"Why do I feel ashamed of myself because I was abused?  I know it was not my fault. Why do I feel the need to hide it, even from my trusted therapist?" asks a reader.
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What would you like your mental health clinician to know about helping you understand and resolve your troublesome sex life?

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Frightened child image in recurring nightmares can hold recovery gifts

A frightened child image is particularly disturbing to a woman with an eating disorder. Yet the psyche is communicating to us with these images.  Unfortunately, our tendency is to be glad we woke up and then want to get as far away from that nightmare as possible.

Here’s an example of a nightmare with a recurring frightened child image.

If only I could rid my mind of the image of me as a little girl. It’s constant in my dreams, my nightmares. I am alone. I am scared, and I am silent.  I sometimes feel like I’m drowning when I see this image. It is so profound to me. I think if that image would go away I would be fine. But it keeps coming back. It’s so powerful.

No preset path and many choices. Recovery is a journey.

Binge Eating and Eating Disorder Recovery Time

How long will binge eating and eating disorder recovery take? This is a reasonable question. The answer depends on how much dedication you and your therapist give to your recovery journey. Not only can I not provide a specific time, but I can't guarantee that someone will indeed recover. The answer so many people want is "Fast, inexpensive, and no suffering." Or "A short stay in an eating disorder residential program."

The question is complex with a different answer for every individual. If you are still reading after this undesirable news, please let me talk a little about what it takes to recover from binge eating and eating disorders.