Eating Disorders
Eating Disorders have captured my attention as a clinical focus. I am unconditionally empathetic to those battling with a disorder that can strongly disrupt bodies, minds, and spirits all at the same time.
Eating Disorders at a Clinical Level
Clinically speaking, an eating disorder can rear it's head in a spectrum of expressions that are commonly heard: anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and overeating. (http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/nedaDir/files/documents/handouts/WhatIsEd.pdf).
Imbalanced relationship with Food/Fat/Dieting/Body Image
This is falls under (EDNOS Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified)…Not all eating disorders neatly fit a specific category. Some of the ways our relationship with food can be categorized under this term may sound familiar:
- Compulsive overeating
- Diet addiction/Chronic dieting
- Emotional eating
- Organic food obsessions (Orthorexia)
- Extreme Exercisers
- Compulsive calorie counting
I also believe that eating becomes disordered when our relationship with food becomes an imbalanced focal point of our minds, emotions, and daily activities. You do not have to struggle at a clinical level or have a clinical diagnosis for disordered eating and/or body image to have a very negative impact on your life.
It is so important in recovery from an eating disorder to learn what your struggle is really about—it isn’t about food and fat. Disordered eating is a "decoy", a “red herring” distracting from the real battle with deeper issues. It serves a noble propose…distraction, numbing, a quick fix (“if I was just skinny; if I could just have more self control” . Once you learn the language of your true hunger, and crack the code, you will have something to work with to make a lasting change in your relationship with food, and more importantly your relationship with yourself. Food will no longer be forced to serve a purpose it was not meant to serve.
Weather your relationship with food, eating, dieting, and exercising is disrupted to a clinical eating disorder or sub-clinical level, my heart's desire is toward freedom from obsession and preoccupation with these forces. It is to cut the weed of disruption caused by these outward expressions of inner experiences out from the root. So often we battle with diets, lifestyle management, and other surface interventions and fail to attack the core fortress, or root, of disordered eating, found deep inside.
Resources for Eating Disorders
Web:
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
www.myedin.org
www.something-fishy.org
www.findingbalance.com
http://www.mentorconnect-ed.org/
www.gurze.com
Treatment Centers:
www.remudaranch.com
http://www.magnolia-creek.com/
http://mannatreatment.com/
http://www.focuscenterforeatingdisorders.com/
http://selahhouse.net/home
Books:
Eating In The Light of the Moon
Anita Johnston
Life Without Ed
Jenni Schaefer
Don’t Diet, Live It
Andrea Wachter, Marsea Marcus
Food and Feelings Workbook
Karen Koenin
Health at Every Size
Linda Bacon
Loving Your Body
Deborah Newman
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