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Holistic approach to overcoming eating disorders

May 20, 2008

It Started With Pop-Tarts
It Started With Pop-Tarts

By Lori Hanson

My life was consumed with body image and an obsession called bulimia for 23 years. Then I spent the next 10 substituting alcohol for food binges, but didn’t realize it until much later. Our society is obsessed with the “perfect body”. We all watch our favorite ultra-thin actor or musician and want to be just like them. For me it started in the 60’s when Twiggy was THE model. I didn’t look like her, so therefore I didn’t measure up. I was what they call a functioning bulimic. I lived my life (miserably) and people had no idea I had a problem. There are two types of bulimia, purging and non-purging. Some people use excessive exercise, laxatives, diet pills and strict diets, anything to prevent weight gain. I was a non-purging bulimic; I couldn’t make myself throw up so my binges were followed by bouts of strict dieting.

In my twenties I did some counseling and identified why I became bulimic. But no one helped me learn how to deal with or express my emotions. I continued my search for an answer and rode the waves of mild success and defeat for many years. I felt totally unacceptable as a person. Guys wanted the Barbie doll figures and I sure didn’t look like that. I weighed and took my measurements every Sunday without fail as it gave me a chance to be a little excited at my progress or chastise myself for failing yet again.

When you suffer from an eating disorder there is a huge disconnect between mind and body. We don’t own our bodies—we hate them! And don’t try and apply logic to a person with an eating disorder–there isn’t anything logical about it–it has nothing to do with food.

In my forties I developed a number of health issues and started to connect the dots. There were some chemical imbalances that contributed to my bingeing. As a young child I had many ear infections and was on antibiotics a lot. This completely depleted my “good bacteria” and in my thirties and forties I suffered from chronic Candida. Combined with my bingeing on “white food” (pizza, pasta, ice cream, etc.) this made me sugar sensitive. If I ate sugar I wanted more – lots more!

I found an alternative approach to my recovery employing mind, body and spirit. Through acupuncture, energy healing, employing my subconscious and meditation I found the answer I was looking for. For me, energy healing (getting all my energy flowing from head-to-toe and getting my body connected with my head) was very powerful. Now at 49 I can look in the mirror and love what I see. That is incredible for me to say! I’ve discovered five strategies that I feel are critical for recovery holistically:

1 – Improve self-esteem
2 – Identify and understand what’s causing the eating disorder
3 – Employing the power of the subconscious
4 – Balance nutrition and supplements
5 – Improve physical and mental health work body work

There is help and you can recover! For more information and to get started today, visit my website.

©2008

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: alternative approach to eating disorder treatment, alternative treatment for eating disorders, anorexia, body image, bulemia, bulimia, eating disorder books, Eating disorder treatment, Eating Disorders, holistic treatment for eating disorders, purge, purging, Self-Esteem, vomit

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