Help for the Holidays!

The holidays can be a tough time for those who are struggling with food and eating disorders. As we inch closer to the holidays, there are more holiday parties and special food occasions that can cause anxiety and trigger eating disorder thoughts and behaviors. Below are a few posts that I have written in the past about the holidays that might be helpful during this season-

• Helpful Hints for the Holidays
• Jennifer Ringer: A Body Image Role Model for the Holidays
• On Numbers
• Maybe the Grinch was Depressed...

Liana Rosenman and Kristiana Saffran of Project Heal are currently featured on NEDA's teen site 'Proud2BMe' in a video (below) with a few tips. This might be a helpful video for you, so check it out- it is called "Surviving the Holidays." :)

H&M

So, apparently retailer H&M has been matching real models' heads with fake bodies in their advertising images. People seem to be pretty shocked about this! How could H&M do such a thing? Maybe I'm the odd one out, but I wasn't very surprised when I heard about this. Most of what we see in print has been severely doctored and altered. Is this really that shocking? My intention isn't to minimize the detriment of such actions, but when it comes to images in magazines and other print, so much of what we see on a regular basis is just as fake.


While I'm clearly not supportive of this kind of advertising, I'm also not going to say I won't ever shop at H&M again. If I boycotted H&M, then I would have to stop shopping altogether. What ad campaigns these days don't photoshop images and digitally alter them? I'm not saying they shouldn't stop this practice- because I definitely think that they should! But rather than making H&M the villains (so many photographers/retailers/etc are guilty), perhaps this gives us an opportunity to look at the trend of altering photos at all! What does this trend say about how we view the female body, and the unrealistic demands that are placed upon women as a result?? 

Happy December!

Today marks the first day of the last month of the year. So crazy! And so exciting. I may or may not be doing a little bit of this around my office today.


Today also marks World Aids Day. I wrote a post last year (that was very special to me) about one of my best friends, who at the time was an OBGYN resident, and her experience with an HIV-positive needle stick- take a minute to check it out here.

The theme of this year's World Aid's Day is 'Getting to Zero' with a focus on "zero new HIV infections. zero discrimination. zero AIDS-related deaths."

What can you do?? Become educated about HIV and AIDS prevention. Support efforts to end human trafficking and commercial sex exploitation. Read up, donate funds, raise awareness.


Here are some links to check out for more info:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- HIV/AIDS Factsheets

The One Campaign 

World Health Organization (WHO)- HIV Global Report 2011

"Of all the liars in the world sometimes the worst are our own fears." - Rudyard Kipling


I can't take credit for finding this quote, BUT I thought I would pass it on. It really struck me. This Kipling quote reminded me of a little catchphrase I've heard before about fear: 


F.E.A.R. = False Evidence Appearing Real


I love this little acronym because I think it applies to recovery from an eating disorder, but it applies to so much more. Fear can really limit our ability to see things as they are- and it can prevent us from living a life of freedom. So many of us are walking around in fear each day- whether it is fear of gaining weight, fear of food, fear of what others think, fear of failure, fear of not living up to expectations from others or yourself... The list goes on. Something that gives me solace: "Perfect love casts out fear."  - I John 4: 18. 

I received a book from Thom Rutledge that he wrote a few years back called Embracing Fear- How to Turn What Scares Us Into Our Greatest Gift. In the foreword of the book, Gavin de Becker writes the following about fear-- two important points to consider when you are experiencing it:

• True fear is a signal in the presence of danger. It is always based upon something we perceive, something in our environment or our circumstance.
• Unwarranted fear is always based upon our memory or our imagination.

One example I often use with clients is that of a snake. The fear that arises when we see a snake serves to protect us from the threat of harm- ie- a snake bite (or worse!). When we experience an unwarranted fear, what is that fear protecting us from?? It might be beneficial to consider the acronym F.E.A.R. and ask yourself what false evidence might be appearing real to you. Easier said than done, but a helpful tool in slaying fear that can corrode your actions, your heart, your life.


To find out more about his book, follow this link.

P.S. :)

I don't usually post twice in one day- but thought that these articles (links below) might be really helpful and encouraging for those of you who are struggling with an eating disorder- and need a little encouragement and support as you face the day. For more, check out the articles below, taken from the Huffington Post.

Thanksgiving With An Eating Disorder: How to Make it Easier by Sunny Gold


Five Tips For Thanksgiving When An Eating Disorder is At The Table by Laura Collins Lyster-Mensh