My BlogMay 5, 2010 One of the countless delights of being 'recovered', 'in remission', being 're-gained' and being 'ME' is that I am free to enjoy life to the full. Maintenance is required to safeguard this freedom. Today I will start to describe my 'helpers', my network of support, who enable me to maintain my freedom and help to raise awareness of eating disorders. I will start by describing Harley, my Staffordshire terrier. Harley is 18 months old. He is the colour of a Tim Tam (Australians know about Tim Tams - they are a delicious chocolate coated biscuit (cookie) with a crisp and caramel-like substance inside). Harley, who is of a Tim Tam brindle colour, with a white bib on his chest, is sitting at my feet as I write this. He is waiting for me to take him, or he is waiting to take me, on our evening walk to the seashore. We walk in the morning and again in the evening. Harley is named after a motorbike because I love their powerful purr and roar. Harley does not purr or roar, and indeed rarely barks (only if I am an hour late in serving his dinner0, but he is POWERFUL. Powerful in loving me, licks and tail wags galore. Powerful in being loyal, and powerful in being a mate. Always happy to see me. He gives his love freely, and does not hold it against me that he cannot eat a Tim Tam! Anyway, he is pushing on my leg and wagging his tail so that it hits my office wall, like a little drum-beat, as if to say 'let's go for our walk now!'. He is an expert at helping me to LIVE IN THE MOMENT. Tomorrow, I will tell describe more of my support team! Write and tell me about your team members!
May 4, 2010 My friend Jane Cawley of Maudsley Parents is a great newshound when it comes to eating disorders. She is quick to notice any publication promoting awareness of family-based treatment, also known as the Maudsley Approach. This is a particularly helpful treatment for early intervention of Anorexia Nervosa in adolescents. And you can read all about it in my book My Kid Is Back - Empowering Parents to Beat Anorexia Nervosa. This morning Jane e-mailed from 10,000 miles across ocean and land to say that Lindsey, of Gurze Books has listed this book on her Bulimia.com eNews site. Thank you, Lindsey! Lindsey describes My Kid is Back as the right book for parents who have a child with an eating disorder and want to read stories by other families who have gone through the journey of recovery. There is one sure thing about Anorexia Nervosa - no matter what country you live in, its effect on the sufferer, and on family relationships, is the same everywhere. It helps to know that you are not alone in your experiences, and to share with other families and sufferers who have 'been there' and 'recovered'. Writing My Kid Is Back made me very aware of the vital role of parents and siblings in helping a child, adolescent or adult recover from an eating disorder. It also made me aware of the lack of knowledge about eating disorders in many health centres and hospitals and has led to my next book, an international textbook on eating disorders for GPs, family doctors and other health professionals. Standby for more news about this exciting and much-needed textbook, which I am co-authoring with Professor Janet Treasure of King's College, London.
May 3, 2010, marks my very first blog! Many exciting things are happening in the world of eating disorders, and yet there is much work to be done in 'getting the word out' and raising awareness. With my blog I aim to reach out to sufferers and carers alike, with a special focus for sufferers of eating disorders who maybe missed out on receiving help when young, and are struggling silently in adulthood. No matter what age we are, we can make progress, we can improve our quality of life. I look forward to sharing my journey with you and to you sharing your journey with me! Best wishes, June |