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Good News For Eating Disorders Recovery!
Relationships Replace Eating Disorders
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Volume XXXIII
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 Welcome to this month's Good News!
I went to NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association annual
conference) this month and met some of the most amazing people.
Sufferers, spouses, mothers, fathers, professionals, teachers,
students...all gathered together for one common purpose. To RID THE WORLD of eating disorders. I simply can't think of a more worthwhile use of a life. So I hope you will enjoy viewing a slideshow of some of the great folks I met, reading the inspiring articles by Good News columnists, learning more about MentorCONNECT's
ambitious goal to become the FIRST PRO-recovery website that withstands
the pressure from the pro-eating disorders online presence and grows
and lasts....and so much more. It is an honor to meet you here
each month, and I hope you are enjoying the start of Fall and the
(slightly) cooler weather that has come! Warmly and with HOPE,
Shannon
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Shannon Goes to NEDA: A Short Slideshow
National Eating Disorders Annual Conference, September 2009
I
got to meet so many MentorCONNECT mentors and members at NEDA, as well
as other inspiring activists who are doing truly great things in the
eating disorders community today. Maybe you'll even see yourself in one
of these photos!
Click HERE to watch the slideshow!
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Oct 7: The MentorCONNECT Teleconference Series Presents: Jenni Schaefer
 On October 7th, best-selling author Jenni Schaefer will be with us for our monthly MentorCONNECT Teleconference series! This exciting event is FREE and open to the public. We highly suggest you RSVP now to reserve your space! To RSVP, simply send us an email with "RSVP for Jenni" in the subject line to mc@key-to-life.com
To view the event flyer click HERE
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October Workshop with Thom Rutledge, Julie Merryman....and Shannon Cutts!
Only a few spaces left!
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Shannon's Column: Beating Ana
We.
Are.
Still
HERE.
An
eating disorder places a curiously strong yet initially invisible
barrier between you and your life. When in the grips of a powerful
mental disease such as an eating disorder, it is easy to plead
ignorance to and innocence of the factors leading us to our own demise.
We convince ourselves that we are but spectators at our own
funeral, powerless to do more than watch as events unfold to their
logical conclusion.
We continually allow ourselves to be made
sport of--to be bullied and intimidated by reminders of the gratuitous
violence we have inflicted upon ourselves. We stare at the shrapnel,
the open wounds, the fading scars that our battle with our eating
disorder has generated, until they are all we can see.
We do not
yet see the truth. We do not yet perceive that, even as our
inexplicable, indescribable self-torture escalates, and even when the
eating disorder rolls out the big guns, we are still here.
Excerpt from "The H.O.W. of Recovery" from Beating Ana: How to Outsmart Your Eating Disorder and Take Your Life Back
For more excerpts click HERE
To learn more about Shannon, click HERE |
Jeanette's Column: What is a Slip?
by Jeanette H.
Life is full of ups and downs - good times and bad. Recovery is the
same way and there will be good days and bad. There will be periods
where you are able to follow your meal plan and not engage in
behaviors. During those times it is easy to get confident and stop
doing some of the daily things you used to do when times were not as
good like journaling. It is easy to start getting a little busier and
start engaging in life again.
What happens when you slip and you don't follow your meal plan or
you engage in eating disorder behavior? I look at a slip in recovery
as just information. It is a time to look at what is going on in the
circumstances in an individual's life. Here are some questions to ask
yourself....for full article click HERE
To learn more about Jeanette click HERE
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Thom's Column: Don't Blame Ed
by Thom Rutledge
Perspective is a powerful thing. To think of your eating disorder as something --- or
metaphorically as someone --- distinct and separate from you can change everything.
Suddenly,
"you have an eating disorder" rather than "you are an eating disorder."
Suddenly, what has made no sense to you in the past becomes clear and
under-standable. Suddenly, you have the option of thinking eating
disorder thoughts but not acting on them.
Perceiving yourself
as separate from your eating disorder puts you in a position, maybe for
the first time, to do something about it. Ironically, recognizing how
you have been victimized by Ed (eating disorder) creates the
opportunity to put an end to your victimization....for full article,
click HERE
For more about Thom, click HERE
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Andrea's Column: How to Deal with Setbacks
by Andrea Roe
During my recovery I had setbacks - A LOT of setbacks. And
whenever I fell, I had to learn not to beat myself up but be kind and
patient with myself. It was often very hard to get back up again and
continue on with my recovery and healing journey.
Sometimes I was able
to get back up again by myself... I'd spend some time in my misery and
with my eating disorder but eventually got tired of feeling this way
and somehow found the strength to pull myself back up again.
And sometimes, when I felt too weak to get back up again by myself, just
tired of the whole recovery process and close to giving up the fight, I had people in my life who helped me get back up again.....for full article click HERE
To learn more about Andrea click HERE
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Lynn's Column: Filling the black hole....with Grace
by Lynn Gerhard
One
of my dearest friends in ED recovery has the opposite problem from
mine, yet we find that our addictive thoughts and actions typically
stem from all the same places.
She
just chose - before recovery - to demonstrate her eating disorders in a
different way. My way is to eat too much; hers is to eat too
little.
We
met for coffee the other day and were talking about the importance of
the spiritual component to recovery. We talked about how life
without a spiritual component dumps us smack-dab in the middle of a
strictly physical world, and that is a dangerous place to be.
I
invent the physical world I see, and it is based neither on fact nor on
understanding. It is based on fear and a sense of
separation. The scales that weigh my body may say the exact same
thing day after day, but my perception of how I look can vary.....for
full article click HERE
To learn more about Lynn click HERE
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 Q&A with
Shannon & Thom
...where YOU share
your questions and we do our best to answer!
To access the latest Q&A simply click HERE (all Q&A will be archived in the order received)
To submit your question click HERE. Each question will be answered in the order it was received.
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IAEDP Article Showcases Eating Disorders Mentoring!
(article reprinted courtesy of Gurze)
Today,
we have so many more eating disorders resources than what was available
even a few years ago. But one fact remains unchanged-we still need
support to get better and stay that way.
Just what is a mentor? Who can serve as one and what are the benefits of a mentoring relationship....for full article, click HERE
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Visit the MentorCONNECT Store & Help Support Eating Disorders Recovery!
The new MentorCONNECT Store highlights a selection of great products by leaders in the eating disorders recovery field. A percentage of proceeds from the sale of most products is donated back to MentorCONNECT, the first global eating disorders mentoring community. MentorCONNECT is run by volunteers and membership and all services are always free to members. Click HERE to shop and support MentorCONNECT today!
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You Are Invited To Join MentorCONNECT!
Come visit us at www.key-to-life.com/mentorconnect
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We (heart) our MentorCONNECT Sponsoring Care Partners!
 Do you have a heart for supporting organizations that offer free high-quality support resources to indivduals suffering from eating disorders?
Do you work for, or know someone who works for, an organization that would be willing to help?
Become a MentorCONNECT Sponsoring Care Partner! We love our sponsors...and we need each and every bit of help they provide!
For an overview of sponsorship levels (includes individuals and organizations) click HERE
For more information, CONTACT US
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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,
Shannon, Andrea, Lynn, Jeanette, Cheryl, Thom & the Key to Life Team
The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience
to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and
richer experience.
- Eleanor Roosevelt
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Good News for Eating Disorders Recovery and MentorCONNECT are sponsored in part by:
Remuda Ranch Programs for Eating Disorders
Tapestry: A Residential Treatment Center for Women with Eating Disorders
You Are Not Alone
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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
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