Eating Disorders Support Group
Eating disorders are marked by an obsessive need to control the intake and/or purging of food. This community is dedicated to those struggling on the road to recovery. Join to discuss your experience with others and find support. Get advice, ask questions, and meet others who are going through similar struggles.
hey guys,
yesterday i had a nutritionist appt and she used an elevator analogy with me that i found really helpful (in the sense that i hope it will help me get throught difficult times).
Actually, first she drew a bell curve of fear, and put below the hump emotions i told her when she asked how i was feeling about the food i was eating (for me, frustration and anxiety were the two big ones)
Then she drew a happy person (me) on the other side of the bell curve (more like a hill or mountain, but in the shape of a bell curve), meaning i was completely free of that fear and those emotions (as they pertained to the fear). As you might guess, the hill/mountain stood for recovery.
Note: she said that these emotions will increase during recovery because you have to push through difficulties to get over the hill.
Here's where the elevator analogy comes in. So let's say you had elevator phobia, how would you overcome it?
-By taking an elevator, challenging the fear
Now, you don't have to ride the elecator 10 floors to begin with, you can ride it one floor and then run out of the elevator when the doors open.
But at this point have you really overcome your elevator phobia?
-no
What would you need to do to overcome that fear.
-slowly build yourself up so that eventually you can ride the elevator up and down and up and down without being anxious/afraid.
One thing she said is that the reason you can continue pushing yourself to overcome your fear, is to go little by little and realize oh, this isn't that bad.
One last thing, returning to the hill/mountain.
Suppose we get to a point when we're going up the mountain that we're just having a really really hard time.
Fight or flight
-fight, what would that mean in this case?
that we continue up the mountain
-flight...
that we panic, resort back to our ed
One important thing that she drew was that when she drew the flight option or the flight "path", it was at the same level or above the top of the mountain but went in the opposite direction of the happy person.
choosing flight isn't going to do anything to lower our fear or whatever emotions we experience, in fact it will probably worsen them. So, do we want equal or greater fear/emotions and go further from the happy, free of fear/emotions person or do we want to push through the equal or lesser fear/emotions and be closer to the happy, free of fear/emotions. (note when i say fear and emotions, i mean pertaining to recovery, the fear and emotions we experience when we're having a hard time)
I hope this helps you guys, or atleast that it doesn't make anything worse.
-Debbie
yesterday i had a nutritionist appt and she used an elevator analogy with me that i found really helpful (in the sense that i hope it will help me get throught difficult times).
Actually, first she drew a bell curve of fear, and put below the hump emotions i told her when she asked how i was feeling about the food i was eating (for me, frustration and anxiety were the two big ones)
Then she drew a happy person (me) on the other side of the bell curve (more like a hill or mountain, but in the shape of a bell curve), meaning i was completely free of that fear and those emotions (as they pertained to the fear). As you might guess, the hill/mountain stood for recovery.
Note: she said that these emotions will increase during recovery because you have to push through difficulties to get over the hill.
Here's where the elevator analogy comes in. So let's say you had elevator phobia, how would you overcome it?
-By taking an elevator, challenging the fear
Now, you don't have to ride the elecator 10 floors to begin with, you can ride it one floor and then run out of the elevator when the doors open.
But at this point have you really overcome your elevator phobia?
-no
What would you need to do to overcome that fear.
-slowly build yourself up so that eventually you can ride the elevator up and down and up and down without being anxious/afraid.
One thing she said is that the reason you can continue pushing yourself to overcome your fear, is to go little by little and realize oh, this isn't that bad.
One last thing, returning to the hill/mountain.
Suppose we get to a point when we're going up the mountain that we're just having a really really hard time.
Fight or flight
-fight, what would that mean in this case?
that we continue up the mountain
-flight...
that we panic, resort back to our ed
One important thing that she drew was that when she drew the flight option or the flight "path", it was at the same level or above the top of the mountain but went in the opposite direction of the happy person.
choosing flight isn't going to do anything to lower our fear or whatever emotions we experience, in fact it will probably worsen them. So, do we want equal or greater fear/emotions and go further from the happy, free of fear/emotions person or do we want to push through the equal or lesser fear/emotions and be closer to the happy, free of fear/emotions. (note when i say fear and emotions, i mean pertaining to recovery, the fear and emotions we experience when we're having a hard time)
I hope this helps you guys, or atleast that it doesn't make anything worse.
-Debbie
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theatre and I are there already. I'm having a very berry tea with crackers, cheese and cherry tomatoes and she's having a joint with some beer and we're both on really comfy recliners on thick pile carpet. we need some help with the decor if anyone is around??
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I'm trying to exercise daily. I was doing fairly well until I sprained my ankle 2 weeks ago but now I'm getting back on the horse. Today I walked over a mile with my arm weights that are about 22lbs total. I was out of shape and it was hard on my arms. I also did my 30 situps. I'm also going to drink a lot of water and try to eat healthy. I do tend to have a sweet tooth but I'm cutting...
Was talking to a friend about things. Revelation. Two parts to every woman, the Avian and the Amazon. (Not saying there are just two, saying these ARE two.)
The Avian has the impulse to be light, to retreat. Ditch-your-bags-and-run sort of girl. The Avian also has that strive for perfection quality, always looking higher, always looking outside the self. She'll look outside herself, but will push into herself. The inward retreat will cut off other people passively.
The Amazon, on the other hand, stands her ground. She is steadfast and willing to meet challenges head on. The Amazon looks inward, looks at what already IS and comes to terms with that, rather than hinging hopes on what will be. She'll look inside herself, but will push outward - push the self outward, as well as push other people away.
Boiling it down for you, fight or flight. So, both are beneficial, but as in all things - there is a need for balance. It isn't good to walk away from all things, sometimes standing your ground or confronting a situation is simply needed. However, you can't fight everything, and you need to know when to pick up and go. It isn't good to look outside the self constantly or to set impossible standards, but no/low standards or only taking what is right there rather than looking ahead isn't the way to go, either.
I think in most parts of my life I've balanced them fairly well. Not so well in others. In some I've let the Avian flit her little ol' self around way too much.
So, how to recreate the balance? That I have no answer for. If it was as simple as saying, "Hey, Warrior Woman, come out and play"...then we'd be in business. Nothing in life is ever that easy, though. I suppose it is a start to just recognize when one is out of balance with the other - then proceed from there.
-Debbie