Waking up in a great mood

After a great nights sleep I have woken up feeling happy, positive and ready to start a new week at work. The following music video sums up how I am feeling really well and I hope that it helpsyou to feel the same way. Have a fantastic day! :) x

 

Mental health week

This week, it is mental health week so I wanted to share this fantastic video with you all that highlights the importance of ending the stigma associated with mental illnesses. I thought it was a fantastic video and I hope you all find it as inspiring as I did. I was actually sent this video by email at because it is mental health week which I thought was amazing. Afterall, the current stigma associated with mental illnesses will only end if people are educated about it.

https://youtu.be/SQYNOXXjrxQ

Warrior- Demi Lovato :)

I had never heard this song before today but I think it accurately represents recovery from an eating disorder as well as what it means to be recovered. I hope you find it as inspirational as I did :)

vhttps://youtu.be/UFeJkfB4xKo

Day 7: Your 5 favourite songs

The following five songs alll mean something special to me;

1: Mean by Taylor Swift
This song was one of my fvourite songs when I was in my half recovered stage as it reminded me of my anorexia and it gave me hope that oneday I would overcome my eating disorder. If you listen to the words they are actually quite relevant...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jYa1eI1hpDE

2: Summer of 69 by Brian Adams
This song is  classic and I has always been a favourite of my whole families. I remember listening to this song at every family gathering or party and singing along with my loved ones. It is a bit like a family anthem for us.

3: The way it is by Lee Kernaghan
This country song reminds me of growing up on a farm and really highlights the connection I feel to the land and to the country. I love our country way of life and will always be a country girl, no matter where I end up.

4: Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson
This is anoyther recovery song of mine that really reminds me of my recovery I wrote a post on it a while a go that you can read here: http://fighting-anorexia.blogspot.com.au/search/label/recovery%20songs

5: Still the one by Shania Twain
Ever since I was a little girl, this is  the song that I hae always wanted to play at my wedding. I think it is a really beautiful song and I think that the words really desribe true love well and have influenced my ideas and beliefs about what true love actually means.

Brave- Sara Bereilles

This song really hits home for me as it really describes what I want to see from you, as my readers, 'I want to see you be brave'. No matter what stage you are at in your recovery as long as you are brave you CAN keep making progress!  I can give you all advice and support but at the end of the day you are the ones who need to be brave and put it all into action. You are the creators or your own destinies so please, be brave so that you can live the lives you truly deserve to live. I believe in every single one of you, you just need to start believing in your selves too. <3 x

More on body image...

Weight & Body Image Disorders: Causes, Symptoms & Signs

Article Contents

• What is Negative or Distorted Body Image?
• Signs & Symptoms of Negative Body Image
• Causes of Negative Body Image
• Relationship Between Weight & Body Image
• Relationship Between An Eating Disorder & Body Image
• Treatment For Negative Body Image
• Weight & Body Image Articles

What is Negative or Distorted Body Image?

Body image refers to how people see themselves. Distorted body image (also called negative body image) refers to an unrealistic view of how someone sees their body.  Like eating disorders, it is seen most commonly in women, but many men also suffer from the disorder. You begin forming your perceptions of your body’s attractiveness, health, acceptability and functionality in early childhood.  This body image continues to form as you age and receive feedback from peers, family member, coaches, etc.  Personality traits such as perfectionism and self criticism can also influence the development of a negative internalized image of your body.

Love Yourself – A video for those who struggle with poor body image. As posted by: LoveLyLieKie

Signs & Symptoms of Negative Body Image

Symptoms of unhealthy or negative body image may include:

• obsessive self scrutiny in mirrors
• thinking disparaging comments about your body and frequent comparison of your own shape and size to other people
• envy or a friend’s body, or just as commonly: the body of a celebrity or someone else in the media.

Causes of Negative Body Image

Sometimes body image is negatively impacted by one or more significant events.  For example, a gymnast who is continually chided by her coach and fellow athletes to lose a little weight, may develop a deeply ingrained and long standing dissatisfaction with her body, no matter how thin she becomes.

If  you are concerned about your body image, here are some questions to ask yourself:

• Is my perception of beauty distorted from years of media exposure that glorifies a very thin ideal that is unrealistic for most people to obtain in a health manner?
• Do I find myself regularly criticizing my own appearance?

Relationship Between Weight & Body Image

A normally healthy weight range for an individual can be perceived as overweight by someone with a distorted body image.  An anorexic young woman may look at herself in a mirror and see a reflection that is greater than her actual size.  Conversely, it is not uncommon for obese individuals to report that they did not realize they were as large as they are and had perceived their body as much smaller until an occasion arises where they see a photograph, video or window reflection that strikes a nerve and causes them to come to terms with their actual image.

Relationship Between An Eating Disorder & Body Image

Body image concerns and eating disorders go hand in hand.  Often, it is the early dissatisfaction with a young person’s appearance that leads them to conclude that losing weight would enhance their appearance, and make them feel better about themselves and their bodies.  Thus, restrictive eating and over exercising are often next, frequently leading to patterns of disordered eating and weight obsession that can develop into anorexia, bulimia, orthorexia, compulsive overeating or binge eating disorder.

Treatment For Negative Body Image

Getting treatment for distorted body image is a critical step to recovery. The problem won’t just go away by itself.   Recognizing and acknowledging your feelings and accompanying body sensations will help you become more comfortable in your body and lessens the tendency to suppress feelings and revert to unhealthy, negative inner diatribes to escape uncomfortable feelings.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, an approach where irrational thoughts are recognized, analyzed and restructured to more rational self talk, is frequently used. Additionally, dance and movement therapy are often employed to develop a greater trust and appreciation of  one’s body based upon creating internal experiences, rather than simply evaluated one’s body aesthetically.

Many centers for eating disorder treatment specialize in body image awareness.

Slice from Karen Kennedy on Vimeo.

Karen Kennedy is a filmmaker and television producer in Los Angeles, California. For contact information, please email us.

Sourced from: http://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/information/body-image

The Bronte Story

Since developing anorexia I have read the Bronte Cullis book and found her transformation truly remarkable. I cant help but tear up every time I see these videos but I think they are a wonderful inspiration for anyone trying to recovery and I highly reccommend watching them. Bronte defeated the odds and recovered which shows me that it is possible for me to do the same. I have also shared some background information about bronte from this wesite as well.

Anorexia is an illness that for a long time, both here and overseas, wasn’t spoken about as freely as it is today. Nor were there many treatment facilities on hand to help people with eating disorders. And to make matters worse, those who suffered from anorexia were often marginalised and misunderstood by society at large.

One such person who endured the debilitating condition is Bronte Cullis, who several decades ago was literally the face, and body, of anorexia in Australia after appearing on 60 Minutes with Ray Martin. In fact, at the time many people didn’t believe that Bronte would make it past her teen years. Fortunately she did overcome anorexia and has gone on to help highlight important issues related to body image and the destructive nature of the relentless drive for the ‘body perfect’, especially for young people.

Bronte Cullis, says:

“No Australian should have to travel half way round the world to receive treatment in order to live. It is so important that sufferers of eating disorders can remain with their families and have access to treatment that is humane, dignified, and works! It is our right to be loved, nurtured and understood. These most fundamental rights should not differ because we suffer from an eating disorder.”

The most wonderful news of all is that she married the love of her life and is now expecting her first child. The news of her pregnancy was something she never thought she would ever hear. Now that’s a very, very happy ending indeed!

Bronte runs the charity The Bronte Foundation, which aims to ensure that all sufferers of eating disorders benefit from life-saving treatment. It was established in response to the need for equitable access to effective, humane and dignified treatment.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hy5PWtsSams

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ivQFN_cMFk0