This time of year seems to be so busy with activities, sports, getting ready for the holidays, etc. High levels of acute or chronic stress can make us more vulnerable to increased symptoms of anxiety, illness, chronic pain, increased relational challenges, and/or depression.

Eating disorders are commonly associated with other presenting problems or co-occurring disorders including anxiety disorders, mood disorders, self-injury, laxative abuse, substance abuse, poor body image...

For most people, Thanksgiving is a time of joy and celebration. It is a time to gather with friends and family members to spend quality time and share a traditional Thanksgiving feast. For people with eating disorders...

As we turn the calendar's page to a New Year, who of us is not stirred with a sense of hope to order our lives with a renewed discipline, an additional resolve, or a positive boundary for the new year ahead? However, for those with disordered eating, New Year's resolutions are often founded upon restricted eating and may quickly end in perceived failures, further deepening the despair surrounding food's place in our lives. I'd like to suggest that a better resolve this New Year may be a move toward Normal Eating, a resolution entirely worth our work and effort...

Don't move Don't talk out of time Don't think Don't worry Everything's just fine Just fine Don't grab Don't clutch Don't hope for too much Don't breathe Don't achieve Or grieve without leave

A professor of mine once shared, "Change happens when the cost of doing a behavior outweighs its benefits." This statement highlights the fact that although there are some benefits to unhealthy behaviors, in order for effective change to happen a cost has to be recognized. As a therapist specializing in eating disorders, I have found this to be true numerous times....

Pass the Butter, Please! Restaurant menus boast lite options, online sidebars advertise fat-eliminating potions, and grocery aisles are stacked with no-fat products. All around us, messages about fat shout, "Use less, use none, get rid of it!" Its no wonder that disordered eating abounds when one tries to eliminate or substantially reduce an essential nutrient&.

Elizabeth George, LCPC Recovering from an eating disorder is hard work. For the one choosing to embark on this journey it takes strength, courage, and humility. It also takes the support and encouragement of loved ones. Often difficulty and confusion occurs for family and friends walking beside one going through this process.

We have selected a few weblinks for your convenience that have suggestions of what to do if you are struggling with body image...

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Write 50 things that you like about you that have nothing to do with body appearance. Ask your good friends what they see in you. Get it out, keep adding to it...

We are bombarded with messages of what to eat, not eat, what diet to be on, how to look, how to dress...

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This is a listing of web links that Renew recommends as resources to you...

Looking for help? Take a look at this list of books that we recommend...