"Americans, especially, attach a lot of social and personal value to what, and how, we eat, often through family rituals or attitudes. For many, family gatherings are positive events, but for the 9 million men, women or young people who have an eating disorder, the holidays, without proper planning, can feel like nightmares."
According to the article, as many as three out of every four women have "disordered eating" behavior, and approximately 10 percent have a full-blown eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.
Cynthia Bulik, Ph.D., a UNC professor and author of a soon-to-be-released book on eating disorders, says the key is to plan ahead. Her tips for making it through the holidays include:
- Have a "wing man," or someone you trust, to provide emotional support during gatherings.
- Decide on a code or signal with your wing man ahead of time, and use this to let your wing man know you are feeling overwhelmed.
- Keep your support network (counselors, friends) on speed dial and reach out to them whenever you need to.
- Have a game plan about what and how much you are going to eat, and then stick to it! Tell your wing man so that he/she can help you with this.
- Listen with your heart to the words that people say to you. Don't get overwhelmed with wondering what other people may or may not be thinking.
- Remember, holidays don't have to be "perfect." Many people build up unreasonable expectations for holidays and set themselves up for disappointment.
- Spending time with relatives can be stressful because they know how to push buttons. Try to anticipate these emotional traps and have a plan for how to avoid or deal with them.
- Practice the HALT slogan for recovery - don't let yourself get too hungry, angry, lonely, or sad.
- Be nice to yourself ... forgive yourself if you make an eating mistake.
(Source: Newswise.com)
Posted By: jgarcia