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… is Worth a Pound of Cure as Mr Franklin once wrote. And certainly, within treating EDs, the earlier the diagnosis and treatment-management begin, the better the chances for prevention and staving off serious health complications.
As many of us who have had our budding adolescents suddenly taken in by the ravages of an Eating Disorder right about the time new thresholds of independence and growth were to begin, we can attest that getting as much support, education and care immediately when noticing signs of of an ED, or any other behavior that a parent or caregiver just ‘know’ isn’t quite right is absolutely vital, and in some serious cases, can save a loved ones life.
Thankfully the American Academy of Pediatrics is taking equal measures and strongly advising recommended ED screening for pre-teen and adolescents as part of annual check-ups and for participation in athletic activities in a newly released report.
This is great news. And recollecting back to when our then 12-13yr old daughter was initially diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa, I am continually grateful that we were able to get the initial support and assistance through our pediatrician. -Merci
If you haven’t read Hinshaw’s The Triple Bind you need to…
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“Impossible expectations — Blue jeans and “blue” genes *(love this analogy)* : depression and the triple bind — Life in the pressure cooker : impossible expectations and the culture of busy-ness — No place to run, no place to hide : the popular culture of “self-erasing identities” — When virtue is its own punishment : how empathy and verbal skills may put our girls at higher risk — Bratz dolls and pussycat dolls : teaching our girls to become sexual objects — The wired child : how cyberculture interferes with girls’ identities — See Jane hit : the new culture of violence among teenage girls — Is there a triple bind solution? — Conclusion: coming to terms with the triple bind.”
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Happy NEDAwareness Week 2009!
This is an exciting week full of events and highlights the message to “Get Real” about Eating Disorders as an illness not a choice and to continue raising awareness, prevention and advocating for those affected.
If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to view two powerful films: Swept and Beauty Mark and reside in the New York area you are in luck. Pace University along with NEDA will be Turning the Lens on Eating Disorders showcasing both films and will have the artistic panel of actors, directors/producers as well as ED educator panelist, Sondra Kronberg available for Q&A.
Both films offer up a great opportunity for further discussion and understanding and reach beyond the somewhat palate-less offerings unfortunately being held in most areas.
So kudos to you NYC for taking creative initiative and stretching limits! Sara and Stephanie I’ll be there in spirit– you both are inspirations!
-Melissa Punch
Blogger and writer Celina Ottaway (her blog-life is a wonderful and conscious journey!) wrote a nice piece for November’s issue of body+soul regarding an important component that is essential to all of our lives, eating disordered or not: FOOD – and how mindful eating (I’m partial to the term “conscious eating”) can help reconnect and form a healthier relationship to that which sustains us.
I don’t have an eating disorder. But like many women I know, somewhere along the way, eating — what, when, how much, in front of whom, how fast — got complicated. The sensation of hunger went from a physical signal with a simple response (“eat”) to a mixed emotion that has no clear solution. Should I, shouldn’t I? I’m being bad, I’m being good. I deserve this. I will hate myself in the morning. And on and on
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How did our appetites — for nourishment and pleasure — become suspect? Is it possible to listen to our bodies the way we did when we were children? The answers lie somewhere in the tangle of emotional, cultural, and neurological reactions that shapes our desire to eat. “Hunger is complicated,” says Jean Kristeller, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Indiana State University and president of The Center for Mindful Eating. Besides the actual physical sensation, “it has to do with a complexity of psychological cravings that may have very little to do with your physical need for food.”
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I love Celina’s parting thoughts:
Whether we move toward our deepest hungers or simply recognize them, we begin inhabiting ourselves more fully. And this moves us closer to feeling ourselves from the inside out, like we did once upon a time.
Sarah Stevens (center) and siblings-StarTimes
I love reading authentic stories about hard-won recovery work unadulterated by a gamut of other voices and agendas. And when it’s coupled with a genuine spirit and determined passion to make a difference in the eating disorder community you can’t help but be touched and feel gratitude toward those who have not only triumphed over an eating disorder but are determined to implement change.
So while in the midst of carving the last finishing touches upon our collected Jack-O-Lantern harvest and waiting to roast the seeds, allow Sarah Stevens’s story to inspire (you can also sponsor her ‘Walk’ scheduled in November: beautifulstars@hotmail.co.uk or sponsor by phone: (09)426-4844)and cast the goblins away this Halloween Day!
Happy Samhain to my Earth-centered friends!
Apako ashirwad mile Ganesh se-Blessings from Lord Ganesh
Vidya mile Saraswati se-Knowledge from Goddes Saraswati
Daulat mile Lakshmi se-Wealth from Goddess Lakshmi
Khushiyan mile Rab se-Happiness from the Divine
Pyaar mile Sab se-Love from everyone
Rahe yahi dua dil se dil ko-Let this be the wish from heart to heart!
‘HAPPY DIWALI’
As many of us already know recovering from an eating disorder takes time, patience, perseverance and an added sense of humor never hurts either. This journey of Hope, Change and Healing can be a long road, but well worth every step! And when a sufferer is not able to obtain the adequate and experienced care that is required for ED treatment this journey can seem like climbing the Himalayas.
Families and sufferers can have a voice and advocate for the care and support they deserve, but it takes some persistence and not taking “no” for an answer but digging deeper and rooting out the resources and connections one needs to help along this road.
One courageous and honorable teen diagnosed with anorexia has taken such a step in Northern Ireland, and is demanding change all the way to the courts to get the care she needs- bravo!
With fire-in-the-heart like that, the sky is the limit to what can be possible so that everyone suffering from this illness will eventually have access and covered care that they need to fight the battle and win their full and healthy lives back.
-shanti
… and how I feel about eating disorders, about the current state of our economy, the political scrapping and other such quibbles. Maybe it’s the post Harvest Moon which resembled the bounty and beauty of a big, bright pumpkin in all it’s glory bringing Ursa Major back down for Autumn hibernation and seasonal change. My ancestral forefather’s and mother’s deeply rooted with Finnic-myths describing the endeared ‘Kontio‘ – “dweller of the land”; such ancient stories recalling and reconnecting with one another.
*
*
Right now,
what she said,
what
I
said
is the size of a grizzly,
nine feet
tall
with stiletto claws swiping
at
my innards.
*
But
if
I
can
just inhale
and
back
slowly away,
time,
like a sailboat,
is waiting for tomorrow’s
wind
to sweep me
safely from this shore,
where
I
can stand on the deck,
day by day,
watching that grizzly shrink
smaller
and
smaller until it’s only
a
mouse,
easily
chased away.
*
*
Jacqueline Jules – The Argument
… Juoksahkka, Maadteraahka I think of you!
-NY Times
… and putting real faces and voices to the lives of those with Eating Disorders. The NYtimes Health Guide along with Well column/blog by Tara Parker has a wonderful piece documenting a variety of brave and courageous individuals who share their journey of Hope and Healing.
–shanti
A wonderful non-profit organization created by Gail Schoenbach For Recovery and Elimination of Eating Disorders – F.R.E.E.D. will be holding a Mother-Daughter Workshop in conjunction with the Eating Disorders Association of New Jersey Saturday, October 18th from 9:30AM-2:30PM at Summit Medical Group.
The workshop’s aim is to “engage women and girls as they explore and challenge their beliefs about themselves, their bodies, and body image”. Freelance journalist, blogger and author, Courtney E. Martin who wrote Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters will be the keynote presenter along with therapist, Suzanne Rubinetti.
F.R.E.E.D.’s mission is to:
- Provide financial support for treating eating disorder (a major hindrance for sufferers and their families in obtaining treatment/recovery resources as well as follow-up care — F.R.E.E.D.’s priority and focus on this issue is to be commended).
- Increase public awareness and provide educational resources.
- Advocate for the acknowledgement and acceptance of Eating Disorders as a serious and urgent disease.
Ms Schoenbach’s own battle with ED and body image issues took place in silence for years until she began the slow process of recovery, and it was during this healing time that she found a passion and drive to create F.R.E.E.D. and her additional adjunct G.R.Schoenbach Foundation which holds annual fund-raising events and campaigns to continue her committed work.
Organizations like these are inspiring, so if you live in the New Jersey area, are a mother with a daughter with/without an eating disorder, go partake in “day of empowerment”, sharing, support and learning– it will do the body&mind good!
–shanti
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