Blogs
One of the strangest, and most dangerous, symptoms of an eating disorder is "not wanting to recover." Parents panic or get understandably angry when their child denies being ill, hides the eating disorder behaviors, and lashes out at anyone trying to help. We see a horrible illness that is sapping the life and personality from a beloved child - yet they seem to embrace it. What can parents do when a son or daughter says "I'm not ill and I don't want to get better?"
Yesterday, we were shocked when a job opportunity fell on our lap. This job would require some major life adjustments. Adjustments that are nerve wracking, even if you don't suffer from chronic anxiety. It has many advantages that make it very appealing, such as living by the beach, having our housing and car paid for, having a nanny or maid, etc. However, this job would require uprooting our family and putting us not in another state, but another country. We would reside for two years in Abu Dhabi, which is close to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
I knew a guy who studied in college by reading a book in front of himself while he walked around a track. Hearing him tell me of this technique was the first time I ever understood that my ADHD may be a strange li'l beastie, but it was one that could be tamed if I was creative enough for the task. That guy understood something about himself: he needed to be in motion in order to dampen the noise and chaos in his mind so that he could learn and remember.
Cristina describes what it's like to be in a hypomanic episode. Watch this bipolar video on hypomania.
I do believe I’m in hypomania. *Sigh* This isn’t the euphoric kind of mania. It’s been filled with anger and paranoia. My first impulse was to call my doctor, but how much more can the bipolar medication dosage be adjusted? Isn’t it enough that my hands shake when I hold them out?
When our family is dealing with a horrible situation, it is natural to want others to understand OUR issue. I wish it didn't have to be a competition. We are all in this together.
Here is a quick update to let you know how things are going for me lately with my anxiety. Morning sickness tends to feel a lot like morning anxiety and is throwing me for a loop these days.
Is it possible that adults with an attention deficit disorder might have a difficult time following established protocols because they keep thinking of new ones or just leap ahead without thinking at all? That couldn't cause any problems in the workforce, could it?
It’s a gray day outside and I hate it. Spring is supposed to be filled with sunny days, but all we’ve seen lately is rain and gray days. I’m pretty sure it’s affecting my mood and I hate that, too. I’ve been full of anger lately. It eats at the center of my chest until I feel like there’s a gaping hole. I’m mad, too, that my bipolar medicine isn’t taking care of all my symptoms. I expected miracles and that just isn’t happening.
Parents struggle with their child's wanting vs needing to exercise during eating disorder treatment. We wonder if exercise is healthy or not, and how much exercise is okay (Eating Disorders: Compulsive Exercise In Teens). Here's what I've learned to listen for: "want" vs. "need."
You are absolutely correct when you said, "They're still going to act like people." People are people who will act in ways we wish they wouldn't -- even the ones closest to us. That statement can be a large pill to swallow, yet it is one that we need to get down if we want to sustain our mental health. I have a specific page in my journal that lists things I can control and can't. I often look at it to remind myself that I can't control other people's actions, choices, or feelings.