Vol 2, Oct 2015 - Body and Soul

Body and Soul

Welcome to the second issue of Growth & Insight. In the past month, my online scheduling service seems to be up and running, both for current clients and for prospective clients, and I am finding myself obsessed with Pinterest ... what a great way to organize bookmarks and find new cute kitten pins!

In this issue, I am highlighting body-related topics. Below you will find excerpts from the article I have written for my website about my approach to treating individuals with Eating Disorders. I have also included in this newsletter a link to a board on my Pinterest page - 4 Morning Back Stretches to do In Bed.

Additional pages are slated to be added to my website over the coming months, including pages for Gender Identity, LGBTQ Wellness, Mood Disorders, Anxiety, Self-Advocacy, and Adolescents.

---

About Eating Disorders

---

We, as a country and as a culture, are obsessed with how we look, and the parameters we have created for what is considered beautiful are quite limited. Is it any wonder that so many people resort to extreme measures in their efforts to meet these beauty ideals? Additionally, familial and social messages contribute to how we see ourselves.

Eating Disorders rank among the most serious public health concerns in the United States and have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. (more ...)

Characteristics of Eating Disorders

Eating disorders have everything to do with food, and nothing at all to do with food. They have everything to do with the number on the scale, and nothing to do with that number. They have everything to do with what is perceived in the mirror, and nothing to do with it. Eating disorders are fraught with contradictions that, on the outside, make no sense, but are matters of life and death, both literally and metaphorically, to the individuals experiencing them. 

Here is a message to his or her loved ones:

I know that these distinctions don't make sense. But they hold sway anyway. These definitions, these restrictions - they provide a purpose for me. They give me a sense of strength. They give me the sense that I am in charge. They provide me with assurance that I know exactly what is and isn't going in and out of my body. To me, this is power. And, more importantly, this is safety.

(more ...)

Risks of Eating Disorders
The risks of eating disorders include damage to the gastrointestinal system such as esophageal and gastric ruptures, hair loss, kidney failure, liver problems, and death. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. (more...)

My Approach to Treating Eating Disorders
Approaches to treating eating disorders include externalizing the eating disorder, pursuing harm reduction, and involving a dedicated treatment team. (more...)

---

Morning Stretches on Pinterest

---

Try these gentle stretches in the morning to help get you out of bed!

4 Morning Back Stretches to do in Bed - I am not a morning person. To help me transition from horizontal sleepy-land to vertical awake person, I do these 4 stretches gently and slowly, in succession (it takes me 5-10 minutes, depending on how long I hold each stretch). It ends on hands and knees, and from that point it's not so much of a chore to get myself the rest of the way out of bed. Easy peasy! (more ...)