Funny story.

So, I was talking with a previous therapist today and inquiring about maybe working with her again. She told me that she was now using a new kind of therapy — CBT-E. It sounded familiar to me, but all I could recall off the top of my head was that it was one of those time-limited therapist… where you had 20 sessions or something. I would have googled it right then, but I was in the car and couldn’t.

In Agile development, the focus factor (or productivity factor) is used for planning to help determine how many “real hours” you have to work on something. It’s the difference between “real hours” and “ideal hours.” I was thinking about how the eating disorder would affect my focus factor, and tried to break down the components into a pie chart…

I’ve been in all different levels of treatment with numerous professionals and various treatment centers, and overall I’d have to say that both group and individual therapy are important (and beneficial) in recovery.  With group, there are several people who you can bounce ideas off of, get advice from, relate to, and rely on for support.  I feel like most of the real therapy work happens in individual, though, where you can focus on your specific issues, goals, etc.  I really do think it helps to have both individual and …

This is the sixth post in the Grey Thinking series, Five of the most underrated coping skills.

This isn’t going to come as any surprise to those of you who have followed Grey Thinking for any length of time…. but watching DVDs of TV series is one of my favorite “coping skills.”  I may be stretching the idea of a “coping skill” a little bit here, but anything to justify my House marathons…
I like to watch four hours of old Grey’s Anatomy episodes (especially during evenings that I’m depressed) because I …

This is the fourth post in the Grey Thinking series, Five of the most underrated coping skills.
If you don’t know what a “kudos chart is” – it’s a sticker chart.  You know those charts that your mom made when you were five that had actions like “make bed” and “brush teeth” on it?  Yep, those.  I heard someone refer to them as “kudos charts” on twitter several months back, and since my current chart is not actually using stickers, I’m going to go with that terminology.
My explanation is simple: a …

This is the third post in the Grey Thinking series, Five of the most underrated coping skills.
Out of sight, out of mind.
This idiom definitely proves true for me.  I get so wrapped up in everything going on in life that I forget about all these health / self-care / positive affirmations / you name it that I’m trying to convince myself of.
I wrote about this in a previous post, I’m going to need that in writing, but it’s definitely worth mentioning again.  I have a bulletin board above my desk …

This is the second post in the Grey Thinking series, Five of the most underrated coping skills.
I don’t know why more people don’t hang out in card stores.  Just think about it… when you have a friend that’s upset, it’s not uncommon to send them some kind of “cheer up / feel better” card.  So, if you’re upset… doesn’t it just make sense to spend an hour in a card shop and read 100 of those?
I know that there is more to getting cards than the card itself (say… the …

…according to Grey Thinking, at least.  I’ve seen so many coping skills lists full of bubble baths, deep breathing, positive affirmations, etc, and really am just bored with them.  Someone needs to come up with some creative and new alternative coping mechanisms!  I might as well start.  Here’s a list of some of my favorite / most-helpful coping skills, that I’ve never seen (or very rarely seen) on any “learning to cope” list.
Five of the most underrated coping skills:

card stores
bulletin boards
kudos charts
crafting
dvds

I have a lot to say about each one …

It feels a little cliche quoting Grey’s Anatomy on Grey Thinking, but there are so many good quotes…. and I’ve been re-watching the series from the beginning (hey, why not?), and it’s funny how some things stand out to you when watching for the second time.

You’re happy? You’re happy now? The Meredith I knew was a force of nature. Passionate, focused, a fighter. What happened to you? You’ve gone soft! Stammering about a boyfriend and saying you’re waiting to be inspired. You’re waiting for inspiration? Are you kidding me?! I …

I can’t remember the last time I saw “economist” and “bulimia” in the same headline — I usually don’t put the two together.  However, this article (Eating-Disorders Experts Challenge Economists’ Conclusions About Bulimia) made some pretty interesting statements:

Bulimia Nervosa (BN) is an addiction rather than an eating disorder
Black females are 50% more likely to be bulimic than white females
“Bulimic behavior” is less likely among wealthier, better-educated families.

You should definitely read the article, but I have a couple of things to add to these points:
1. BN is an addiction
I always compare …