ED?

ED...Do you know what that is? You may not think you know anyone with an eating disorder but you are probably wrong. Let me shed a little light on this: 'between 5 per cent and 10 per cent of girls and women (i.e. 5-10 million people) and 1 million boys and men suffer from eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, or other associated dietary conditions. Estimates suggest that as many as 15 percent of young women adopt unhealthy attitudes and behaviors about food...Because of the guilt and consequent secretiveness of eating disorders (esp. bulimia and binge-eating) it is likely that many instances go unreported. Thus a higher incidence of eating disorders is almost certain. 40 per cent of 1st, 2nd or 3rd grade girls want to be thinner. And 80 per cent of 10 year olds are worried in case they become fat. In another survey, 70 percent of 6th grade girls surveyed said that their concern about their weight, shape and diet started when they were aged 9-11'(Eating Disorder Statistics). Crazy to think about people that young worried about their weight!

Mak and I had a friend in college who was beyond beautiful (in media standards), you know the type. Perfect skin, hair- manicured nails- flawless body....or so we thought. It took us a while to catch on, I think she had a bit of both anorexia and bulimia- 9 times out of 10 she would claim she had already eaten or wasn't feeling hungry at the moment, and the few times we coaxed her into eating anything she would nearly run to the bathroom right after! We tried to talk to her, to help her out but she wouldn't listen. At the end of the year she moved back home to her folks house and I have lost touch with her, so Lillian if you are reading this... Let us know!!!
Here are some inspirational pictures for everyone out there recovering or helping someone else recover-

An Inspired Poem

A simple smile, a loving word, a joke to brighten up the day, A phone call when you're not at your best, a light to lead the way, An ear to listen a heart to accept, to love and understand, The simple way you came to me, the gentle touch of your hand. The way we think a lot alike on fun or serious things, It seems to be this friendship has taken to it's wings. Through days and weeks and even months we have shared a lot "deep" within, but guaranteed with love and trust, that's a good way to begin. For when two people such as us, can meet and almost blend, I've read your heart, I know your mind, and am "grateful" to call you Friend. By: Angel7

Diary of an Anorexic By: Christy Heitger-Casbon

February 15, 1986

I'm so gross! I don't know how anyone stands to look at me. All the skinny girls in my classes get the boyfriends, the attention, and what do I get? I get called a pig. Jason is the worst. I know brothers exist to make their sisters' lives miserable, but I think the reason Jason's comments hurt so much is because I know they're true. I am a pig. I eat way too often and way too much junk food. Mom says 110 pounds is fine for being 5 feet 3 inches tall, but I don't like how flabby I feel. I think I'm going to try to lose a few pounds—just enough so Jason will stop teasing me.

April 15
I'm not doing too bad—six pounds and counting. Another six or eight and I might look OK. I'd love to lose these thunder thighs. Jason doesn't call me "oinker" anymore, but I think that's only because Mom and Dad told him to stop.

April 24
I've made a pact with myself to cut out all "munchies" (like potato chips) from now on. And I've decided to cut out all desserts, too. That should really make a difference! Guess what I found out? A McDonald's cheeseburger has over 500 calories! And the fat content is super high! I will never eat there again!

May 21
I want to learn the caloric content in everything. I wonder how many calories are in a postage stamp. Do vitamins have calories? I know a stick of gum has 10 calories, but if I were to chew gum instead of eating lunch, I'd come out way ahead.

May 26
I've lost 17 pounds since I started dieting. It's getting harder to do, though, because Mom and Dad are noticing that I poke at my food rather than eat it. Tonight they practically force-fed me. They lectured me on eating a full meal, then made me drink a whole glass of milk—that's 110 calories! I didn't want it! It makes me sick to think they made me do something I didn't want to do.

June 1
I've noticed lately that Mom's been putting extra globs of peanut butter on my celery. I think she's trying to trick me into eating more calories, but I'm the one who's tricking her! When I get to school, I throw my lunch away. Then, while my friends scarf down their fat-filled lunches, I spend 30 minutes walking the halls. So not only do I resist consuming calories, I actually burn some! Ha! Who's in charge now?

June 15
Tomorrow we leave for Michigan for the summer. I'm kind of glad to be getting out of town because the cabin has always been a relaxing place for me, but I worry that Mom and Dad will be studying my every move.

July 1
I haven't weighed myself since I left Indiana because there's no scale here, but I think I've lost weight. I hope so—I'd love to go home at the end of the summer all skinny, pretty and tan. All my friends would be blown away!

July 15
I'm having a hard time getting a tan because I'm always wrapped in a sweatshirt and blanket. I'm sick of being cold all of the time. It was 88 degrees today, but I couldn't warm up. I'm tired a lot, too, and I'm constantly napping, but at least when I'm asleep I'm not thinking about food.

August 5
Today Mom asked me if I knew what anorexia nervosa is. She and Dad think I have it. That's crazy. Yes, I eat less now, but so what? Why do they have to criticize me for it? I get good grades. I try to make them happy. Why can't they let me have this one thing? Why do they have to control what I eat?

August 15
Time to go home. I'm worried, though. Mom and Dad say they're taking me to see Dr. Kirby when we get home. Why do they have to do that? I'm fine! What are they trying to prove?

August 24
OK—I wouldn't admit this to Mom and Dad, but I'm scared. Today when I stood up in church to sing a hymn, I blacked out. It was freaky! My eyes were open, but all I could see was darkness. I fell back into the pew, and Mom asked what was wrong. When I told her, she spazzed. I've never seen her look so petrified. Jason asked what kind of funky lipstick I had on, but I wasn't wearing any. He said my lips were completely white.

(These stories are more and more true with modern media, do you really think the women you see on the covers of magazines look like that? Airbrushing techniques are so good they fool a lot of people but they aren't perfect take a closer look....And Yes! These were published for the youth of America to compare themselves to.)

Depression

Having dealt with my own depression for 5 years when I found this article it really hit home. I thought maybe it might be a wake up call for someone...

"Depression hurts us on all levels; physically, it can cause headaches, insomnia, ulcers, and acid reflux disease, just to name a few. Depression can also cause heart conditions and even brain dysfunction.

On an emotional level, depression hurts us because we no longer find a joy in our lives, or can not release the guilt of the past. This depression in the form of regret and guilt can leave us feeling paralyzed, hopeless, and unable to cope with the prospect of the future.

Depression hurts our children when we feel like sleeping instead of spending time with them, it hurts our spouse because they don't know what to do for us, and well meaning friends who would be our support tend to shy away, letting us have our space when we really need to talk.

Most people do not know how to deal with depression, and give the erroneous but well meaning advice for us to "get over it," or "pull ourselves out of it." If you've ever had a bout with depression or are feeling it now, you know that it's easier said than done.

And if you have chronic depression, you may not even be able to put your finger on why you are feeling so bad. This can sometimes be scarier than knowing that you're depressed at all; you can't fix something when you don't know why it broke!" (Article courtesy of Depression Help)

Alcohol Rehab

I wanted to share this article because I know some people will use anything as an excuse to drink and with St.Patrick's Day just around the corner....well I thought it would be good to get the word out to a few people and maybe help a few while I was at it.

"To beat alcoholism, alcoholics have got to understand alcoholism: how alcohol addiction works, and why it results in chronic addiction. Only those alcohol rehab patients who have a firm grasp of their condition can hope to overcome it, is the point, and so it is that education plays a vital role in the alcoholic recovery process. The bottom line: Before you get better, you’ve got to get smarter. There’s no other way out of the depths of alcohol abuse.

Alcohol rehab is vital to the alcohol recovery process because alcohol addiction is a disease: a clinical disorder with clinical causes. Alcoholics can’t beat alcoholism without alcohol rehab for the simple reason that alcoholism is not contingent on individual will; alcohol addiction isn’t a choice, and alcohol addicts can’t simply decide to get better. Don’t wait another day, start on your road to recovery today, 1-800-332-9202.

Think of it like this: A diabetic would never try to beat diabetes without enlisting the help of a doctor. The same is true of alcoholics and alcohol rehab: Only a fool would try to fight alcohol addiction without help from alcohol rehab professionals. Clinical diseases demand clinical treatment. For prospective alcohol rehab patients, that’s the only truth that could ever matter.

It’s important to note too that alcoholism exists in both physical and psychological dimensions, and that effective alcohol rehab programs are those which confront the disease in all its forms. Alcoholism is a comprehensive condition; it overwhelms its patients, and infects every last inch of their beings. Alcohol rehab, it follows, has got to measure up to its enemy: Alcohol rehab that works is alcohol rehab that covers every base, and fights every battle. There’s no such thing as partial alcoholic recovery. Alcohol rehab has got to be an all-or-nothing proposition."

(Article courtesy of Sunset Malibu)

I had a Grandmother that had a Pain Killer problem, she would pop 8-12 800mg Tylenol with Codine and a chaser of Vodka because as she put it "Nothing else helped". I, myself, refuse to take any meds unless I have too...i.e. a migraine. Some people think I am crazy, but I don't want to be her. She not only was, as far as I was concerned, addicted to the meds but her stomach lining was deteriorated and causing ulsers because of all the meds! I like my spicy food, and would like to be able to eat it without coughing up blood.

Pain killer addiction is a serious problem. If you suspect that you’re hooked on prescription pain killers, call Sunset Malibu right away. We’re a luxury treatment center located in sunny Malibu, California. We’re far enough away from the city that you will feel like your privacy is protected. And our discreet staff work very hard to make sure that your stay is completely private. In addition to privacy, we offer luxury. In fact, our luxury treatment facility rivals the beauty and comfort of a fine resort hotel. This is all intentional because we know that if you’re comfortable, you can better focus on your addiction treatment.

When you suffer from pain killer addiction, your body stops producing its natural painkilling substances called endorphins. These types of substances are naturally released to help you handle pain and feel better when you’re healthy. But if you have a pain killer dependency, they are not released properly. This helps keep you addicted because you need to take the prescription drugs to have any kind of relief.

When you start to heal from painkiller abuse at Sunset Malibu, your body’s natural pain killing instincts will kick back in. You’ll find that you don’t crave the drugs as much, and eventually you’ll stop craving them altogether. We achieve this through many different strategies. The luxury we offer helps you feel good. You have physical activities like swimming, hiking, horseback riding and more available to you. And you can also relax in many different ways at our luxury treatment center. Call us today so we can further explain our programs to you. For more information about [Sunset Malibu's] pain killer recovery program, call 1-800-332-9202.