Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders

Find and Use Your Voice

2011-10-23T16:33:00.000-07:00

In Cognitive Therpy Group we have been talking about productive versus destructive emotions. Last week's topic was resentment versus righteous anger. The outcome to resentment is revenge or medicating with symptoms. Resentment can last forever. It can be passed to the next generation to hold the grudge, and, eventually, exact revenge. Anger, however, when assertively expressed, stops injustice, corrects wrongs and improves relationships. Recovery involves finding and using your voice. Being able to say no, setting healthy limits, and expressing your truth will improve your life and relationships beyond measure.

A simple, but very effective, 4-step assertiveness technique:

1) Describe what happened factually.
2) Express your feelings about it.
3) Ask for what you want to be different.
4) Explain the consequences if things do not change.

- Dr. Kilmer

2011-09-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

Beach tips suggested by the Body Acceptance Group:

- Really see all the different shapes and sizes of people. Don't be unfair and only notice people you think look better than you. See that your size is part of a continuum and there is beauty at ever shape and size.

- Notice that others seem to really enjoy themselves regardless of appearance.

- Look around and see that people are not just staring at each other. They are having fun... playing, swimming, laughing. Join them. There is no audience you must please.

- Assert your needs with the people you are with. Get support to stay out of your head.

- Leave E.D. at home...he wasn't invited today. If he shows up, send him away.

- There is no beauty contest today and they will not be awarding tiaras. If you start comparing or competing, knock it off. The prize today is being at the beach. Everyone there wins.

- Function not form, function not form, function not form. Celebrate what your body can do.

- Play with some children. Play like a child.

- Lose your mind and come to your senses. Feel, smell, move, listen, see, taste. Be here now, think someother time.

- Dr. Kilmer

2011-09-16T13:53:00.000-07:00

Recovery involves being uncomfortable. Are you willing to tolerate some discomfort to have the life you want, the life where you have true freedom and choice? It is dangerous and untrue when your mind says, "I can't stand to feel...X" or "I can't handle...Y". The truth is that you can tolerate any emotion or sensation involved in recovery. When your mind tells you that you cannot stand ...fullness, weight gain, sadness, losing control...then your only option seems to be to medicate or take desperate measures to escape. That is not necessary. Think of all the difficult things you have tolerated in your life. You can handle discomfort. You can learn new skills and ways to cope. You can recover.

Dr. Rick Kilmer, Cognitive Therapy Group

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5284619n

2011-08-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

2011-08-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

Rick Kilmer, Ph.D.: We have seen a tremendous increase in males coming to ACE for help. Because we now know that dieting is the "Gateway Drug" to eating disorders, with more boys and men dieting or trying to "eat healthy", more are getting hooked by eating disorders and body image struggles. Given the training program we still put boys through to not admit or express feelings, to not be vulnerable, to not ask for help... adding eating disorders to the self-medicating addiction list is not surprising. More and more men struggling with eating and body image issues are finding that they are not alone.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/16/eating-disorders-men_n_928206.html

Male Athletes Struggle With Eating Disorders

2011-07-15T06:52:00.000-07:00

H.O.W. can you stay in recovery today?

With Honesty....Openness....Willingness.

If you begin struggling...hesitate...can you journal or sit with the questions... Am I being honest? Am I being open? Am I willing? (note: different than willful)

Is the plane falling out of the sky?

2011-07-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

Rick Kilmer, Ph.D., Cognitive Therapy Group:
I knew a psychiatrist who said he could cure fear of flying in one session. He began by establishing that fear was only appropriate when one is in danger of being hurt or killed. He would then have the patient visualize the flight at different points asking, "Is the plane falling out of the sky?" If the answer was "no", then he'd say, "So you are not in danger...you can relax." As you recover today, if you get anxious or scared, ask yourself, "Is the plane falling out of the sky?" Will food attack you? Will your feelings kill you? Could you release some fear?

2011-07-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

In celebrating independence and freedom, perhaps this would be a good time to take a pledge to your own personal freedom. Can you sign this pledge today?

Declaration of Independence from a Weight Obsessed World:

I, the undersigned, do hereby declare that from this day forward, I will
choose to live by the following tenets:

*I will accept my body in its natural shape and size.

*I will celebrate all that my body can do for me each day.

* I will treat my body with respect, giving it enough rest, fueling it with a variety of foods, exercising moderately and listening to what it needs.

* I will choose to resist our society's pressure to judge myself and other people on physical characteristics like body weight, shape, or size. I will respect people based on the qualities of their character and the impact of their accomplishments.

* I will refuse to deny my body of valuable nutrients by dieting or using weight loss products

* I will avoid categorizing foods as either "good" or "bad". I will not associate guilt or shame with eating certain foods. Instead, I will nourish my body with a balance of foods, listening and responding to what it needs.

* I will not use food to mask my emotional needs.

* I will not avoid participating in activities that I enjoy (i.e. swimming, dancing, enjoying a meal) simply because I am self-conscious about the way my body looks. I will recognize that I have the right to enjoy any activities regardless of my body shape or size.

* I will believe that my self-esteem and identity come from within!

Signature _______________________________________

From; The National Eating Disorders Association.
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/nedaDir/files/documents/handouts/NoWeigh.pdf

2011-07-01T13:42:00.000-07:00

Rick Kilmer, Ph.D. Cognitive Therapy Group

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature...Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure," - Helen Keller.

We humans use many mental tricks to convince ourselves that we are not vulnerable.

People with eating disorders create SUPERSTITIONS to have an illusion of control or safety.
"If I do X... then I can avoid Y."
"If I lose weight...then no one will reject me."
"If I binge...then I won't notice my loneliness."

Think about the areas of your life where your eating disorder has created SUPERSTITIONS to give you the illusion of protection: with romance, social acceptance, family harmony, to cope with emotions, or with success. As you identify and say these SUPERSTITIONS out loud, how do they sound to you?

The truth is that life involves loss. But while pain is mandatory...misery is optional. Our efforts to avoid loss or pain end up creating misery. Our efforts to control, to avoid the risk of getting hurt...result in a compromised life. The more you use your SUPERSTITIONS to be safe, the more likely you are to lose what you love.

Just for today, choose to be less miserable. Release some control. Refuse to obey a rule or superstition of your eating disorder. Fear should be noticed, but not obeyed, when it keeps you from living.

2011-06-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

Rick Kilmer, Ph.D., Body Acceptance Group

‎"Lose Your Mind And Come To Your Senses." Most people with eating disorders think too much. Finding a "Pause" switch to out of control thinking is a vital tool in recovery. Being fully aware of what you see, hear, feel, touch, taste, or smell...being completely alive in that moment, quiets the thinking. Today, try to think less and notice your senses to be here fully.

2011-06-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

From: Rick Kilmer, Ph.D.:

Summer is a great time to recover from an eating disorder. Many students have come out of a school year saying, "I never want to go through a semester like that again". Eating disorders take up too much space in your head and your day to accomplish your true potential. Don't wait until right before school starts to get serious about recovery. Start today.

School’s Ending, Summer’s Beginning. Is Now the Right Time for Eating Disorders Treatment? - The Tru

www.everydayhealth.com

Whereas the end of the school year is filled with the stressors of final exams, moving back home from.

ACE's Christmas and New Year's Week Schedules

2009-12-15T13:03:00.000-08:00

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, Dec. 21-23: All groups are running as usual except Yoga. It is cancelled but you can attend Nutrition Group instead.

Thursday, Dec. 24: ALL GROUPS ARE CANCELLED but ACE is open for individual, family and couples sessions.

Friday, Dec. 25: All groups are cancelled and ACE is closed. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Saturday, Dec. 26: Groups can only run if three or more members are planning to attend. Please let us know your attendance plans ASAP.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Dec. 28-30: All groups are running as usual except Yoga. It is cancelled but you can attend Nutrition Group instead.

Thursday, Dec 31: ALL GROUPS ARE CANCELLED but ACE is open for individual, famiy and couples sessions.

Friday, Jan. 1: All groups are cancelled and ACE is closed. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Saturday, Jan 2: Groups can only run if three or more members are planning to attend. Please let us know your attendance plans ASAP.

Please be sure to leave a note or a voice-mail message with the front desk about any absences you know you'll have in the next few weeks. It helps us a lot to know in advance who will and who won't be around in groups. Thanks!!!

Monday Oct 12th Update

2009-10-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

Heavy storms are expected all this week, but there are no plans at this time to cancel any Groups.

If you do not feel safe to drive in these storms, please call 770-458-8711 x0 as soon as possible. You will be asked to discuss this cancellation further with your Individual therapist during your next appointment.

After the Rain

2009-09-22T07:59:00.000-07:00

Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders is OPEN today. We urge caution in picking your route to our office. We understand that many major highways are still closed. Please check your normal route before leaving your house and give yourself extra time if possible.

If you have any concerns, please call us as soon as possible.
(770) 458-8711 x0

There is No Freshman 15…It's the "Freshman 2!

2009-09-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

A huge fear of college freshmen, especially women, is the "Freshman 15," the mythical average weight gain during the freshman year.

This is the cause of a great deal of self-induced misery, fear of food, body preoccupation and hours of over-exercise. At it's worst, severe food restriction results in binging, diet-binge cycles, purging, or life-threatening anorexia.

What is tragic is that there is no Freshman 15. It is an urban legend, a college bogeyman repeated year after year for decades. Little scientific evidence exists to substantiate or rebut this commonly held belief. The few studies who have examined weight gain among freshman college students are equivocal.

However, a recent study of 137 freshman women at the University of Oklahoma did show an average weight gain of 2.4 pounds. Hardly the 15 pounds of legend that, research suggests, drives many freshmen to panic around food, obsess about weight and categorize themselves as overweight and ugly.

Here are some ways to have a healthy, successful year and to avoid the Freshman 2:

1. Take a food plan to college, not a diet. With so many changes in your life, it is not the time to try to lose weight. Have a plan that enables a healthy, enjoyable relationship with food.

2. Eat intuitively. Eat when you are hungry, stop when you are mildly full. Period. This is difficult at college where there is a lot of recreational eating and a lot of eating to medicate stress. It is worth the effort.

3. Eat mindfully. Enjoy every bite. Use your senses. Avoid unconscious eating.

4. Move your body. Enjoyably. Keep up a similar activity level to high school.

5. Stop comparing your body. Do not create a daily mandatory beauty contest in your head. Your college awards diplomas, not tiaras. There is nothing constructive about comparing your buttocks to every other pair in the room.

6. If you have an active eating disorder, stay home. Take a deferment for a semester to enter recovery. Any addiction in college is a set-up to crash and burn. Most colleges would prefer you take time off and return when you are not a liability. If your eating disorder escalates - and it likely will - you may be asked to leave school. If you are already struggling with food and body image issues, ask for a deferment, stay home, get treatment and start college when you are at full strength mentally, emotionally and physically.

7. If you are already at school with eating or body image issues, put up a safety net fast. Meet regularly with a registered dietitian who has eating disorder experience. The dietitian can be your food coach. Your college has a free counseling center. Do not isolate and try to go it alone. Addictions love that.

8. Enjoy your only freshman year. You needn't worry about the "Freshman 2" if you remember to listen to your body, feed it intuitively and move it enjoyably.

Rick Kilmer, Ph.D.
www.eatingdisorders.cc

(article may be reprinted in its entirety without previous permission)

September Newsletter

2009-09-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

The Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders September Newsletter is now available.

Looking For….

2009-08-25T12:53:00.000-07:00

We are looking for more referrals for Physicians and Psychiatrists who understand Eating Disorders.
If you think that your personal Physician or Psychiatrist is someone you would refer another eating disorder patient to, we would like to know.
If you could provide us with the name, phone number and location of your Physician or Psychiatrist, we would really appreciate it.
Please contact the Front Desk either in person, at gethelp@eatingdisorders.cc or (770) 458-8711 Ext.#0.

Join the Breakfast Club

2009-07-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

Presented by Nutrifit, Sport, Therapy.

The Breakfast Club is FREE for anyone who struggles to eat a healthy breakfast on a regular basis. This monthly meal group offers a time to work on eating, making balanced choices, trying more challenging foods, adding more variety to your menu plan, and selecting appropriate portions. The meeting time will help you stay committed to eating breakfast at a regular time.

You'll meet with Page Love, MS, RD, LD, a registered dietitian nutrition therapist, who will provide coaching to help you push through food fears with peer support. She will also help you master intuitive skills like eating slowly, tuning into your hunger and fullness, and responding two cravings.

Become a Breakfast Club regular!

Meetings are every other Thursday or Saturday of the month, 8:30am - 9:30am

NEXT MEETING:
Date and Time: Saturday, July 25th at 8:30am
Location: IHOP, 6120 Roswell Rd, Sandy Springs, GA 30328 404-256-4639

Please call Page Love at 770-457-1457 with any questions.

Experiential Yoga Group starting July 22 at Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders

2009-07-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, July 22, 2009 The Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders will be restarting its Experiential Yoga group as part of our group therapy programs. This group will be held every Wednesday from 4pm to 5:30pm.

This group uses gentle Hatha yoga and yoga nidra (meditation/relaxation) to integrate themes of recovery into a yoga practice focusing on breath work, postures and body awareness. Participants identify intentions for each group such as balance, flexibility, acceptance or being gentle with yourself. Often what shows up in this practice (our reactive patterns and judgments) has implications for the over all recovery process. Gaining insight and awareness into our self defeating patterns will help us transcend our misperceptions and achieve greater self acceptance.

If you are interested in joining this group, please talk to your individual therapist. If you are not currently a patient at the Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders, you may call us at (770) 458-8711 x0 and we will be happy to give you more information about our therapy programs.

New Children's Group

2009-07-06T14:50:00.000-07:00

Beginning July 11th the Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders will be offering a group for children who are struggling with eating issues and/or body image issues. This group is designed for ACE participants aged 9-12. The children's group is an activity-oriented group focused on developing age-appropriate social and problem-solving skills. The activities will encompass both individual and group work to promote healthy behavioral changes and a positive self-image.
Additionally, a free parent support group is offered through ACE, as well as family therapy. The children's group will be held on Saturdays.

Other services available at The Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders include:
• Intensive Outpatient Therapy
• Partial Hospitalization Therapy
• Residential Bed and Breakfast (for patients over 18)
• Nutrition Therapy
• Individual Therapy
• Family Therapy

For more information about our services, please call (770) 458-8711 x0 or visit our website at http://www.eatingdisorders.cc

July Newsletter

2009-07-02T08:55:00.000-07:00

The July Newsletter is now available

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-02T08:47:00.000-07:00

Due to the Holiday on Saturday, July 4th, The Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders will be closed on Friday, July 3rd.

June Newsletter

2009-06-11T14:05:00.001-07:00

The Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders June Newsletter is now available

Office Closed for Memorial Day

2009-05-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

In Observance of Memorial Day on May 25, 2009, The Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders has canceled all Monday groups. If you normally see your Individual or Family Therapist on Monday, and you have not made alternate arrangements, please contact your therapist as soon as possible.

Breakfast Club this Saturday (5/16)

2009-05-12T14:35:00.000-07:00

Free meal group for anyone who could use the extra support. It will be held at the Waffle House on Chamblee-Dunwoody. Call the front desk for more details.

Welcome Hannah Rose Finger!!

2009-05-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

On Friday, May 8th at 12:08 am, Dr. Rachel Rose gave birth to a 5 lb., 11 oz baby girl. Last report has mother and daughter doing fine.

Wednesday,May 6th - All Groups still meeting

2009-05-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

Heavy storms are expected today, but Groups have not been cancelled.

If you do not feel safe to drive in these storms, please call 770-458-8711x0 as soon as possible so that you will not be charged for a missed appointment.

Free Mother-Daughter Cooking Class on Mother's Day

2009-04-15T13:46:00.000-07:00

From EDIN - Eating Disorders Information Network

-------------------

Celebrate Mother's Day with EDIN's FREE Mother-Daughter Cooking Class!

WHEN: Saturday, May 9th from 5:00-7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Salud! Cooking School, Harry's Farmers Market
1180 Upper Hembree Road, Roswell 30076

Bring your daughter (age 7-17) to this demonstration cooking class with chef Abbatt Story, instructor at Salud! Cooking School. You and your daughter will learn to prepare and enjoy delicious, healthy delights and learn more about how to have a positive relationship with food!

Register early as space is limited!
E-mail marisa@myedin.org or call (404) 455-0779 to confirm your spot.
Deadline for Registration: Friday, May 1st

* Many thanks to event sponsors: Harry's Farmers Market & Skirt! Magazine

April Newsletter

2009-04-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

The Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders April Newsletter is now available

Dunwoody

2009-04-07T14:59:00.000-07:00

We haven't moved our location, but Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders main office, and ACE House, our therapeutic bed and breakfast, are now part of the new city of Dunwoody.

Spring Break

2009-04-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

The Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders is open for all scheduled group therapy sessions (unless otherwise notified) during the various weeks that different schools have Spring Break this April.

If by any chance one of your groups is canceled due to lack of attendance, you will be notified as soon as possible.

Essay Contest sponsered by NEDA

2009-03-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

Essay contest due March 27th. See details below.....

_________________________________________________________

NEDA Essay Contest!

What should you write?

We are accepting essay submissions inspired by the quote:

“What if you didn’t have to change anything about yourself?”

Your essay can be any true story, fictional story, interpretation, analysis, or other thoughts on this topic.

What are the requirements?

· Your essay can be no longer than 750 words.

· There is no minimum word requirement.

· The deadline for submitting your essay is March 27^th, 2009.

· Before you submit your essay, please review the Guidelines for Sharing Stories of Recovery and Tips for Responsible Media Coverage. If your essay does not follow these guidelines, it will not be eligible for this contest.

How do you submit your essay?

Please email your submissions to essay@myneda.org. The deadline for sending in your essay is March 27, 2009.

How will the winner be chosen?

After March 27^h when submissions close, we will review each and every essay we received. Volunteers in the NEDA office will choose one essay they feel is deserving of recognition. The winner will be chosen and notified after all essays have been reviewed.

What do you get if you win?

If you are chosen as the winner of this contest, we will send you a NEDA journal, t-shirt, and pair of flip-flops of your size! Your essay will also appear on our website and highlighted on our homepage!

Have fun and happy writing!

Now on Facebook

2009-03-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders Facebook Page

March Newsletter

2009-03-12T09:14:00.000-07:00

The March Newsletter is now available on our website
http://www.eatingdisorders.cc/200903mar.pdf

Please share with anyone you think might be interested.

If you would like to sign up to receive your own copy of the newsletter by email, please visit our sign up page.

Feel free to submit ideas to include in the newsletter, things like Inspirational Vitamins (helpful affirmations, sayings, etc), Recovery Recipes you'd like to share with others, suggested readings or websites that will help others towards recovery, exciting news, anything you think would be good in the ACE newsletter. If there's room and it's okay to we'll be happy to include it!

Congratulations Ace House!!

2009-03-05T13:18:00.000-08:00

ACE House was just successfully surveyed by the Department of Human Resources for Licensure. In addition to our Intensive Outpatient and Partial Hospitalization Programs, the Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders is now able to offer Residential Treatment.

For more information on ACE House
For more information about our eating disorder programs