Jeannie Delahunt's Blog

Posted by Jeannie Delahunt

Eating disorders can be fatal, especially if it is anorexia nervosa. If, in fact, a true eating disorder exists, it will not cure itself, it will only worsen..

If you care about someone, action is important.

First step of action is to contact a trained professional and discuss your concerns. This person may be your own personal care physician, or a trained counseling professional. These people can give you some solid tips to begin with. Best scenario would be to have the trained professional conduct an intervention. Since this individual should have a good amount of experience doing this, he or she will know how to handle what might develop.

Personal education is also important. Learn as much as you can about eating disorders. You will need to be informed if you wish to support your loved one.

This is serious business. The sooner help can be accessed and the loved one involved in some method of treatment, the sooner everyone can return to some state of normalcy. More importantly, since eating disorders can be life threatening, a life restored is well worth the time and trouble.

Please share your story. You do not have to give your name. Best of luck! Jeannie

Posted by Jeannie Delahunt

I will be continuing my AA step articles. When I was a substance abuse counselor and even now, though I am retired, the structure of these steps are relevant to grow and maintain growth internally. Even retired counselors need a quality of life.

For someone who is trying to recover, to lower the risks of relapse and to promote a high quality of life, these steps are all about internal change - taking stock of reality and making the necessary changes to improve life.

Who doesn't want a better life in some way? No, the steps probably won't lead to riches, but they may help to keep a job, which would help out financially.

The purpose is to change whatever was going on in the inside that holds someone hostage to addiction. The further away someone moves from the chains, the risks of relapse are lowered. The addiction always wants to use, go back to the old ways. Recovery seeks a better, healthier road. Recovery is all about creating a life you want to lead without using.

May you be blessed this day! Comments are always welcome as long as they are uplifting and encouraging.

Posted by Jeannie Delahunt

Challenges are healthy. They create positive stress which is healthy. However, there is a line. When a challenge is not realistic, or the pursuit of it becomes rigid, it becomes counter productive and defeating.

While I was researching perfectionism with the eating disorders, I became aware of the rigidity involved with this kind of perception. I also became aware of how the sense of a person's value is only surface level, sometimes only based upon accomplishments. For instance, how long can someone maintain a number one status?

A person's sense of self-worth must not be entirely based upon the physical appearance. So much of self-worth comes from within.

Recently, on the Dr. Phil show, which I watch from time to time, this beautiful bar tender was approached by management and told she needed to lose five pounds. Until that weight was lost she was taken out of her normal place of work and placed in the kitchen. She took the company to court and won.

However, since that time, even though the company placed her back in her usual position, her confidence and passion for her job took a nose dive. She eventually had to leave, because she could no longer do her job.

What does that say? This experience shook her internal belief system and caused her to doubt her own self-worth. Here was an attractive, intelligent, young woman. What a shame! She's going back to court to sue for mental and emotional damages, and personally, I hope she wins.

Comments are always welcome. Have a great day, and may you believe in yourself! :).

Posted by Jeannie Delahunt

I have to say, when I was a substance abuse counselor, time and again and time and again, anyone who thought addiction was controllable, relapsed. Sometimes the relapse would happen immediately, sometimes not.

Additionally, anyone who thought they could stiff it out without help, either inevitably relapsed, or did not grow in their recovery. Those were my experiences, and I practiced as a therapist for about 30 years, all ages, male and female.

I am writing this, because I know I will hear someone say he or she can do it by himself/herself. I can only say, best of luck. What is your quality of life/living? I know for a fact, the quality would greatly improve with support.

May your Higher Power be with you! :) Jeannie

Posted by Jeannie Delahunt

When I was a substance abuse counselor, one of the core treatment areas was to address thoughts, thought patterns and internal beliefs. The reason, how we view the world holds a great deal of weight (I love puns) in terms of how we act.

If we give ourselves a low opinion of ourselves it will radiate in every decision we make in every facet of our lives. For instance, I have learned not to make any kind of important decision when I am depressed, angry or sad, because I end up regretting it, which only worsens matters. If a decision has to be made, I enlist the help of someone whose judgment I trust.

The world of weight loss or gain is not excluded. For myself, I am an emotional eater. I tend to binge when I have a great deal of anxiety and stress. I tend to not exercise when I am depressed. It took years to figure this out, believe it or not. Why so long? We are made up of layers. That disconnectedness that I talk about happens. I was disconnected with my internal thoughts, emotions and values concerning eating. But now that I know, I also have developed a series of rethinking phrases to help me get over whatever it is without resorting to binging. Do I always succeed? Let's say, I am getting better at it. Is it easy, ABSOLUTELY NOT! But over time, the practice/discipline gets me through when in the past I would give up. :)

Sometimes the brain and the emotions, even though the emotions come from the brain can be at odds with one another. That is, the emotions are so intense, they contradict what the brain is saying. This is tough, indeed.

For instance, when I am severely depressed, if I buy into it, it only worsens. I have to literally force myself to break out of it. My brain knows and over time has proven true, that if I do force myself, the act of doing changes the emotion. I end up feeling better. I feel better, I don't feel like eating.

For me this forcing is something physical. I either go for a walk or elect to take on a project. I execute it in small steps. With the completion of each step, I step back and say. "That's done!" There is a sense of accomplishment which lightens the emotion. After another step, I do the same thing. Before I know it, I have finished what I set out to do. The activity plus the reflection lightens the emotion, sometimes, takes the negative emotion away completely. Consequently, I lose the desire to eat for comfort.

Everyone is different. Each one has to find their own techniques. Today, I hope you find yours! :)

Have a great day! J.