I am not a therapist or counselor, but rather a women who spent 27 years battling Bulimia. I began my battle at the tender age of 13 when just an eighth grader. I had no idea at the time what bulimia was, let alone any kind of body dysmorphic disorder. I was like most teens, just wanting to feel love and a sense of belonging. Like many other sufferers my situation was complicated by chaotic familial circumstances and an environment where healthy forms of communication were absent. This was compounded by my own negative “beliefs” about my self-worth and physical appearance. So although your family and your child’s circumstances may be different from what mine were, the likelihood of there being some commonalities certainly exists. This has been my experience whenever I have spoken to other sufferers and indeed parents too.
Once I achieved recovery after 27 years of horrific self-abuse, I wrote two books so that my struggles could have some positive impact on others and their journey back to health. I have also spoken at conferences, colleges, even hospitals and have been blessed to have had so many other sufferers reach out to me and share their stories. Lately though I have come across more and more parents of sufferers (I guess this is partly because of my age!) and I have been really touched by their personal struggles to understand and help their child. So I decided to dedicated 2019 to focusing all my blog posts and videos on helping parents navigate this journey and be the best partners in recovery they can be for their child. Let’s not underestimate the task parents face because although the child is usually the focus, the reality is that the parents also have to do some introspection and reassessment of their own attitudes, and the environment they have created for their children. I look forward to your feedback as I post. “Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new beginning” Carl Bard
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As a former sufferer and now a parent myself I am often asked by parents about how to best to communicate with and try to understand their children who are suffering from some an eating disorder. This has made me think a lot about how best I can help and so I am going to commit to a series of blog posts and videos over the coming 6 months focusing specifically on parents.
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AuthorAfter a 25 yr battle with Bulimia I am recovered and dedicated to helping others also win their battles with Bulimia or other Eating Disorders. I have chronicled my struggle, as well as strategies for recovering, in two books and encourage anyone who is struggling to reach out to me confidentially Archives
September 2019
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