain weight and being perfectly happy about it! Yoga puts you back in touch with your body in a way that nothing else I know can. It helped stabalize my mood, gain control, and learn how to calm down and take 2.
I still have fat days, but after my practice I forget about it.
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| I have had eating disorders and gained weight after going to the hospital and being upt on sedatives. I am losing it and will get back to the weight I was at. I compare going to a restaurant to somebody who was alcoholic going to a bar. Instead of drinks, there is food and you see people around you eating things you don't. This is more true too with a low metabolism. I think it is great you are dedicating yourself to helping those who have problems with food and weight. |
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| Hey BigMamma, good job!
It is nice to hear the situation there - I was in hospital for 6 months many years ago with anorexia and it was awful! So sterile and cold ...
I have a few articles on my site you might want to read: www.kristi-trinity.com and also I had an article published in oxygen magazine that is only my reflections page (8th April 06)
Let me know if you need help finding them and feel free to send me and email.
K xo |
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Working with eating disorders
