I’ve been told more than a couple of times that negative body image is one of the last things to go in eating disorder recovery. Doesn’t that seem unfair? You want to think that you’ll feel better and be more accepting of yourself with the start of treatment, and that will motivate you to eat better and take care of yourself and move on past the disorder. And maybe at some point in treatment the nutrition kicks in and decreases the depression and anxiety that starvation heightens… …

I had never really heard the word “safe” used in a non-physically risky context until my first inpatient stay. After that, I hardly could describe what I was feeling without using the word. Feeling “unsafe” was like saying I felt not-okay + restless + fearful + on-edge + anxious + in danger. It’s hard to explain because it is just this underlying/unconscious/indescribable feeling.
When I stumbled upon this article (Safety Can Be Learned – And Helps Combat Depression), everything seemed to just make sense — the fear conditioning …

I’ve often wanted to write a weekly “did they seriously publish this?!” column, with a round-up of (what I consider to be) useless “research”… but I’m afraid that I wouldn’t be able to keep up with it due to my erratic blogging. Still, consider this post #1 of “please tell me time and resources were not wasted on this”:
MDLinx Health News: Eat more fruits, veggies:
Replacing high fat desserts and snacks with fruit and vegetables can help control weight, lower blood pressure and cholesterol along with adding antioxidants to your …

This is what kills me about mental health research (especially with eating disorders). I ready a study today about the “Effectiveness of day hospital treatment for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.” 83 eating-disordered patients were assessed before and after (a year after) a day hospitalization program. The study boasts “significant improvement on all outcome variables (frequency of binge eating/vomiting/laxative abuse, BMI and core EDI-subscales ‘drive for thinness’ / ‘bulimia’ / ‘body dissatisfaction’), with large effect sizes and improvements that continued even upon long-term follow-up. In conclusion:
The …

The relationship between ghrelin, amenorrhea, and eating disorders has been examined time and time again. The consensus seems to be that persistent amenorrhea is likely attributed to disordered eating rather than low body weight. I’ll admit that I am particularly interested in this subject because I do have hypothalamic amenorrhea. This finding is interesting for a few reasons:
1. Return of menses is often a benchmark of physical recovery. Goal weights are subject upon your menstrual cycle… if you’re still not getting your period, then you still don’t …

Being someone with chronic headaches and nausea (probably as a direct result of the headahces), this article caught my attention: Gastrointestinal Problems May Be Associated With Other Health Problems And Even Previously Experienced Abuse
People with recurrent gastrointestinal complaints often have other concurrent health problems, seek medical care more frequently, and experience lower quality of life than those without such complaints. Evidence also suggests that women with gastrointestinal complaints may have experienced various kinds of abuse earlier in life.
While I am all about medicine taking a more holistic approach (maybe the …

It’s no secret that many anorexics are ambivalent about recovery. I remember a period of time when I knew that recovery was the right answer… but I just really wasn’t ready. I wanted to want to recover. I think it’s a tough position to be in.. a very stagnant place to be in. Because you could be receiving treatment (I was inpatient at the time) but still not really feeling it. What do you do then?
This article is probably my second favorite article (my first …

From a study on perfection and anorexia:
Levels of perfectionism stayed the same while eating disorder symptoms and psychiatric symptoms decreased during recovery. Levels of perfectionism were inversely related to duration of remission so that individuals that had short illness duration had lower levels of perfectionism at both follow-ups. Patients with initial high levels of perfectionism may be at risk for a long illness duration which we recommend clinicians to acknowledge.
I am personally very interested in “chronic anorexia” — which is a controversial topic, since some believe that all eating disorders …

I think that this is so great: APA’s Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards

Many summers ago, I worked for my dad at an investment firm. It was a 9 – 5 (or 6…) job, Monday – Friday. I followed the dress-code of a suit or dress with closed-toe shoes. I sat in a cubicle. The office was pin-drop quiet. My work was mundane. There was a strict hierarchy of employees. I never really got to launch any projects that I was personally interested in. …

While I was really excited upon seeing this study, it left me with more questions than answers.
The finding that traumatic events can actually alter a stress-related gene is definitely a new idea.  However, it has been believed for years that these significant events cause some neurological change.  Previously, researchers have found:
1. In a study by Martin Teicher at McLean Hospital, boys who were neglected also had a smaller corpus collosum.  The same was true for girls who were sexually abused.  Teicher explains that “We believe that a smaller corpus collosum …