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There was a noise in our car that had been there for a while. So, we went to Pep Boys to have it checked out. It turned out that the noise was a bad rotor in the brake system, but the break pad was fine. It was nothing to worry about right now. The car would still run fine. However, while they were there, they found out that the radiator was leaking. It cost $309 to fix it. I immediately went into stressed out mode. We had money to fix it, but just barely and we’d be sitting tight until the end of the month. I freaked out. I hate bills. They are always a trigger for a bipolar episode to start.
I've noticed that parents react to a child's eating disorder diagnosis with a range of emotions: fear, anger, annoyance, optimism, hope, even humor. Unfortunately, mothers and fathers don't usually respond with the same emotion at the same time. One parent's fear can lead to withdrawal, the other spouse may instinctually move in to protect.
I decided I would spend some time implementing important new habits in my life that would help me to be healthier- which in turn would help my anxiety. Edmund J. Bourne says, "One of the most powerful and effective methods for reducing generalized anxiety and overcoming a disposition to panic attacks is a program of regular, vigorous exercise...
Sometimes I wonder why they work with me. Who? Well, it's me we're talking about here, so it could be anybody. But today I'm referring to a magazine I'm writing articles for. I'm so disorganized. I seem to mess up paperwork on them every time. Can you relate with being so disorganized you lose important papers?
Amanda_HP
Eating With Your Anorexic author and HealthyPlace blogger, Laura Collins, has a bold message for parents of children and teens with eating disorders - "It's not your fault!" A lot of the information on the causes of eating disorders points the finger at parents.  Parents, says Collins, are blamed by many researchers and treatment professionals as playing some role in the causes of eating disorders in their children. She wants more evidence-based research into the causes of eating disorders as well as eating disorders treatment recommendations.
I want to ask you a favor. Just for right now, try to set aside everything you’ve heard about eating disorders. Forget all the magazines, movies, rumors, and that girl in science class. Forget the after-school special, the celebrity photo, and your own relationship with food and weight. Let's start over fresh. Before my daughter developed a life-threatening eating disorder, I had a lot of ideas I needed to forget. Let me offer you a new view.
If I keep getting better, I can be whoever I want to be. Today was a fantastic day. I listened to my affirmations, meditated twice this morning and then I put on my suit to go to a volunteer meeting at NAMI. I was so psyched. My dream of helping others like me was going to come true. And then we listened to what they wanted in volunteers and I sighed. I didn’t want to answer the phone or pay a membership fee. I wanted to get down to the nitty gritty. I wanted to be with my people. I wanted to make a difference.
So often I hear others talk about how they will be happy when they get a house, have a baby, get married, finish school; the list goes on and on. If money makes people happy, then why are there so many successful movie stars struggling with drug and alcohol abuse, torn families, and failed marriages? The reality is happiness is something we choose, no matter what our current circumstances are in life. It's something that happens on the inside of us, not from something happening on the outside.
In this video, learn how meditation is helping Cristina with her bipolar disorder. Can meditation help you better cope with bipolar?
I've noticed that the history of the online parent community around eating disorders somewhat mirrors how parents have fared in terms of the treatment of their child; it started off non-existent, involved a lot of blaming and shame in the middle, but I can now report a new attitude is spreading around the world.

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Comments

cassie peterson
It is so unfair! I am 14 and in eighth grade and will be recieving my Sacrement of Confirmation on June 2nd.The dress code for us girls is a white,short sleeve,knee length flowergirl style dress with flower crown,white tights and white maryjane style shoes and under our tights,white 'rubberpants'[plasticpants]! We were told that the rubberpants are for to represent the purity of our baptisms and First Communion.Me and a few other girls in my class feel that this is unfair and discriminatory as there are no 'underwear' requirements for the boys! Our parents were given a website to buy the rubberpants from so we will all have the same kind on under our tights.Has anyone here had to wear 'rubberpants' under a confirmation dress like we have to?
Jack
I feel this, 100%. Dreams are the only time I feel anything like I have a life worth living. Even when the dreams aren't necessarily great dreams, I have people I interact with that treat me well, the only time I have social ties, the only time I have good social interactions, the only time I don't have all the pain and trauma and anxiety, just ... a life that might be worth living.
John Adams
I have never needed a psychiatrist or a lawyer. But I need one or both now. I am 82 years old and don't know where to turn.
Rina Knowles
This is a great reminder of a key piece to honing our skills as a teacher.
Dawn Gressard
Hey Amanda!
First of all, thank you for sharing your story. You are a very caring person, and I commend you for, as Tammy Wynette sings, "Stand(ing) by your man." That aside, I wholeheartedly agree with you that those living with depression may seem selfish to someone on the outside. Still, in reality, they (me also being one of them) think our loved ones would be better off without us around because of our depression. We think we are doing our loved ones a favor by leaving. Depression causes our brains to work in different ways, causing us to think distortedly -- so no, we are not purposefully being selfish. Thank you for seeing that with your loved one and not allowing someone else to convince you otherwise.