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)
Friday, July 15, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Is the plane falling out of the sky?
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?
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?
Saturday, July 2, 2011
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
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
Friday, July 1, 2011
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.
"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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)