|
|
Good News For Eating Disorders Recovery!
Relationships Replace Eating Disorders
|
Volume 40
| |
 Welcome to this month's Good News!
April was a big month in our world. MentorCONNECT launched our new website (check it out below)! I
represented MentorCONNECT when I went to Washington D.C. to lobby for
the FREED Act (Federal Response to Eliminate Eating Disorders). And
perhaps most importantly (really not kidding about that) I came just a
stage-length's away from my pre-turning-40 goal of meeting STING. Sting
rocks. He is the best. I think I'd make an excellent backup singer or
guitar case-carrier. I still have eight months to meet him before I
turn 40 in December. I am quite sure it will happen.Or
in other words, hope springs eternal. A decade ago I had the same
attitude about my recovery from 15 years of struggling with anorexia
and bulimia, and look at me today! Sting's coming to Houston in June and surely someone I know will have backstage passes. Or in other words, never ever give up.
There are so many reasons to have hope - and to spring forward into
action! Thanks for sharing another month of Good News with us - we hope
you enjoy this month's e-newsletter. Warmly and with HOPE,
Shannon
| |
Me & Sting...sort of
 
me
waiting (im)patiently for Sting to appear
Sting singing mere yards (ok, miles) from us
|
The Eating Disorders Coalition's 2010 Lobby Day was a huge success!
As a Hope Circle member of the Eating Disorders Coalition,
MentorCONNECT founder Shannon Cutts traveled to Washington D.C. to take
part in lobby day 2010.
Click HERE to watch a video of Lobby Day!
Pictured: Shannon, EDC Policy Director Jeanine Cogan, Chelsea Turner
|
May 5: the MentorCONNECT Teleconference Series Presents:
Dr. Ken Weiner
"Recovering from Eating Disorders in a Hostile Environment" Each
day we wake up, we set our minds and our hearts for the challenges ahead,
and
we choose for one more day to
make recovery our number one priority. But the
moment we step outside our door we are confronted with ever more
messages and
images that reinforce the perpetuation of the very disorder we are
striving to
recover from! Most challenging of all, we are forced to confront on a
daily
basis the assumptions and opinions of others who do not understand what
we
suffer from and believe that an eating disorder is a choice, not a
disease.
They do not understand that unlike others in recovery, we cannot just
stay away
from food...or "just eat". It is not that simple. Dr. Ken Weiner has
dedicated more than 25 years to developing
effective and innovative approaches for overcoming these very
challenges. In
this inspiring and empowering teleconference, Dr. Weiner shares his
recommendations for how to achieve sustainable recovery in spite of the
environmental obstacles we often face along the way. This exciting event is FREE and open to the public. To RSVP, simply send us an email with "RSVP for Dr. Ken"in the subject line to mc@mentorconnect-ed.org
To view the event flyer click HEREClick HERE to listen to past podcasts
|
| Great articles by our wonderful Good News columnists & more....
|
|
Shannon's Column: Beating Ana 
The trouble with being human
(as reprinted from Shannon's "Beating Ana" Gurze blog on 4/18/2010)
It is hard to be human.
It is challenging for everyone.
This
past weekend I gave a presentation at a youth workers conference. The
room was filled with working adults - folks ages mid-twenties and up.
These leaders had paid their own money and given up their entire
weekend to sit in a room, classroom-style, and learn more effective
strategies to support, guide, and mentor the teens in their charge.
Yet
it quickly became apparent that the material we discussed was as
applicable to our own lives today as it is for the teens in our lives.
We
all struggle with something. We are all afraid, as one youth worker put
it when describing the silence of his teen girls in group study
situations, "of looking stupid in front of our friends". We never
really grow out of our need for reassurance that we have chosen the
"right" outfit for the occasion (i.e. no suits to a pool party or
flip-flops to a wedding, otherwise known as "what would the
neighbors/relatives/spouses/other guests think").
Similarly,
we never quite fully manage to shed our concern about "what s/he meant
by that" before choosing our response. The trouble with being human is
that we never really "arrive" at that state - in fact, we are never
even quite sure what "being human" means. We are forever students of
the human experience, just trying to do the best we can and hoping it
will one day make sense.
Throughout our lives, our bodies and
minds will continue to change. Our hearts will swing open or shut
depending on the circumstances each day presents. And while our spirits
may not change per se, our awareness of them over time certainly will.
On some level, we will always continue to feel like strangers to
ourselves, with fluctuating levels of curiosity and fear in response to
the new things we learn about "me"....for the full article click HERE
For archived columns click HERE To learn more about Shannon, click HERE |
Jeanette's Column: What's my legacy?
by Jeanette H.
 In the last month my adopted dad passed away. This brought up so
many different emotions and thoughts for me. As the obituary was
written and the services planned, it became apparent that there was so
much to celebrate about his passing. He led a very full meaningful life
and impacted so many people in his lifetime. As we had the visitation
and then the funeral it became even more apparent that there was so much
more depth to our dad than we knew. Everyone had their own stories to
tell and memories to share about the person he was to them. The
eulogies that were spoken at his funeral best summarized the testimony
his life was to many and what a legacy he will leave behind in all those
he encountered.
My dad's passing really made me think back to an exercise that I had
to do when I was in treatment. I was given the assignment of writing my
obituary. That was by far one of the hardest assignments I had ever
been given because I had nothing positive to write. My eating disorder had robbed me of the life and the legacy I would
want to share with others. I did not like the person I had become. I
had lived so long as a prisoner to my eating disorder that there was
nothing left in my life to celebrate.
Sure I graduated high school and
college but that was about it. I was a body walking through life with
no connection to the outside world. I had no relationships left because
ED had stolen those from me. I pushed away everyone that had loved me
at one point or another because they "could not get in the way of my
eating disorder. "
When I think now about writing my obituary I know that I am alive and
that I am leaving a legacy that I am proud of.....for full article click HERE
To learn more about Jeanette click HERE
|
 Q&A with Shannon & Thom
This month's questions include:
- Getting "off the fence" about recovery
- Telling the difference between what you see in the mirror and what is reality
- and much more!
To access the latest Q&A click HERE (all past Q&A is archived in date order)
To submit your question click HERE. Each question will be answered in the order it was received.
|
|
Andrea's Column: Stay Focused to Get Healthy
by Andrea Roe
During
the recovery process, it's important to stay focused on what is
important to us- a life without ED (the eating disorder); the freedom
to do what we want with our life without that cloud constantly around
us. That's what we are fighting for.
But, it's so easy to
get distracted... by the eating disorder voice, every-day life, stress
at work or school, or because "life just happens".... At that point,
it's important to remind ourselves on a regular basis why we do what we
do. Reminding ourselves helps us stay focused.
Here are a few things that can help you stay focused on your recovery goals.
Recovery Collage:
Collect photos of yourself or ones from newspapers and either write
words or cut them from magazines. Paste all of it together on a 4x3
piece of card stock. Use what you have put together to create something
that inspires you to keep moving ahead. Put it somewhere where you can
see it on a regular basis. Like on the wall opposite of your desk, so
whenever you look up, you can see it and automatically get reminded of
it. Or, you can attach it to the wall next to your bed, so you can see
it first thing in the morning and last thing at night.....for full
article click HERE
To learn more about Andrea click HERE
|
Lynn's Column: The body demonstrates
by Lynn Gerhard
 Not too long ago, I wrote in my journal, "My body demonstrates what
is happening in or to my spirit." I have become aware of this on a much
deeper level lately as I work with the health coach provided by my
health-conscious employer to anyone who wants the services of one. Even
though my eating behaviors are mostly sound and not of the
life-threatening variety, I am, once again, not in the healthiest of
places. It also does not hurt to keep someone around to whom I am
accountable and with whom I can explore on a deeper level just how much
my choices around my body relate directly to my perceptions and choices
in the rest of my life. I am enjoying this mindfulness, knowing that
there is always room for improvement and also knowing that the only
lasting good results come from establishing better habits to replace the
those that are not healthy. But change should not be radical unless you are facing immediate
death without them. Radical changes in behavior do not create the
foundation for continued good choices. We improve for a very short time
only to fall dramatically, generally into a deeper hole than the one we
found ourselves in before we made the radical changes to dig ourselves
out.....for full article click HERE
To learn more about Lynn click HERE
|
Thom's Column: Declare Independence from Fear
 The belief that we can think and act in such a way that fear will be banished from our lives is a dangerous fairy tale, a fiction that contaminates personal responsibility and leads to reckless reactivity or paralysis. As long as we cling to the need to send our fears into exile, as long as we insist that the goal is to be fear-free, as long we believe that there is such a thing as complete reassurance, we are in trouble.
Life cannot be lived --- at least not lived fully --- without experiencing fear. Fear is not an obstaclestanding between you and the life you want to live; it is an integral part of that life. Fear is to be faced, not avoided. Attempting to side step fear is like skipping class: you can do it if that's what you choose, butyou will not be making it to the next grade level. (unless, of course, you are a star athlete). Stop ducking your fears. Make a list of them instead. Start the list today and keep it handy. Add to thelist as you become aware of more fears. There is no shame in having fear. It is as much a human characteristic as having skin or breathing air. Don't waste your time debating whether or not your fear"should" exist, or whether or not "it makes sense".....for full article click HEREFor more about Thom, click HERE |
Radio that Replenishes
|
|
|
Your donation can provide a mentor to someone who needs help and hope!
 I would just like to say THANK YOU for MentorCONNECT. It has been such a blessing in my life and a fantastic recovery tool. -Elizabeth Click HERE to donate in support of MentorCONNECT's mission
|
|
Until next time....remember that Relationships Replace Eating Disorders, and that this is the kind of Good News that lasts and lasts - and turns into RECOVERY!
Warmly and with HOPE,
Everyone needs someone to believe in them...even when they are not believable.
-Shannon Cutts
|
Good News for Eating Disorders Recovery and MentorCONNECT are sponsored in part by:
PREMIUM LEVEL SPONSORS:
Remuda Ranch Programs for Eating Disorders
Tapestry: A Residential Treatment Center for Women with Eating Disorders
You Are Not Alone
PROFESSIONAL NETWORK SPONSORS:
|
|
REPRINTS: You may reprint any of the content found in Good News in your own ezine or website. Simply send an email requesting permission by clicking HERE.
NOTE: Good News
is NOT meant to replace the supervision and care of a qualified medical
professional, and should never be construed as such. Shannon Cutts, the
MentorCONNECT Leadership Team and Key to Life
can NOT be held liable for any activities undertaken as a part or
result of receiving or participating in these online communities.
NOTE TO SUBSCRIBERS: Good News is
sent by invitation and subscription only - if for any reason you
believe that you have received this e-newsletter in error, or you no
longer wish to receive it, please use the link provided below to let us
know. Peace. |
|
|
|
|
