It is no secret in the field of eating disorder treatment that there is a strong correlation between trauma and eating disorders. Some individuals develop an eating disorder as a way to cope with the pain of unresolved trauma, particularly the trauma of abuse. October...
Relationships or Rules? Which Would You Choose?
On a sunny Sunday afternoon in Manhattan Beach, California, when I was four years old, I was spending a glorious day with my family at the beach. I loved building sandcastles, burying my Dad in the sand, and dancing up and down in the waves, trying to outrun them. I...
The Benefits of Practicing a Sabbath: It’s Not About Religion, It’s About Your Mental Health
Stress. Just hearing the word makes your muscles tense up. We all know that stress is a part of life. You cannot completely eliminate stress from your life (unless you live in a bubble), but you may be able to limit it - it’s how you manage stress that matters. Some...
Please Don’t Treat My Mother Like a Leper!: How Love Can Conquer the Fear of Different
Last year, while traveling in Greece with my husband for our wedding anniversary, we happened upon the little island of Spinalonga, a former leper colony. This tiny island is accessible only by boat, and while from 1903-1957, no one stepped foot on the island aside...
Letting Go When All You Want To Do Is Hold On 2.0
With New Year resolution making mentality in the air, I find myself revisiting some reflections from a few years ago. Letting Go When All You Want To Do Is Hold On, was a post I penned in January, 2014; it received 2,000+ hits. While that may not be much to some of...
Brain Changer: How Practicing Gratitude Can Improve Your Health
Thanksgiving Day. A day where, around the globe we collectively pause to reflect, to acknowledge, to celebrate, to practice gratitude. As your day winds down you may wonder, is it the tryptophan in the turkey that is causing me to feel calmer and more at peace? Maybe....
How to Stand Up to a Bully: Five Things You Should Know Before Going Toe-to-Toe
When I was in the third grade in Southern California, I rode the bus to school, along with my older brother. For some reason, this kid named Mike decided to start teasing me. I really don’t know why he targeted me, but he decided I was easy prey. Maybe because I...
Do You Need a Self-Care Intervention?
Nothing says I love you like a friend who is willing to tell you the truth. Even if it stings a little. Rewind to about a month ago. I was having coffee with a friend, willing the caffeine and conversation to give me the energy I needed to push through my...
The Outcome of Hope
Not long ago I was in a meeting with some well-educated people, brainstorming ways to create an appealing message to capture the interest of those seeking recovery. I suggested incorporating the word “hope” into our messaging. Someone shot back, “No - hope has...
Reflections From the Waiting Room
As I write this, I am sitting in the waiting room. Literally. My husband is having surgery today. While it is apparently a fairly common procedure in the surgical world, he has been nervous about it. I think the urgency with which his surgeon felt it needed to be...
How to Keep Yourself From Coming Unwrapped This Christmas
Got peace? It’s no secret that while Christmas is a favorite time of year for many, for others it causes great distress and sadness. Christmas is just a few days away, and while many of us are getting increasingly excited, some are experiencing exponential panic....
All I Really Need to Know I Learned From Moving 17 Times
Moving, along with marriage, divorce, death, major illness, and a handful of other situations, is considered by mental health experts to be among the top ten most stressful life events. Stress is relative though, and I think after you move three or four (or 17) times,...
How Living By Your Values More Can Help You Worry Less
Has worrying ever helped you solve a problem, prevented something bad from happening, or brought you any kind of resolution or peace? Me neither. Worrying has, on the other hand, prevented me from relaxing, brought me all kinds of angst, and even made me physically...
Is There a Connection Between Faith and Freedom?
When I was a little girl, I loved sparklers. I wriggled with anticipation every 4th of July for the sun to sink low in the sky. Waiting for the pink and orange hues to fade into gray, I would watch for my father to retrieve that long, rectangular box from its hiding...
Grace For President!: A Few Thoughts on Politics, Religion, and Other Forbidden Topics
A few weeks ago I was in a store, having my cell phone repaired. While I was waiting for the repairs to be done, one of the sales associates struck up a conversation. After several minutes of the usual pleasantries, he surprised me by bringing up one of society’s...
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