Recovery work involves developing your mind, heart, body and soul from a fragile and insubstantial state to a more mature and capable condition that is your authentic you.

You can heal your way, develop your way, grow your way out of an eating disorder.  Solid recovery from an eating disorder is not about fighting the disorder and winning.  That gives an incorrect impression that you remain the same and the eating disorder leaves.  Solid recovery occurs when you no longer need your eating disorder to cope with the stresses and challenges in your life now or in the future.  * pix

The New York Times, in the April 25, 2011 issues, ran a pessimistic article that risks leaving readers with the idea that you cannot recover

Eating disorders are serious illnesses that affect the mind, body and spirit and can be lethal. They impede a person's quality of life. Without treatmet eating disorders get worse.   Recovery requires healing and emotional development.

On this site you can find definitions and descriptions of eating disorders as given by the American Psychological Association and the National Institute of Mental Health.

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If, after reading these descriptions, you have questions about your personal situation or the situation of someone you love, please feel free to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or ask your questions on the discussion forum on this site or both.

Yes, your journal can hold your thoughts, feelings, drawings, poetry, music, rage, whining and kindness. It can hold all that you are.

Harnessing the power of your journal can have a profound impact on your life. With or without realizing it, starting a journal is to embark on a journey of self-discovery, personal empowerment, and recovery from various challenges. When you engage in journaling, you are opening the door to your vast conscious and unconscious mind.

By approaching your journal with honesty, regardless of your emotional state, your psyche will pay attention to your words. It will be there for you in times of pain, stress, rage, love, hate, confusion, sorrow, and frustration.

Your psyche knows. Your journal helps your conscious mind hold your experiences while giving your unconscious the opportunity to provide insights, facts, and energy that you cannot access otherwise.

While a good friendship can be incredibly fulfilling, it is not immune to challenges. Various factors can put a strain on even the strongest friendship. Here are some common challenges that can arise in a good friendship.

If your friendship is valuable, you can be alert to potential difficulties and address them as soon as possible.

Miscommunication:

Communication issues can lead to misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and conflicts. Different communication styles, assumptions, or

Friendship:

How to recognize the quality of your relationships and How to recognize a friend who is good for you

If you have suffered from an eating disorder, PTSD, anxiety or any hardship that has distorted your perceptions about the personality or character traits of other people, you may not recognize the qualities of a good friendship. Past emotional wounds can leave you doubting the motivations of others. You may be in an almost constant state of mistrust.

You need a reliable criterion to evaluate your friendships or potential friendships. A good friendship can

Toxic Friendship: Where does it lead you?

Friendship: Recognizing a Toxic Friendship:

If you have or had an eating disorder or PTSD or other condition that affects or affects your perceptions and your self-worth, recognizing the potential for a genuine friendship can be a challenge. You may choose friendship based on your low self-esteem and your weak sense of self-worth.

You may accept other people’s standards of behavior because you haven’t learned to establish boundaries based on your own values. You also may not appreciate the qualities of a good friend and your responsibilities to maintain that friendship.

Novelty can be your perspective. Is this a fern unfolding or a nautilus leaving a trail?

Embracing novelty is closely related to creativity as it fuels the creative process and expands our creative potential.

Here's what embracing novelty can do for you.

Stimulate new ideas:

 Embracing novelty exposes us to new experiences, perspectives, and information. This influx of novel stimuli can serve as a rich source of inspiration for generating new ideas. By engaging in diverse activities, exploring different environments, and encountering unfamiliar concepts, we broaden our creative palette and enhance our ability to think outside the box.

Embracing novelty is a valuable opening, always available, that can give you more fulfillment and joy than you might imagine. Boredom, listlessness, feeling that you are alone while everyone else is at the party are triggers for depression, anxiety, eating disorder behaviors. You want to stop these feelings through numbness or distraction. There’s a better way.

When your normal routines seem lackluster and nothing excites your interest it’s time to embrace novelty, even when you can’t think of anything that’s new and interesting.

Embracing novelty involves being open and receptive to new experiences, ideas, and