A friend of mine has an elderly parent. Over the last few years, her mental health has completely deteriorated from forgetfulness to dementia and now Alzheimer's. She is no longer able to live on her own, and so she and her husband have been re-located to an assisted living facility ( Read more... )

One of my earliest memories of having my picture taken is when I was probably about 3. I am wearing black Mary Janes, white anklet socks, a dress and sunglasses fit for a Hollywood starlet. I felt and looked totally glamorous. I wasn’t afraid. I wasn’t sad. For once, I wasn’t wishing I was someone else. I look completely comfortable in my own skin ( Read more... )

It took me years to figure out exactly where my disorders came from. What fueled them exactly? What issues were they tied to ( Read more... )

I get asked a lot about the role therapy has played in both my life and recovery. People want to know if there isn't a "cure" for self-injury, what's the point in opening yourself up that way to a stranger? How much will they really be able to help anyway ( Read more... )

I've never understood why networks send their weathermen out into hurricanes or in the path of a tornado, just so they can say, "we're broadcasting live" as they cling to a tree. It seems horribly unfair that the other newscasters are safe and dry when the camera man and weather caster has to be outside, literally fighting for their lives ( Read more... )

I believe that as someone who is recovering from self-injury, I have to do all that I can to protect myself from people and situations that act as triggers. Coming to this decision was a long process, and something that has taken months to implement. How do you tell someone they just aren't "good" for you, especially when you've relied on them ( Read more... )

I've talked a lot about hope and the fact that even when things look their worst, there is still a chance to make a new choice, live a new life, find happiness where none was evident before ( Read more... )

What happens when eating healthy becomes an obsession? When an aversion to junk and processed foods gets way out of hand? How does society distinguish between "living right" and "living on the edge ( Read more... )

In a revolutionary study this week, researchers discovered that if eating disorders were explained as having a genetic foundation, there was less stigma. This means that doctors and mental health professionals may see individuals with anorexia in a different light. It means too that individuals who are struggling can be reassured that there may ( Read more... )

According to an article out of the UK this week, the number of individuals requiring hospitalization for eating disorders has skyrocketed. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/thehealthnews.html? ( Read more... )