binge-eating disorder

Practicing Self-Esteem- by Alice Kofman

Practicing Self-Esteem- by Alice Kofman

Many people with eating-disorders have low self-esteem. An excellent tool to develop higher self-esteem is to practice writing in a journal every day. A journal is like a mirror into one’s soul. It’s a great place to express emotion, creativity and to work through negative emotions. Journaling can be used as a safe outlet to release private thoughts and feelings. By practicing free flowing stream of consciousness writing, one can effectively explore one’s inner world. Many people are far too busy to pay attention to the subtle inner feelings that arise in the…Read more
A Skeleton With Skin- By Lee Harmon

A Skeleton With Skin- By Lee Harmon

Last week I was doing some research on recent discoveries or studies done on eating disorders. I came across a website that featured a French woman who has since died from complications with anorexia. She was a model, and there were many beautifully taken photos of her; however, her painfully emaciated body was all that I could focus on. She was literally nothing but flesh and bones, her sharp features made even sharper by her nonexistent body fat. She looked like a skeleton with skin. The crazy thing was that I felt two…Read more
Why I Don’t Weigh Myself (If I Can Help It)- By Lee Harmon

Why I Don’t Weigh Myself (If I Can Help It)- By Lee Harmon

I try hard not to weigh myself anymore. It’s not as easy as it may seem, but I find that I am a much more content person if I don’t know what I weigh. When I do know what I weigh, I seem to be more obsessed than ever about numbers. If I am above or below my “ideal” weight it’s the only thing I can think about. So I avoid scales. Sort of.   It’s a bit like trying to avoid alcohol. Even if I am abstaining from alcohol, it still exists…Read more

How Does a Mother of Three Get High School Skinny? By Lee Harmon

I was driving down the road the other day and I saw something that had me super confused. It was a giant billboard of a beautiful, blonde woman showing off her flat, tanned stomach. On the billboard was the question “How did this mother of three get high school skinny?” And of course there was a business name and a 1-800 number to call. High school skinny? What does that mean? My brain was flooded with all sorts of conflicting emotions. At first I thought the obvious – How DOES a mother of…Read more

Social Media and Eating Disorders- By Jamie Zabludowski

Many parents are under the impression that they can save their teens from the attractions of sex, drugs, and pro-eating disorders by simply turning off their televisions or moving to a secluded island. Of course, anyone can use the parental control settings on a TV to block certain commercials and programs, but what about computers? What about social media? It sounds like things are getting a little more complicated to stop kids from binging, purging, and restricting. The “model thin” image is advertised on all different social media platforms. In June 2010, a study by…Read more

Seeking Solace in a Sandwich- By Michael Soter

Food can be very comforting. There is even a specific type of food that we label “comfort food.”  But what happens when all food becomes comfort food?  When I no longer eat to live, but I live to eat? While overeating is not my main addiction, it certainly was my first.  I grew up overweight, I felt awkward, and I never fit in.  I did not have friends, but I had food. My parents made a rule that I could not bring food into my room, a rule I never intended to follow.  I ate…Read more
How Black Swans Feed Their Young

How Black Swans Feed Their Young

By Susan B. Krevoy, Ph.D. How many of us have an unhealthy split between our light side and our dark side? The movie “Black Swan” brilliantly depicts the difficulty in integrating the different parts of ourselves. Don’t we all have a “white swan” in us? It’s our “good” positive feelings of hope, love, kindness, humility, generosity, and compassion. And don’t we all have a “black swan” inside of us as well? These are our “bad” negative feelings of anger, envy, greed, arrogance, false pride, resentment, and self-pity. The struggle we face is how…Read more
Learning to Communicate

Learning to Communicate

Paulson V Veliyannoor, MS Pre-Doctoral Intern/ Clinical Staff Susan B Krevoy Eating Disorder Program Khalil Gibran famously wrote in The Prophet: “In speech, truth is half-murdered.” Well, there is much truth in this statement. Yet the inability to speak may leave the truth fully murdered with its remains leaking through the pores of one’s being. An Eating Disorder is one such leakage which results from, among other things, the difficulty to verbalize one’s needs and feelings. In other words, eating disorder is one form of maladaptive communication. Learning to communicate, then, is one of…Read more
A Cultural Perspective on Gender and Eating Disorders in Group Therapy By: Stephen L Salter, Psy.D

A Cultural Perspective on Gender and Eating Disorders in Group Therapy By: Stephen L Salter, Psy.D

When I began running groups at the SBK Eating Disorders Program, I wasn’t surprised to find I’d be working primarily with women.  I was aware that the epidemic hit women three times harder than men, but I wasn’t sure why.  I knew larger social forces were at play.  After all, The United States fosters more eating disorders than any country in the world.  Many point to the flooding of media images—unrealistic, unhealthy, and grossly underweight ideals of what it mean to be beautiful.  Is it possible to avoid these external influences? Why not…Read more
Non-Hunger Eating and Change

Non-Hunger Eating and Change

Eve Lahijani,, RD Nutritionist for the Susan B. Krevoy Eating Disorder Program Every few months I buy a pot of orchids from Trader Joe’s to decorate my home/office.  However, on this trip to the market, I could not find the exact shade or orchids I usually select.  In turn, I chose a slightly pinker shade of purple. When I brought my orchids home I tuned into my irritation at the fact that the potted flowers did not match the decor on my table – and tuned into my frustration thatthings will not be…Read more
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