July 2009 Archive
Love Your Body Pledge
07.15.09
I have come across this pledge a few times lately and thought it may be worth sharing. What would happen if you practiced talking kindly to yourself each day?
I, __________________, pledge to speak kindly about my body.
I promise not to talk about how fat my thighs or stomach or butt are, or about how I really have to lose 5 or 15 or 50 pounds. I promise not to call myself a fat pig, gross, or any other self-loathing, trash-talking phrase.
I vow to be kind to myself and my body. I will learn to be grateful for its strength and attractiveness, and be compassionate toward its failings.
I will remind myself that bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and that no matter what shape and size my body is, it’s worthy of kindness, compassion, and love.
Cycling for a Cause: Eating Disorder Treatment and Awareness
07.15.09
My name is Tara and I am a third year social work student at the University of Northern British Columbia. I am also a survivor of anorexia and bulimia. After spending nearly a decade in and out of treatment facilities in both Canada and the US, I am now an advocate for establishing a residential treatment facility in Canada and feel strongly that no person should have to travel far from home to get the help they need. The time I spent away from my family and friends was just as painful as the years I spent in the throes of my illness and I want to ensure that no one else should have to experience what I went through.
I started to cycle this summer in an effort to establish a more positive relationship with my body. As my strength has grown over the past few months, my confidence has grown and I am learning to appreciate the incredible resilience of the human body and soul. When I heard that one of my close friends from treatment lost her battle with this illness, I knew it was time for me to take the next step in my recovery journey and saw cycling as the venue to social change. I decided I wanted to cycle from where I live in northern British Columbia down to a camp I was planning to volunteer at in the southern end of the province, a 800km journey. This camp is run by the BC Looking Glass Foundation, an organization that advocates for residential eating disorder treatment in Canada. The camp is for young people currently struggling with eating disorders, and I see my involvement as a way to share my recovery with those who are still struggling with this illness.
My biggest hope is that by sharing my story and demonstrating that it is not shameful but in fact empowering to speak out, I will encourage those who are currently suffering in silence to reach out for help before it is too late. I am living proof that recovery is possible and I hope by raising awareness of the urgency of this issue I will force politicians and Canadians to put eating disorder treatment back on the political agenda. I refuse to lose another friend to this illness and I will fight to ensure that all who struggle have an equal opportunity for health and healing.
Please feel free to visit my website at http://rally4recovery.com or e-mail me at rally4recovery@gmail.com.
Eating Disorder Recovery- Can you do it?
07.14.09
One of the first questions I am asked when I begin working with patients is: “Is recovery possible?” At the beginning of therapy it feels nearly impossible for people to believe they CAN live a life free from their eating disorder and free from food and weight preoccupations.
I always respond “Yes. I have seen it and I know it happens.”
What I have noticed is that there is not a lot out there about recovery from eating disorders, certainly not a lot of information about what recovery looks like and what things help people get there. I would love to compile feedback from you, my readers about what has worked (or is working) for you. This would be an invaluable research to the Mindfullness community!
Submit your comments via the “Share your Mind” comment button at the end of the blog or by e-mailing me directly at ktippen@mindfullness.com All confidentiality requests will be respected.
FYI: For a great book on ed recovery read “Gaining” by Aimee Liu.
Are you avoiding things because of your body shape or size?
07.01.09
As this holiday weekend approaches take a minute and think about what you may be avoiding because you feel uncomfortable with your body. Eating a burger at a BBQ? Wearing shorts? Going to the beach?
A part of any eating disorder is usually some component of body image dissatisfaction. Learning to love and feel comfortable in your body can be hard when the ED tells you to hate it. But it is possible to learn to love and appreciate your body. A first step to loving your body is learning to overcome those things you avoid because of your body discomfort.
Here is an exercise:
Identify ten things you avoid because you feel uncomortable in your body.List from the most feared to the least (i.e. wearing a bathing suit at the beach as a 10, walking past the mirror in a sweater and baggy sweat pants as a 2).
Commit to trying these feared activities. Start small with least feared events. Try them a few times. Take note. What happened? How did you feel? It requires bravery but the first step in overcoming fears and anxieties is by addressing them.
Good Luck!