Are You a Binge Eater?

October 12th, 2008

Ever wonder if you have a serious problem with binge eating?

In the Harvard Mental Health Letter, I read a feature article
about the treatment of bulimia and binge eating.

Bulimia is defined as 2 or more episodes of binge eating
(consuming a large amount of food in 2 hours or less) at least
twice a week for 3 months. These episodes may be followed by
vomiting or purging (with laxatives or diuretics) and may
alternate with fasting and compulsive exercising.

People who suffer from bulimia often view this behavior as a
shameful secret.

Binge Eating Disorder (binging that is not followed by vomiting,
fasting or exercise) has gotten more attention recently since it
is being considered for inclusion as a psychiatric diagnosis.

The criteria are tentatively listed as “a condition that causes
serious distress with at least 3 of the following symptoms
occurring at least 2 days a week for 6 months:

â?¢eating very fast â?¢eating until uncomfortably full â?¢eating when
not hungry â?¢eating alone â?¢feeling disgusted or guilty afterward

Since most of the population has probably engaged in these
eating behaviors at one time or another, I guess it comes down
to the frequency and severity of the problem.

You can be a binge eater, but you would have to be binging quite
regularly to be considered to have Binge Eating Disorder.

Many people engage in some of these behaviors all the time.
People who live alone often eat alone.

And while eating when you aren’t hungry is not the most
satisfying experience, sometimes it is just an ingrained habit.

You do not have to be overweight to be a binge eater.

Many people with binge eating problems think they are overweight
or are worried that they will become seriously overweight.

Dieting does not necessarily stop the binging and is often
viewed as being part of the problem rather than the solution.

The body resists dieting by slowing metabolism and increasing
appetite, commonly accompanied by an intense preoccupation with
food, more binging, anxiety and depression.

If you are struggling with bulimia or severe binge eating
problems, seek help and get the support you deserve.

Don’t keep it a secret.

You do not need to be heroic and suffer alone.

If you engage in some of the binge eating behaviors, join the
club and keep reading . . .

You can learn to change all of these behaviors, even mild to
moderate binge eating by listening to your body, eating
mindfully and being kind to yourself.

Here’s to getting the help you need, Carol

Treating an Anxiety Disorder

October 12th, 2008

What is an Anxiety Disorder?

â??Anxiety disorderâ? is a term that covers many different types of nervous conditions that cause anxiousness, feelings of fear or other unwanted, counterproductive or irrational feelings. These feelings of anxiety can be due to a particular phobia, to a particular event or happening earlier in life, or may be due to pathological (medical) uneasiness. There may be no warning of the onset of your anxiety disorders. They can be sudden, or develop gradually over many years and such events are likely to cause profound disturbance of the suffererâ??s normal daily routine. In the 21st Century, the occurrence of anxiety disorders is assuming alarming proportions. They afflict more than forty million American adults. Many adolescents, and even children, also develop these disorders. Most patients are seriously affected, with the disorder(s) affecting them for several months, or even years. You may suffer frequent bouts of fear, concern, or apprehension of some worrying event.

Why Do People Get Anxiety Disorders?

Many factors may contribute to the occurrence of anxiety disorders. There is not just one cause for all anxiety disorders. They may occur as the result of a combination of many different factors.

Those factors may include:

Childhood events: Disturbing and traumatic events in childhood, such as child abuse, loss of parents, separation from family, accident or illness, can leave a lasting effect on the mind. Even having been bullied, embarrassed, or made fun of at school can produce lasting anxieties that manifest into a serious anxiety disorder later in life.

Genetic: Parents with anxiety disorder can pass it on to, or cause their children to be more likely to suffer from this type of condition, because of genetic factors or the environment that they provide in the family home.

Stress and Trauma: Stressful, traumatic events can contribute to anxiety disorders. Domestic violence, rape (or other forms of sexual molestation), physical assault, death of a family member or loss due to natural disasters like floods or earthquakes, leaves a person feeling helpless. This feeling of powerlessness leads to fear and resultant anxiousness.

Substance abuse: Alcoholism and drug addiction may contribute to anxiety disorders in some people. And, not surprisingly, most alcoholics and drug addicts had some sort of disorder before they became addicted. The addictive substance was a coping mechanism for a time against the anxious, out of control feelings.

Medical ailments: Certain disorders, like eating or sleeping disorders, depression and other nervous ailments, may contribute to more anxiety disorders, and possible medical problems. These disorders do not allow the body to function normally. Without proper sleep or nutrition, anyone is likely to become very anxious.

Personality: Whether a person is born with low self-esteem or develops it in later life, they are likely to become anxious.

Social and Economic Issues: Believe it or not, the rich are not immune to anxiety, peer pressure and stress. Life is stressful at all levels of human society. Being poor gives you may put more pressure on you â?? just to survive and try to improve your situation for yourself and your family.

Brain abnormalities: Medications prescribed to alleviate symptoms of some ailments can sometimes affect the chemical balance in the brain and cause an anxiety disorder. Allergic reactions to certain medicines might also lead to an anxiety disorder.

Treatments

There are innumerable therapies and treatments available for anxiety disorders. Certain drugs may help to provide some relief or even the possibility of a complete cure in some cases. Some patients have had good results when the advice of their personal medical doctor was combined with various cognitive therapies (forms of psychotherapy that are based on the belief that the way we think may have a positive or negative effect on they way we feel and deal with our life experiences.) You can become a stronger and more effective person by developing an optimistic attitude and learning to accept the tragedies of life. Additional knowledge can be gathered from many different sources, like the Internet, books, magazines and journals. Increasing your knowledge about your condition can be a very important factor in keeping most anxiety disorders at bay.

Anorexia is a Serious Disease That Needs to be Unmasked in Early Stages

October 12th, 2008

Anorexia is an illness that comes with loss of weight, physical and emotional problems. It is not a bad thing to lose weight but the affected persons lose too much weight and their lives are put into danger.

Besides this clear loss of weight anorexia can be recognized after some habits these patients have: they keep a diet for a long time, they always feel fat and are afraid of eating, they throw up and use laxatives and they practice sports too much.

Their body gets affected also. They will develop amenorrhea, meaning a lack of menstruation, they will lose hair, the breasts will shrink, and their skin will get dried and will get cold and blue. The heart will suffer, giving cardiac arrhythmias. Insomnia might also appear along with constipation, osteoporosis and low blood pressure.

In most of the cases mood changes will develop. The patient will feel depressed, impatient, will be much more nervous as before and some might even try to suicide.

In very young girls, puberty can be delayed by anorexia. The menstruation will fail to come and the breasts will not grow. If anorexia affects males, the level of testosterone might decrease, and provisional impotency will install.

Anorexia often begins sneaking. You take on a diet, because you want to loose weight, and when you do so, you start having a feeling that you can control your life. You might become addicted to that sense of control, and try to do more things, to keep proving your competence in a various shape of things. Because you succeeded to starve in order to loose weight, you might experience a raise of your self-esteem.

If people develop anorexia, it is often seen the fact that they have great emotional pain, they have a negative imagine about themselves, a dark perspective about their qualities.

They need to have the acceptance of the other people; they cannot have rest until they get this belief, even if this makes them feel uncomfortable. Living and guiding yourself after this concept has bad repercussions, you turn yourself from a healthy person into a sick one.

First, when you take on a diet, you see that you loose weight, and that will make you have a very fine perspective about yourself. You will think you look beautiful, and will have a great feeling, because our society is obsessed about thinness and the fact of being a thin person is assimilated with being a beautiful person.

The second step that follows is the idea that you permanently need to improve your aspect. You will try to do more in this way, and you might become obsessed of the idea of loosing weight. Your body is more and more devoided of the nutrients it needs, it cannot function normally in these conditions.

If others see that something is wrong with you, and tell you to eat more, you will deny your problem. You will say that everything is just fine, and you will deny the fact that you are tired and need more food.

Anorexia is an illness that can be fatal. With medical treatment, it can be reversible, and you can become again a healthy person. It will not be easy, it is quite hard to change your wrong eating habits and way of thinking, but with patience, counseling and typical treatment, you will get well, and this is a real reward for the will of defeating anorexia.

back from Remuda

October 12th, 2008

Hi~ I’m finally back from treatment! yay! I’ve missed you all so much! Sorry that the sound is way off :(

Duration : 0:8:32

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Causes of Anorexia Nervosa, Symptoms and Treatment

March 12th, 2010

Every year, many people become ill or even die from anorexia nervosa. There are an estimated eight million people in America alone who are currently suffering from anorexia and although the majority of those suffering from anorexia are young women, men can become anorexic as well. If anorexia goes untreated, a person could eventually die from it. Anorexia nervosa is not just a physical disorder, but a psychological disorder as well. Anorexia is usually triggered by something unsettling happening in one’s life, making them feel lost and uncertain about things. Anorexia Nervosa – Causes The exact cause of anorexia nervosa is not known. Traumatic events like rape as well as stressful things like starting a new job, can lead to the onset of anorexia. Genes, hormones, and chemicals in the brain may be factors in developing anorexia. Eating disorders also tend to run in families, with female relatives most often affected. A girl has a 10 to 20 times higher risk of developing anorexia nervosa, for instance, if she has a sibling with the disease. Behavioral and environmental influences may also play a role. The causes of anorexia nervosa are many and they are all nervous problems such as too much pressure and stress. It is believed that those who had some problems with over-protective parents in childhood might suffer from eating disorders when they reach maturity. Also, people who feel rejected by society and that they lost control over their lives will most likely develop eating problems. Constantly criticizing one’s own body and appearance combined with low self-esteem. This is probably the saddest part of the anorexia story. Some people actually cause themselves to become anorexic, accidentally, through fad diets or worse, intentionally, through a sick idea that the “anorexic look” is sexy. There are websites and companies making money by promoting self-starvation as a weight management tool. Anorexia Nervosa – Symptoms Denying that they have any problem and seeing themselves as grossly obese despite being dangerously under-weight are characteristic traits of anyone suffering from anorexia nervosa. They refuse any attempts of help and adamantly refuse to eat lest they put on any weight. They are obsessed with thoughts of dieting and weight gain and will exercise even when they are very ill. Even though they are very slim they continue to do a lot of physical exercise and try to lose more weight. Some of them can go further, and each time they eat they force themselves to vomit right after, or they overuse laxatives to empty their stomach. Anorexia Nervosa Treatment The treatment for anorexia nervosa is often difficult and can take a long time. Some patients improve much slower then others do with many relapses during the recovery process. The treatment can be subdivided into immediate or long term anorexia treatment. The immediate concerns of most people who present with anorexia nervosa is always low weight, nutrition balance and complications (like organs failure) due to long term starvation. All these have to be addressed first before long term psychological treatment can begin. The next component of anorexia treatment is nutritional counseling, where a nutritionist or dietician teaches the patient about balanced meals, healthy eating and proper nutrition. The nutritionists will also help patients develop and follow meal plans containing sufficient calories to reach and maintain a normal, healthy weight.

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Bulimia and alcohol abuse: An integrative multidimensional approach to treatment, a dissertation submitted to the faculty of the Department of Psychology, Spalding University

March 12th, 2010

Bulimia and alcohol abuse: An integrative multidimensional approach to treatment, a dissertation submitted to the faculty of the Department of Psychology, Spalding University

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Empty: A Story of Anorexia

March 12th, 2010

  • ISBN13: 9780800731359
  • Condition: NEW
  • Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Product Description
More than five million adolescent girls struggle with eating dis-orders, and more than 80 percent of American women are unhappy with their bodies. Christie Pettit knows these statistics firsthand. As a college student with a tennis scholarship, she found herself eating less and less, compulsively exercising, and spiraling downward in a dangerous battle against anorexia. She was starving–but she didn’t know it. Now with a two-color interior, Empty recounts Ch… More >>

Empty: A Story of Anorexia

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A Word to the Wise-from Someone Who Knows.

March 12th, 2010

A Word to the Wise-from Someone Who Knows…

It’s become increasingly apparent to me: I’m a stranger in a very strange land.



Passport for my journey: two Aesthetics licenses, certification in Color Analysis– and 25 years in the film/ TV, fashion and beauty industries.

-And what a trip it’s been too!



From the salons and spas of Texas to Hollywood film and TV studios, from the offices of Beverly Hills plastic surgeons- to my travels educating for natural skin care and cosmetics companies– I’ve just about seen it all.

On film, I’ve eviscerated women, severed heads, slashed faces and created award-winning vomit… and then have turned around and worked on real, severely burned and maimed bodies in an attempt to provide reconstructive makeup procedures for very special folks in need.

I’ve experienced the dark and the light- the good and the bad- the ugly and the surreal– and I feel qualified to make the following statement:

‘There’s very little that’s beautiful about the beauty industry…’

I’m deeply entrenched in the beauty ‘business’ and at times, have really had to struggle to find much beautiful, real -or redeeming about it.

Now don’t get me wrong. There’s very little that compares to the excitement, tension and stress of being on a film set- just as nothing compares with the joy of teaching a woman how to bring out her very best; and how to lovingly and effectively care for herself.

It can be downright thrilling. –It can also be heart-wrenching and bittersweet.



Mine is the industry that teaches a woman her skin is just a shell, and that the chemicals applied to it don’t matter.

Mine is the industry that teaches a woman she can abuse herself through poor diet and bad lifestyle choices, yet find her ‘cure’ in a $150.00 jar of face cream.

Mine is the industry that tells a woman an acid peel will make her ‘young’ again- or that she isn’t  beautiful unless she can successfully mimic the images spewed at her by fashion magazines.

Mine is the industry peddling breast implants and Botox, liposuction and eating disorders- all in the name of ‘Beauty’.

Heaven help us if we don’t fit the ‘ideal’. –Worse yet, Heaven help us if we DO: Leaking breast implants, anorexia, bulimia, rising skin cancer rates, plummeting self esteem.

Enough is enough! How much longer will we feed this craziness?

It is time for real, hardcore, honest education and it’s way past time to replace our inner panic and insecurity with self-awareness and self-respect.

It’s time we realized that Aging will happen- but only if we’re lucky.





The simple truth is: Aging is not a disease- or a deformity to be hidden at any and all costs.Beauty is present- on every level and at every stage of Life- PERIOD.We must look for it, seek it out- and acknowledge it– when and where we find it.

The only way to lasting, genuine Beauty, is to work from the inside out.

–Surely this isn’t news!

Surely we know this in our innermost hearts and minds…Why is it such a forgotten Truth?

We need to quit looking to the glossy pages of fashion magazines for our answers.

We need instead, to look inside; inside our refrigerators, our medicine cabinets, our

cosmetic bags – ourselves.



This has been the journey that I’ve had to take, both as an industry professional and also as a woman in today’s world.

It’s been a tough and scary journey- yet a deeply rewarding one as well…

much like a lone hike into the wilderness.

As I see it: It’s way past time we stand up and say “Enough is enough.”

It’s time to be at peace with ourselves.

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Eating Disorders Treatment, Symptoms of Eating Disorders

March 12th, 2010

Eating disorders are some of the most destructive illnesses today. Although a commonly used term, the meaning is often a source of confusion for many people. Basically, eating disorders happen to people whose diet patterns have gone awry somewhere along the way and ultimately lead to eating habits that are damaging and dangerous.Eating disorders are a very serious problem, and those suffering from them need to get the proper treatment in order to be able to resume leading normal, healthy lives. Depending on where you live and the severity of the eating disorder, there are various options available for treatment. Those suffering from severe anorexia or bulimia will most likely find an inpatient treatment most beneficialEating disorders are characterized by critical disturbances in eating behaviors. A person afflicted with this problem may voluntarily resort to an unhealthy reduction in food intake or may abnormally take in more food than necessary. Feelings of guilt and extreme concern over weight or body shape likewise accompany this malady.Driven by the compulsive need to avoid weight gain, many eating disorder sufferers consume large quantities of laxatives in order to rid the body of the food they eat. Laxatives are a readily available form of medication normally taken to treat constipation. Indeed, sufferers of bulimia and anorexia often complain about constipation and feeling bloated.Eating disorders are not a problem with food; however it is a problem with mental health. When a person looks into the mirror, he or she does not like the way they look and think they are fat even though they are stick boney.Like adults, eating disorders in children are usually a combination of factors – physical and emotional. On one hand, dieting in young children is instrumental in eating disorder development; on the other hand, it can be a method of weight control for obese children. The family eating environment and influence of parents are important factors in childhood eating disorders.There are eating disorder treatment options which can be used to offset the physical and emotional damage caused by eating disorders. Although common among troubled teens, eating disorders affect women and men of all ages including small children.Anorexics often have the feeling that calorie intake and weight is the only thing they can control in their lives. Many have very low self esteem and some even feel they don’t deserve to eat. People with anorexia usually won’t seek help for themselves because they fear being forced to eat and get fat. It is possible, however, for anorexia to be treated and cured.Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder that consists of repeated bouts of binge eating. A person who is a binge eater has an uncontrollable urge to eat excessive amounts of food. This person will believe that he or she is overweight even when they are not. Some of these people induce vomiting, also known as purging, or use laxatives or diuretics to get rid of all of the food that was eaten during binging. Other people might fast and/or exercise excessively instead.

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How a Depressed Woman Can Change Her Life and Regain Control

March 12th, 2010

According to statistics, rates of depression are twice as high for depressed women as they are for men. In addition, certain types of depression, like premenstrual syndrome or PMS, premenstrual dysphoric disorder or PMDD, postpartum depression or baby blues, and perimenopausal depression, are specific to women. In addition, women are more vulnerable to seasonal affective disorder. A woman is also likely to manifest slightly different symptoms than her male counterpart.A depressed woman also goes through different experiences at different stages of her life. Pre-adolescent girls and boys are equally prone to experience depression. However, by their teens, girls become much more likely to go into depression than boys. The biological and hormonal upheaval of puberty contributes to this increase in depression rates, as do socially implanted self esteem and gender roles issues. Social stereotypes cause them to doubt their own problem-solving abilities, reinforce low self esteem, and insecurity problems. Due to social and familial imbalances, teenage girls are statistically more likely to suffer as a result of childhood sexual abuse, poverty, poor education, and so on, which adds to their higher rates for depressive disorder. As young women, depressed women might suffer from premenstrual dysphoric disorder or PMDD. This is a severe form of the more common PMS which about 75 percent of childbearing age women have in some measure. As many as 10 percent of women, in the same age segment, may suffer from PMDD, which has symptoms like sadness, nervousness, anxiety, irritability, strong cravings for certain foods, attention and concentration problems, fatigue, breast tenderness, headaches, swelling, bloating, or joint pain. If these symptoms manifest 10 to 14 days before the period and are alleviated only when the period actually starts, PMDD is a possible diagnosis. After childbirth too, a woman may have sharp mood swings, going from elation to tears in an instant. A slight feeling of loss of control and depression, especially at the gargantuan task they face, is normal. They may have a hard time concentrating, lose appetite and sleep beginning from a couple of days after delivery. The syndrome may last several days, in the normal course of things. However, if a depressed woman suffers baby blues for more than 10 or 12 days after childbirth, it becomes something called postpartum depression.There is more chance of a depressed woman in the older age groups, than older men. However, the good news is that depression rates in women generally decline post menopause. Like men, older depressed women tend to have triggers such as death of a spouse or loved one, retirement, or chronic illness. Most older women tend to regain emotional balance, over time, although some don’t. Older depressed women might go undiagnosed, since adult women are less likely to discuss sadness or grief. Also, in a large number of cases, depression among older women gets dismissed as age related angst, or simply a desire to irritate family members. Anorexia and bulimia are two other depression related problems that affect mostly women. These eating disorders begin in teenage years, and can plague a woman all her life. A depressed woman suffers low self esteem, a belief that she is not worthy of love, and suicidal tendencies along with all the other standard symptoms of depressive disorder. So what is she to do about it? Well, the first step is to realize that there is a problem, and the second is to seek help. Although many women take anti-depressants, all drugs have side effects that can even make your symptoms worse.This is why many people, particularly women who want to regain their health, vitality and positive outlook on life are turning to natural remedies. Natural supplements work by increasing the production of feel-good neurotransmitters which can lift a depressed woman out of her funk and help her start feeling better about her life. From homeopathy to antidepressants, from therapy to holistic natural remedies, there are many treatment options available. There should not be any doubt in your mind that you deserve to change your life and regain control over it.

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