Eating Disorders/Disordered Eating

By Elizabeth Haaser

Recovery from an eating disorder is possible. Just ask Gwen Schubert Grabb. Gwen overcame her eating disorder with the help of therapist Carolyn Costin, and together, they co-wrote the book “8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder.” What I really got from this book was that an important part of recovery is paying it forward. Carolyn helped Gwen, who in turn helped numerous men and women (like actress Portia Rossi, who praised this book, calling it “straightforward” and “well-written”). If you or a loved one is currently struggling with an eating disorder, let Carolyn and Gwen help you next.

The book is divided into chapters by the 8 keys to recovery, which include concepts like Feel Your Feelings, Challenge Your Thoughts, and Finding Meaning and Purpose. Within each chapter are several sub-headings, so the ideas are clearly broken up, and the book is incredible easy to read. I especially enjoyed the Writing Assignment sections. I am definitely someone who benefits from writing down my thoughts in order to better grasp what I’m feeling. There are also plenty of personal reflections from Gwen about her own journey with her eating disorder, which makes the book really special and inspiring. I have always thought that the best self-help books were the ones that were written by people who know firsthand what their readers are going through. Other patients she and Gwen have helped also contribute to the book with their own words- the amount of support for these 8 keys is overwhelming.

At RBA, we want you to believe in your recovery, and hope that this book may help you to reach this goal. We also have RDs in the office who specialize in treating eating disorders who would love to guide you along the way. Please call our office to make an appointment to see someone and begin this healing process. For inspirational blogs and further information about Eating Disorders, visit www.empoweredeatingblog.com

Note from Rebecca Bitzer: I could not put this book down, I was completely absorbed in Jena’s struggle. Jena has made a significant impact on me. I am very glad that I read this book.  She writes very vividly, “The mental slowness both malnutrition and dehydration induce is truly debilitating.  Your responses are slowed, you search for words and names and to no avail, you slip in and out of the present, losing ground and losing time.” It is well-written, honest, and dark, yet at the same time, it would be helpful to anyone who needs hope for recovery.

“If you are me, or one of the millions like me, your day looks a bit different. The food is not eaten casually or carelessly or even comfortably. Rather it is weighed, measured, agonized over, feared, loved, hated, resented, desired. But this is life as you know it, if you have an eating disorder.”

Hollow is the tale of Jena Morrow who has faced the ongoing challenge of an eating disorder. This book is moving on so many levels and helps one understand how this disease can affect every day life. If you suffer from this unfortunate condition it will help to relate to Jena’s thoughts and struggles, but more importantly if you know someone with an Eating Disorder this book will finally help you understand what is going through their mind. This is an honest story filled with hope and healing and it recognizes that eating disorders are ongoing and hard to manage.

Jena craftily fills each page with her thoughts and progression of her anorexia beginning as a young child up to her adult years. The battle she has with her disorder is voiced so clearly so that others can relate. She talks about how friends, family, and the outside world can have such an impact on this disorder. It helps bring forward every day events that are so much more troublesome with an eating disorder, things we may not realize have such an impact.

What is most motivating and sincere is the treatment Jena receives during her eating disorder. She honestly voices what helps and what doesn’t and how she learned through art, religion, therapy, and support systems to work towards battling this disease. The book had me in tears, made me laugh, and most importantly left me with hope that people can fight this battle, and that there are people who can help. Thank you Jena for sharing your story with us, you will help so many people.

This memoir is a must read if you or a loved one has an Eating Disorder. I cannot put into words what Jena Morrow does to make an eating disorder transparent for those of us who didn’t clearly understand.

We have recently restructured our Eating Disorder Treatment Plans for our clients. We have done comprehensive and extensive research to provide you with the best care possible. Check out this list to determine if you may be struggling with disordered eating. Today can be the start of a healthy relationship with food. Our Eating Disorders Page also lists other resources and how we can help.

For more information give us a call to see how we can help you.

By Elizabeth Haaser

I had a friend in high school who described her relationship with a boyfriend of three years as “the worst and best thing” in her life. She would tell me story after story of how he was rude to her or of how he made her cry, yet what was obvious to me was not obvious to her: she should ditch him. “He may be a jerk, but he’s my everything. I’m not sure who I’d be without him.”

Cheryl Kerrigan relates this same dependent/abusive relationship structure of a boyfriend and girlfriend to that of a person with an eating disorder, and (for the sake of furthering the comparison) even refers to the condition as “Ed,” who takes on human-like qualities in his determination to control his victim. Kerrigan’s book, Telling Ed No!, is not a typical self-help guide in that it reads like a memoir of her own detrimental relationship with Ed, who entered her life at a very young age. Each chapter presents a reflection for the reader to consider, and while her book is filled with over 100 strategies for recovery, Kerrigan permits a personal look into how these tools worked for her, rather than simply listing them in manual-style. The novel-like writing and short, topic-focused sections make this an easy and enjoyable read.

One of my personal favorite chapters is one that describes Kerrigan’s Gratitude Journal, which is just one of the many ideas she presents throughout the book. In an effort to become less “Ed focused” and to think more about the positive aspects of her life, she writes five things that she is grateful for at the end of each day. Even for someone without an eating disorder, this is a wonderful idea. (I have been doing my own version of this for a few months; when in bed at the end of each day, I say out-loud three things I am grateful for, and three things I am proud of myself for).

This is one of the most personal and honest books about eating disorders that I have come across in a while, and I strongly suggest this to anyone who struggles with food, or who even has seen just a glimmer of Ed.

BY: Casey Lehner

“Full recovery is possible and there is always hope!”

With a goal to spread eating disorder awareness throughout Maryland, Eating Disorder Network (EDN) of Maryland continues to make a difference in the lives of not only those individually suffering, but also in the lives of the families, friends, and parents.  EDN Maryland is improving the lives of many with a mission to spread the word that recovering from an eating disorder is possible!

EDN Maryland was created in June 2007 by a group of professionals, clinicians, parents and family members.  I had the joy of speaking to the founding director and president of EDN Maryland, Sharon R Peterson, LCSW-C, to learn more about her passion for helping those recover from eating disorders and the support network EDN Maryland provides.

Can you tell me how the vision for EDN Maryland began?

When I moved to Maryland, I discovered there was not any community, non-profit organizations available for eating disorder information and support group connections.  Without these resources, many individuals can suffer in silence.   I, along with parents, students, clinicians and other health professionals saw the need to provide an opportunity for education, support and community outreach for eating disorder awareness.  We began EDN Maryland to bring an opportunity for greater understanding about the significance in support and spread the good message about recovery for those dealing with eating disorders.

What tips can you provide to friends/family members who have a loved one struggling with an eating disorder?

I encourage family and friends to be direct, open and supportive.  If the person is a child, it is essential for parent involvement.  A valuable starting point is to make a visit with the primary care doctor to get a glance at the individual’s current health state.  Family and friends can be supportive by encouraging the individual to seek professional help with an eating disorder specialist, volunteer to attend support groups together, and be a listening ear.  There are many support groups and treatment centers listed on our website to help individuals find one who provides services that meet their needs.

Your website offers resources for individuals to find treatment that includes an array of different health professionals.  Why do you feel the role of a Registered Dietitian is needed in treatment?

The role of a Registered Dietitian is very important!  Effective treatment includes a team approach.  As a therapist myself, it is wonderful to leave the meal planning and nutrition counseling up to the Registered Dietitian.  The Registered Dietitian can help ensure meals are nutrient dense and progress is made to avoid greater nutritional deficiency.  An eating disorder is complex and recovery is best when a team of health professionals are in communication with each other.

Tell me about your recent walkathon.  What other future events do you have planned?

Our 2^nd annual walkathon was even better than the first!  We had over 100 people attend to include parents, UMCP students, local hospital supporters, friends, and more.  The speakers were fabulous leaving everyone with education and positive messages about recovery.  Planning is in the development stages for events in 2012, but be sure to check out our website as events will be posted.

What goals do you have for 2012 and the Eating Disorder Network of Maryland?

We really want to continue spreading the word.  Our hope is to provide awareness in every school in the state, gather names of specialists to continue updating our resources website so people can find treatment in their area.  Our mission continues to shed light to individuals so they know that there is help available!

Any final words or thoughts to share with someone who may be reading this blog and struggling with an eating disorder themselves?

“Full recovery is possible and there is always hope!”

Thanks to the commitment from individuals such as Sharon Peterson and the efforts provided by EDN Maryland, more people are getting the sufficient care and treatment needed for full recovery.  Working with a team of health professionals, that includes a Registered Dietitian, is reassurance that total recovery is possible.  Proper nutrition is not only essential for our optimal health when it comes to feeling our best and warding off potential diseases, but is also essential for the total care of the individual; especially for those recovering from an eating disorder.  Being aware of the interactions between food and medications, recognizing the need for adequate nutrition for mental health, and empathizing with the individual aiming for recovery are important responsibilities the Registered Dietitian can make certain are being met.  The Registered Dietitian can help the individual learn balanced eating that brings enjoyment back to food!

If you are looking for a Registered Dietitian, contact:

Rebecca Bitzer & Associates at www.rbitzer.com or call (301)-474-2499.

Or to locate a treatment provider near you, visit:

http://www.ednmaryland.org/Find-a-Treatment-Provider.html

A Personal Note from Rebecca:

Happy Holidays! As many of you know, Rebecca Bitzer MS RD and Associates has been working hard over the past several months to bring you even better services.  Over the summer and early this autumn, each of our Registered Dietitians (RD) has completed extensive continuing education in her primary area of interest.  Each client will be matched with the RD who has the passion and the cutting edge information to be able to provide you the best intervention possible and delivered in the most caring manner.  For more information about each RD and her practice, please visit our website and see the “Meet our Dietitians” link.
 
With this in mind, I have specialized as well and will focus on my passion.  I have just launched a NEW comprehensive program called “Empowered Eating” designed to provide freedom from food struggles and hope for people struggling with eating disorders and their loved ones.  For more information on these programs, visit my new website and blog at www.empoweredeatingblog.com.
 
In addition, we have a NEW newsletter where we will be including a seasonal recipe, an inspirational quote and upcoming events. We hope to inspire you with positive messages, inspiring information, and practical suggestions to help you learn ways to improve your health, make healthy, informed decisions and practice exquisite self-care.  Included in this newsletter, we hope to inspire you to practice some of the principles of Empowered Eating including: love your food, love yourself, and heal your life.  Enjoy.

You can sign up for the newsletter here!

For even more updates, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

By: Rebecca Bitzer, RD, LD

When I first started this blog, I decided that I wanted my section to focus on exquisite self care. Since then, I have become more clear on what is exquisite self-care. Merriam-Webster’s on-line definition of exquisite is the following:

1 : carefully selected : choice
2 archaic : accurate
3 a : marked by flawless craftsmanship or by beautiful, ingenious, delicate, or elaborate execution b : marked by nice discrimination, deep sensitivity, or subtle understanding c : accomplished, perfected
4 a : pleasing through beauty, fitness, or perfection b : acute, intense c : having uncommon or esoteric appeal

Although all of the above  seem to fit, the idea of exquisite self-care to me seems to encompass being able to identify your individual needs and finding ways to meet them by “filling up” your own vessel  and have enough to nourish others also.  This seems like a tricky thing to do, unless you carefully select things that foster nourishment of one’s body, mind, and soul.

Another interesting way to think about nourishing your body is to think about nourishing all of your senses.  In addition to nourishing your sense of taste by eating, how can you nourish your sense of smell, touch, hearing, sight, etc?  The photo above reminds me of ways that my dogs meet my needs of touch, hearing, sight and help me to slow down and enjoy my day.

For me, I must slow down long enough to really listen to myself to find out what charges my batteries or what drains me.  Some things that drain me, are important to do, so I must remember to nourish myself with things that replenish my energy.  I know when I am tired, stressed, and over-extending, I am not much value to myself and those around me.  However, when I am rested, well-nourished, finding time for satisfying work and play; I like myself much more and I seem to attract even more wonderful nourishing things in my life.

A carefully selected choice, it can start with a simple decision before you get out of bed in the morning to be grateful for the day and to commit to doing one positive thing for yourself each day.  This can be as simple as deciding to take the time to eat breakfast in the morning or making sure to get to bed at a reasonable time at night or any combination of other “carefully selected” choices throughout the day.

I believe that it is necessary to slow down and take the time to be thoughtful in terms of which actions would help you live your life with more peace, more creativity, more health, more satisfaction, more direction, more sense of accomplishment, more fun, or more whatever may be missing from your life.  You may wonder why I am writing about this as a “NUTRITIONIST” but I think if not me, than who?  As a nutritionist, I see that so many people’s lives are “out of balance” and that for whatever reason, most people need support and encouragement to make better choices in terms of  self-care.

Self-care in my mind involves anything that makes you a healthier person.  Who can argue that getting enough sleep, eating healthier foods and physical activity at regular intervals will not help you feel better?  Who does not benefit from some form of movement, fun, or adventure?  Food and feelings are very closely tied for some and for others there may be a big disconnect between food and feelings, but wherever you fall on this spectrum,  I believe that is important to pay attention to all the ways that you nourish your mind, body and spirit.

I challenge you to come up with big ways and small ways to nourish yourself.  I encourage you to share these with us on the comment section and I want to also say that I will be introducing additional opportunities for you to try new experiences which might encourage you to add tools to your tool box of ways to nourish yourself.   The choices and opportunities for self-care are vast and I encourage you to challenge yourself to commit and follow through with at least one positive choice or one example of exquisite self-care each day.

Please join us for our Eating Disorder Support Group in our Columbia office with Registered Dietitian Rebecca Bitzer and Kait Fortunato, and Therapist Courtney DiLallo, LCMFT.

 All Eating Disorder/Disordered Eating sufferers welcome: Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating, and Emotional Eating.

 The first group will meet Thursday, November 3^rd from 1-2 pm and continue to meet every week after that. Family members are welcome!

The group will be located at our Columbia Office:

 9881 Broken Land Parkway, Suite 105, Columbia MD 21046

 Directions can be found on our website. 

Topics Include

• Exquisite self care
• Relapse prevention
• What is normal eating?
• Media’s influence on ED
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Tools

 Please contact admin@rbitzer.com or cadilallo@gmail.com for more information.

 We are very passionate about helping our clients recover and we look forward to working with you.

 Please visit www.empoweredeatingblog.com for more information about Eating Disorder treatment and to sign up for the class.

Is your relationship with food impacting your everyday life? Do you struggle to find a healthy eating balance? The Empowered Eating movement is a powerful nutrition intervention that can save your life led by Rebecca Bitzer, an experienced Eating Disorder Nutrition Therapist. This is the ideal program for those who are serious about their commitment to recovery from disordered eating or an eating disorder. These programs are individualized based on need but include a combination of the following services. I want you to feel empowered to make healthy food decisions and feel good about yourself. Together, we can identify challenges and provide creative, helpful solutions to establish habits that will allow you to find freedom from your disorder for good. I can provide the accurate nutrition knowledge you need and the support you deserve.  Empowered Eating allows you to love yourself, love your food, and heal your life.

Check out the website for more information about the 3 programs and ways to get help.

EmpoweredEatingBlog.com

Programs

Blog

By: Amy Bortnick

The most common eating disorder in America plagues 5 million American women and 3 million American men has been recently discovered and termed binge eating disorder. The book “Crave” by Cynthia M. Bulik explores this complex disorder in which people feel powerless to fight food cravings and overeat to the point of guilt, regret and embarrassment.  “Crave” travels deep into the reality of binge eating disorder, and provides essential and clinically proven strategies for overcoming the disorder. Dr. Bulik breaks the environmental, scientific, and psychological research behind binge eating disorder into an easy to read tool that aims to restore a sense of wellbeing and provide personal empowerment in those suffering from the disorder.  The novel challenges those suffering to understand themselves, identify, isolate, and eventually manage their self-defeating behavior. Crave is not only a tool and must read for those suffering from binge eating but also a source of education for anyone seeking an understanding of this complicated disorder impacting so many Americans. If you struggle with binging, stress eating, or emotional eating, this book may help you overcome your disordered eating patterns.

At Rebecca Bitzer and Associates we work on forming a positive relationship with food and not restricting the foods you love. Make an appointment toay to learn how to enjoy food and move further away from disordered eating.

By: Amy Bortnick

I once found myself in a conversation with a woman about why I choose to be a nutrition science major. I never forgot the conversation because it was a unique one. I remember her saying to me, “but if you major in nutrition science you will always have to think about food.”  At the time I thought that was strange because to me food something everybody thought of and I was just uniquely fascinated by the role it played in one’s health, wellness, and strength and thus decided to study those things as a nutrition science student. However, it dawned on me later that like a victim recovering from an addictive relationship wants to escape thoughts of a drug a person abusing food wants to escape thinking about it but cannot. The problem is while some people may feel victim to food as if it were a drug, food is something we need to survive thus the relationship you have with food is intertwined with the relationship you have with yourself. Like any healthy relationship the one you have with food needs balance. I see the woman’s  argument now, being constantly preoccupied with food is exhausting it’s like that unfortunate friend whose dating a jerk and can’t stop talking about him because the relationship is always bothering her. Being preoccupied with an unhealthy relationship creates shame, guilt and negative energy. But avoiding thoughts about food altogether is dangerous and ultimately is not possible. Having a positive relationship with food is a critical component in the quality of life. To some people this relationship comes naturally for others it takes constant balance. Being mindful of food and aware of what you eat in each moment can help nurture your relationship with food, this is the concept of mindful eating.  Mindfulness promotes balance, choice, wisdom and acceptance of what is. It involves being present in the moment with the food you eat. For, more information, strategies  and resources on mindful eating check out The Center for Mindful Eating.