Addictive personalities, in the rehab and treatment community are plentiful. Individuals who latch on to multiple methods of blocking pain and “numbing out” to life. “I’m sober for 13 months now! But I’m binging and purging multiple times every day.” “I’ve recovered from my bulimia, but I’m drinking like a fish”. “I finally got clean and sober from heroin and speed. I’ve made it 17 months, but I can’t eat; I’ve dropped from 115 to 96 pounds in the last 4 months.”
A lot of individuals get treated for the chemical addiction, eating disorders, or depression, but they just go out and find another unhealthy coping mechanism. So often the individuals in treatment that are working so hard to get over their addiction are outside having a smoke every chance they get; one of the strongest addictions to break, yet somehow more socially acceptable.
From the age of ten I watched people go in and out of treatment. My father was the Administrator of a psych hospital in Worthington, Ohio for 13 years. It struck me as young as I was, that people kept coming back—they weren’t getting well.
As I struggled with my own eating disorder, I began to research and study information in search of recovery. I observed that sadly the same problem exists in individuals with addictions, as those with psychiatric problems. People with eating disorders or drug and alcohol addictions go to treatment, relapse, go for more treatment, relapse again and create a new cycle of behavior sprinkled with varying lengths of sobriety, freedom from drugs or their eating disorders, before answering the call back to the addiction.
In my own experience when I was bingeing regularly back in my twenties, I always had this feeling there was something more than just my lack of self-esteem that was causing the binges. There was a chemical pull, something in my body that pushed me to binge, in addition to the fact I’d had a bad day, got embarrassed or made fun of. If I stayed off sweets I was fine. If I took the first bite I was gone on a week long sugar binge and put on 10 pounds in a matter of two to three days. I didn’t have any scientific proof back then, I just knew.
I learned about what I call the whack-a-mole syndrome first hand. Once I quit bingeing, I spent ten years using alcohol to “numb out” in exactly the same fashion. But I didn’t realize that was what had happened until I started to write a book about my recovery. When it hit me, I was stunned and disappointed to see that although I thought I had overcome my eating disorder, all I really did was find a new secret flavor to send me to my favorite hideaway where I was safe from the interaction of the world. Snickers, Oreos, pizza, pasta, Pralines n’ Cream were exchanged for an even simpler sugar in the form of wine. Part of why I missed the connection is because it started with my first job in sales. I was entertaining clients on a regular basis and it was part of the job. It’s socially acceptable to have the nickname Happy Hour Queen- always ready to entertain.
In my early forties I developed a number of health problems. I had no energy, everything I ate (and I ate very healthy foods) bloated my stomach and my right ear was completely blocked. I had ear problems throughout my life. More ear infections than I can even count. I was on antibiotics regularly as a child and numerous times in my teens and twenties. Antibiotics wreak havoc on your internal system.
In my twenties, every time I took antibiotics I asked for the Diflucan because I knew I would have a yeast infection within a day of going on the medication. This time I refused to go on antibiotics and went searching for an alternative. This search led me to recovery from my eating disorder, writing a book and finding my purpose in life.
By working with acupuncture and integrative therapy, the inner knowing I had always had about body chemistry was revealed to me; and it wasn’t just body chemistry, it was also an issue of brain chemistry. I had studied diet and nutrition for years because I always wanted to compete at body building; but because of my bulimia that goal was never achieved. I’m a firm believer that diet and nutrition are the foundation for quality of life, but that was only part of the equation. The information I learned from the alternative practitioners helped me understand that it wasn’t my fault, the sugar cravings weren’t due to a lack of willpower and I wasn’t an alcoholic.
Kathleen Des Maisons book, Potatoes Not Prozac details her studies in working with alcoholics and how she noticed that most AA meetings came stocked with donuts, candy and other sugar filled snacks. She interviewed her clients and found that many of them skipped breakfast and ate primarily simple carbs (bagels, pasta, white breads, etc.). By getting her clients on a diet that included complex carbs (brown rice, millet, quinoa) and adding in lots of green leafy vegetables, her clients who had never been able to get sober were not only getting, but staying sober.
The impact of sugar in the American diet is horrifying. Many people are addicted to sugar and don’t even know it. It’s is now more socially acceptable to be overweight, eat cookies someone brought into the office, drink soda all day and dump sugar in your coffee or tea. It’s hidden everywhere in most processed foods that are consumed. I read an interesting article recently about how sugar was introduced to societies; it was brought in as a drug. Sugar consumption by the average American has risen from approximately 7 pounds per year in the 18th century, to over 150 pounds per year in the twentieth century!
Julia Ross’s book, The Mood Cure details her work with clients that experience “false moods” because their brains don’t have the required level of amino acids for proper brain function. By using natural supplements, her clients in some cases experienced rapid positive shifts in their obsessive behaviors, eating disorders, relief from depression and more. Julia also has written about the impact of sugar and sugar addiction in The Diet Cure.
By bringing these things together and adding body work I found the freedom I had so desperately sought for 34 years.
This is why I decided to write my book, It Started With Pop-Tarts®…An Alternative Approach to Winning the Battle of Bulimia. The five principles I detail in my book are now known as the Hot Pastry Principles™. I teach them to my clients who are ready to adopt a healthy lifestyle and want to learn how to balance their lives. We apply this to weight management (losing weight and keeping it off), eliminating stress or recovery from an eating disorder.
To eliminate the “whack-a-mole” syndrome and get the results you want in life, being free from addiction of any type, it requires study in five areas:
- Improving and maintaining healthy self-esteem
- Understanding the causes of the addictive behavior
- Diet, nutrition and natural supplements
- Reprogramming negative self-talk and beliefs using the power of the subconscious mind
- Improving physical and mental health with body work. Several modalities I’ve found effective are:
- Acupuncture – helps to balance body chemistry
- Meditation – slows down the overactive, overly analytical brain and helps individuals learn to live in the moment and make the right choices
- Hellerwork – combination of dialogue, body movement, deep tissue massage
- Energy work – letting go of energy blocks stored throughout the body (done with practitioner)
- Exercise that moves energy – Tai chi, Yoga, etc.
- Exercise that includes cardio and resistance training
- Moderate outdoor exercise – getting ample sunlight and fresh air into the body
In March of 2009, I met Dr. Joel Robertson at the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals Conference. He has been studying the science of neurochemistry for years. His book Peak-Performance Living, Easy, Drug-Free Ways to Alter Your Own Brain Chemistry for Improved Productivity, Greater Energy, Sharper Thinking and Optimal Health came from his own experience working with alcoholics early in his career. Like me, Dr. Robertson observed that traditional treatments weren’t working and he got into the study of brain and body chemistry. He’s doing some incredible things through his research and company.
One of the most reassuring things I learned as part of my alternative path to recovery is that it really isn’t about willpower. You don’t have to “work hard” on your recovery. Instead, individuals can choose to “surrender” to their healing and “allow” it to come into their life. It’s a big shift for some people, but very effective.
Instead of constantly focusing on the problem (the addiction they don’t want), try getting clients focused on what they DO want from life, what they want their life to look like, feel like and be like. It is very empowering. Life plays out and manifests according to focus. If a client spends all of their time focused on how much they hate their body, how much they don’t want to drink, how much they don’t want to be a drug addict anymore, then they are still affirming that behavior in their life by focusing on it.
Instead, help them get to a place where they can get a glimpse of what normal life would feel like, smell like, taste like, be like. Have them tell you a story about a day in the life they want, describing every detail as if they were on the phone with you. Or have them write a story of a day in their life and write a new one every day. It is a powerful tool for helping them change focus and reach a point of hope and inspiration.
By incorporating a plan that covers all aspects of mind, body and spirit. Teaching clients by incorporating a plan that covers all aspects of mind, body and spirit:
- How to use their subconscious to support them
- How to eat healthy balanced meals that will make them feel good, give them energy and help them make good choices
- How the balance of body and brain chemistry can make recovery possible, by shifting their moods instead of an exercise of will
- How to love and accept themselves and find their value and purpose in life
- How to nurture their mind and bodies through diet, exercise and quiet time
They will have a stronger connection to sustainable recovery and can live a fully balanced life.
In peace, balance and health,
Lori Hanson
To learn more visit www.Learn2Balance.com
Have you met Belinda? She’s your typical high school student. Interested in boys, worried about her grades, has a love/hate relationship with her parents, fights with her siblings and can’t wait to get her driver’s license. But she is hiding a big secret. Like other girls Belinda isn’t completely satisfied with how she looks, but the casual conversation about her weight with friends is an obsession when she’s alone.
Belinda is bulimic. But no one knows. When she gets frustrated, angry or depressed she’s discovered that food, specifically macaroni and cheese, pizza, ice cream, cookies and candy bars help her numb out to all the drama in life she can’t—or doesn’t want to deal with. So, when no one else is around she eats. And eats, and eats until she can’t move. But unlike other bulimics who purge Belinda compensates by over-exercising and using laxatives. It helps her keep the weight off so no one will know.
Both Belinda’s parents and her friends have started to notice that some days she is withdrawn. Her parents don’t understand the change they see in her. These are the days after she binges. All the sugar from the sweets and “white flour foods” she eats leave her lethargic and depressed.
It’s now become an obsession she can’t stop and she’s scared. Her energy isn’t what it used to be and she finds it hard to concentrate on her studies. She doesn’t know these are side effects of her bingeing and the lack of nutrition in her diet.
Do you know anyone like Belinda? It’s not just girls any more. Young girls and boys obsess excessively about their bodies, food and dieting. They may start to withdraw and have a pre-occupation with celebrities, models and how they “should” look. So how can Belinda get help and recover from her eating disorder?
1 – Balance body chemistry with nutrition and supplements
In addition to psychological issues, there are chemical imbalances from the lack of nutrition and bingeing on comfort foods high in sugar (pizza, cookies, cakes, pasta, ice cream, etc.) that contribute to bingeing. Sugar is addictive and contributes to cravings for more sugar and carbs.
2 – Improve Self-Esteem
In order to recover from her eating disorder Belinda needs to improve her self-esteem so she can feel good about herself and her body. Once she learns how to accept and love herself and overcome her insecurities it will be easier for her to recover.
3 – Understand the causes of her eating disorder
Belinda needs to spend time with a professional who can help her identify the causes of her eating disorder. Typical contributors are problems with family relationships, trauma and/or sexual abuse, media influence and obsession with the perfect body, difficult transition from adolescence to adulthood.
4 – Embrace the power of her subconscious mind
In order to fully overcome her eating disorder Belinda must learn to reprogram her negative thoughts and behaviors. By creating positive affirmations and intentions she can begin to shift her thoughts and focus to support her in a positive way.
5 – Improve mental and physical health with body work
The final step in gaining recovery involves reconnecting her mind and body. Belinda lives in her head and analyzes every thing to death. She’s not in touch with her body or how she feels physically. By using meditation, acupuncture and other alternative modalities to restore energy flow from head to toe Belinda can learn to stay in the moment and express her emotions in a healthy way. By incorporating yoga and Tai Chi into her exercise program she will stay in touch with her body and connect with her authentic self. These are some of the “Hot” Pastry Principles that will lead Belinda to connect with her authentic self and live a healthy normal life.
National Eating Disorder Awareness Week is February 21-27, 2010.
In peace, balance and health,
Lori Hanson
Award-winning author, speaker, eating disorder coach
To learn more visit www.Learn2Balance.com
What do you believe…about yourself? Do you believe you’re handsome, pretty? Or do you believe your nose is too big, your skin is horrible and you’re too fat, or skinny? Your beliefs play a huge part in what happens in your life. What you believe about yourself is a self-fulfilling prophecy. As long as you believe it, it’s not going to change! Henry Ford defined this succinctly when he said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”
In order to be a happy teenager it’s important to be confident and comfortable with yourself. So what do you do if you have self-limiting beliefs? Here are five easy steps to help you build a better body image:
Step 1: Identify one thing about your body that you like.
You can always find at least one thing! Is it your eyes? Do you have really cool hair? Are you strong and a great competitor? Do you have an incredible smile that lights up the room? Are you petite (remember good things come in small packages!) Find one thing, acknowledge and appreciate this as your best quality. You can appreciate things about your body without being arrogant or annoying.
Step 2: Identify one thing about your body that you would like to improve.
If there is something you don’t like about your body and you can change it—do it! Would you like to bulk up and be a better athlete? Would you like to be healthier and get in better shape so you can enjoy more activities? Hate being a red head or having curly hair? If this is really important to you, will find the determination to set goals and achieve them. If you need help to set or reach your goals ask for help.
Step 3: Appreciate your individuality!
Just like dogs come in many sizes and builds, humans come in many shapes and sizes too. We are all unique, but unfortunately the pressure to look “perfect” comes from many angles. As a teen it’s important to ignore the pressure of the media and society and appreciate the package you came in. After all, it’s what’s inside and who you are that really counts!
Step 4: Don’t be traumatized by what you can’t change.
Learn to appreciate your perceived “flaws”. If you can laugh about things you may not like about yourself it will eliminate the trauma teens sometimes attach to them. As a kid I was told I had a pug/ski jump nose. I just adopted the ski jump title. It always makes people laugh and usually they respond with, “Aw it’s not that bad.” Soon it wasn’t an issue any more.
Step 5: Appreciation, not envy.
If there is someone you admire because of how they look or are built? Don’t waste your energy on jealousy or making fun of them to make yourself feel better. It will only pull you down. Instead, share compliments generously. If a girl has gorgeous hair, tell her. If a guy has a great set of guns or a nice sick pack, commend him on his hard work to develop it. By sharing genuine compliments with others you’ll make them feel good and that feel good energy will be returned to you threefold! Soon you’ll be feeling great about the package you’re in!
In peace, balance and health,
Lori Hanson
Teen Speaker, Eating Disorder Coach and Award-Winning Author, “It Started With Pop-Tarts® and “Teen Secrets to Surviving & THRIVING, How to Deal with Stress, Be Confident and Feel Great”. To learn more about Lori or to bring her to your school to speak, visit www.Learn2Balance.com.
Ever decided you wanted something…really bad? The difference between whether you got it or not has a lot to do with whether you wished, hoped or expected it to happen. Our mind is a powerful tool yet many people don’t understand the power or how to use it. From the persepctive our of conscious mind it seems so subtle. Here’s an example.
Let’s say you decided you you want to take a trip to Europe. And initially you think about how nice it would be to go and the places you would like to see. But you don’t have money to travel and your hopes and dreams always end with a sign of “Oh I’ll never be able to go, just forget it.”
But one day you get really inspired. You do research on the internet, you plan out every detail of your trip. You decide what airline you’ll fly, what hotels or bed and breakfasts you’ll stay in. What museums and attractions you’re going to visit and the restaurants where you’ll dine. You make it feel real and you bask in the reality of what it would feel like to be on that trip.
This feels so good that you start to spend time every day thinking about your trip to Europe. Every day you tell yourself a new story about your trip and enjoy the fantasy and feeling of being on the trip. You cut out pictures and put them in a scrapbook and every time you look at the pictures you can feel the feeling of being on this trip. You’re making it real.
After doing this for a few weeks you’re no longer fantasizing about going on the trip you know you’re going to go on the trip because you’ve lived it and you can feel it. You’ve been there, you’ve seen the castles, slept in the beds, drank the wine and driven in the countryside. By keeping your focus on enjoying the trip and not worrying about where the money will come from before can say “vacation” you’re on the flight and headed over for the trip you’ve been dreaming of.
Here’s the subtly, as long as you keep your focus on what you want and what makes you feel good when you think about your trip instead of constantly thinking thoughts like, “Why hasn’t it happened yet. I’ll never be able to afford this trip on my salary”, or being resentful or jealous that someone you know just came back from their trip to Europe it will happen.
What you focus on is what you get, period. Bad or good. What you focus on expands. If you focus is constantly on how you have no money, you’ll continue to have money problems. If you constantly focus on how much you hate your body, you’ll continue to see a body you don’t like, if your focus is constantly on how miserable your relationship is, it won’t get any better. Quite simply, as long as you focus on the problem you’ll continue to attract and see more of the problem.
But when you shift your focus to what you want, or the solution to your problem then you attract and begin to see the object of your desires. Whenever you realize you’re wondering why “it” hasn’t happened yet, or why the problem hasn’t been solved yet just shift your thoughts back to thoughts that make you feel good aka happy.
By using the power of your mindset you’ll soon see how you can expect the things you want in life.
In peace, balance and health,
Lori Hanson
For more information visit www.Learn2Balance.com
It’s not just teens and college students. Although most of the statistics we hear are focused on the younger set and the numbers of women struggling with eating disorders later in life is growing. Sadly many of these women have been hiding their secret for years. Others were in recovery from an eating disorder in their youth and relapsed due to a stressful event(s) later in life such as divorce, job loss or death of a love one. But there are also women who develop an eating disorder for the first time later in life. Sometimes it’s starts from something as simple as trying not to gain weight while they are hurt and can’t work out.
Most of these women who are bulimic are “functional” and live their day-to-day lives with their little secret. Many have never even told their husbands, children or immediate family and live a life a deceit carrying a huge burden of guilt strapped to their backs. Others who shared their secret with loved ones may have supportive spouses who are confused by the behavior and want desperately to help them find recovery. Sometimes the behavior causes difficulties in their marriage and raising children. To outsiders the behavior doesn’t make any sense and loved ones are often frustrated by the individual’s lack of ability to change or stop their behaviors. Because anorexia is more difficult to hide these women are capable of “great story telling” to hide their secret. But for anyone hiding an eating disorder there is pain and too often hopelessness.
Some of these women have been in and out of treatment for years. Many have lost the belief that they will ever recover or they feel that eventually they will figure it out on their own. Getting treatment requires admitting they have a problem which is a painful and a seemingly insurmountable first step, incredibly to do when your life is surrounded by the guilt and shame of your behaviors.
Recently I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Gary Lange at an addiction/treatment luncheon. As people suffer from all different types of addictions which I believe fundamentally arrive from the same emptiness or need to numb out I asked Gary to share an article for our blog. Gary specializes in helping people who have developed an addiction to gambling. And being here in Southern California only a weekend drive from Vegas, I know he has a busy client load.
“How could my gambling become a problem? I just go to the casinos to have fun, relax and maybe win a little.” Esther expressed these sentiments after calling my Rancho Mirage office requesting a Gambling Counselor and realizing she may also need a Marriage and Family Therapist. Statistics show that each problem gambler affects eight other family and friends. (Lobsinger) Most addicts and gamblers need the help of spouses, children and parents to help stop the destructive behavior and make healthier decisions. Like other addictions, compulsive gambling, as it is sometimes called, is a progressive disorder which can create tragic financial and emotional consequences. Many find help with Gamblers Anonymous and family assistance so they don’t wreck their credit rating with a bankruptcy.
Today we see three kinds of gamblers. “Action” gamblers tend to bet on horses, cards and get “high” from being “in action” with other gamblers. Secondly, “escape” gamblers usually use slot machines and want to quietly remove themselves from the pressures of daily living. A third kind of problem gambler uses the internet or some combination of action and escape gambling. We know that when any one of these problem gamblers trigger neurotransmitter releases, they may get addicted to gambling and create other serious consequences.
By the time many gamblers seek psychotherapy, they need help handling stress, finances and relationships. Other common issues include anxiety, depression, communication, decision making and parenting. As the gamblers “stop the financial bleeding” it is easier to talk to their spouse or family and begin to enjoy life again. If you wonder whether you might have a gambling problem, click here and take a brief questionnaire. Help is available and the sooner you take a step forward, the sooner you’ll feel relief and improvement in your happiness and health.
Gary Lange, Ph.D.
To learn more about Gary visit http://www.garylangephd.com.
In peace, balance and health,
Lori Hanson
Bulimia Survivor
Award-Winning Author, Speaker, Eating Disorder Coach
What one thing do you really want to do but just haven’t gotten your nerve up to try? Everyone has things they would like to do that are a bit of a stretch. Some people revel in the opportunity to step outside the box and go for it. And others seemingly stay paralyzed by the fear of the unknown and can’t seem to move. Here are four simple steps to help you get outside your box and into something new.
- F.E.A.R. One of the biggest things that holds people back is their fears. But Jack Canfield has a great definition for fear: False Evidence Appearing Real. Our subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between a real or imagined event. Stop focusing on the FEAR and start seeing the result you want.
- PLAN. If you want to try something totally new do some research and find out the best way to approach it. Search the internet for information and create a plan of attack.
- Take the first step. Break your plan down into a series of steps that you can do one-by one. It will be less overwhelming and make it easier for you to do.
- Applause. Give yourself a hand for taking each step and moving outside of your box.
The more you explore moving out of your comfort zone, the easier it will become. And you’ll soon see that you can do anything you put your mind too.
In peace, balance and health,
Lori Hanson
Award-Winning Author, Speaker, Life Balance Consultant
For more information visit: www.Learn2Balance.com
Do you have a dream? Something you want to accomplish in life? A new career, running a marathon, learning how to ballroom dance, losing weight, writing a book? Whatever it is there is most likely someone who is already successful at what you want to do. Maybe with a little different twist or maybe by doing exactly what you want to do.
One of the best things you can do to become great at what you want to do is to hire a coach. Think about it Oprah has a coach; Tiger Woods and even Jack Canfield have worked with coaches to reach their goals. Many of the people we admire who are great at what they do have coaches. In sports it’s a no-brainer athletes and teams have coaches. There are voice coaches, executive and business coaches, life coaches, marketing coaches, speaking coaches, media coaches, modeling coaches and more.
By working with a coach you can shorten your timeline to getting where you want to be. “But it’s so expensive,” you say. The investment in working with a good coach will quickly be returned. If your goal is starting a new business, the shorter you accomplish your goals the quicker your revenues will flow, allowing you to stay in business. If your goal is to improve your health or overcome an addiction, by investing in a coach you can eliminate thousands of dollars spent on medical costs and hours upon hours of non-productive spent worrying, and time spent on doctor visits, treatments, prescriptions and more.
Lastly, by working with a coach you’ll have a sounding board. Someone to help you evaluate new ideas who will help you adjust the rudder and tell you when to trim the sails to keep you on course by taking the shortest distance to your desired outcome. When you work with someone who’s been through the same scenarios before the advice is bankable and factual.
So the next time you set out to do something new or venture out to achieve your purpose in life. Take a little time, do some research and find a coach you really connect with. By investing in your future, you reap the rewards you were meant to receive.
In peace, balance and health,
Lori Hanson
Award-Winning Author, Speaker, Life Balance Consultant
For more information visit: www.Learn2Balance.com
Last year Jennifer Love Hewitt was a hero. She stood up to the media when they published a picture of her bikini clad body and proclaimed she was “Jennifer Love Chewitt”. At a size two she was hardly fat.
But Jennifer fell prey to the pressure of the media and now is back with her “perfect body” on the front of the October edition of Shape. The fact that she responded to the pressure of the media and is back to declare she’s now in shape and showing off her body in a bikini is disappointing.
This is exactly what feeds the millions of girls and women everywhere who already feel they didn’t come in the right package, aren’t thin enough and need to “fix” their bodies.
It’s fantastic that Jennifer saw the light, cleaned up her diet and is eating healthier. Taking care of your body by eating healthy food and exercising regularly is important for your health and longevity. Using affirmations as she’s now doing is a great way to improve your self-confidence. But stop with the bikini’s already! (Valerie Bertinelli showed off her bikini body in a Jenny Craig commercial this year).
It’s not about the bikini, it’s about being healthy. Leave the bikini’s for the beach and the swimsuit catalogs. We don’t need more new and improved “perfect bodies” paraded on the front of magazines to feed the hungry millions who believe they are somehow misfits in society because they don’t look that way.
Lori Hanson
Bulimia Survivor
Award-Winning Author, Speaker, Life Balance Consultant
P.S. For more information visit http://www.EatingDisorderHelpToday.com
