I thought this was pretty cool. (And also knew my pops would love it; he’s a big Buddhist.)
Griffith University psychologists are using “mindfulness,� a psychological technique based on Buddhist philosophy, to treat anorexia, binge eating and bulimia. And apparently it’s working.
Compared to other therapies, mindfulness requires less of a focus on food and controlled eating and more on freeing one’s minds from negative thoughts and emotions. "They learn that thoughts and emotions don't have any power over us as they are just passing phenomena and aren't permanent,� says psychologist Angela Morgan.
“Women who have been through the program report less dissatisfaction with their bodies, increased self-esteem and improved personal relationships," she says.
Mindfulness has also shown to be effective in treating substance abuse, anxiety and depression, and stress associated with physical conditions like trauma, chronic pain and cancer.
Here are a couple of books if you're looking for more info on the technique.
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sweet
“Women who have been through the program report less dissatisfaction with their bodies, increased self-esteem and improved personal relationships," she says.
Let me add my AMEN to this statement. I've been learning about and doing my very best to practice mindfulness for almost two years now. Each of the positive trends she identified is true for me. It's certainly not easy, but the process is a joy.
This sounds like it may be Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, a subset of Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
I've actually gone through treatment for anorexia that used this technique. I think it's an amazing technique and has been more helpful than any other methods/strategies I've ever read about or tried.
Jon Kabat-Zinn is the founder and director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University Of Massachusetts Medical Center. The work in this clinic is based on mindfullness meditation. The success there has been duplicated all over the country. His book "Wherever You Go There You Are" (MIndfullness Meditation in Everyday Life) is one of my favorites.
http://www.amazon.com/Wherever-You-There-Are-Mindfulness/dp/1401307787/sr=1-2/qid=1168981495/ref=sr_1_2/102-0925094-8693754?ie=UTF8&s=books
Thanks for posting this. I've been dealing with bipolar disorder, binge eating, & anorexia for years. This sounds like something that could help me.
Thanks for the post, Vanessa. Mindfulness and meditation practice were a significant part of my eating disorder treatment. It's one of those many diseases where it's so, so important to take a holistic approach.
Mindfulness does allow you to develop a good relationship with food, as a way to sustain your body and as a sensual pleasure.
Moxie: Hugs? Very sorry that you've been going through that.
As a very, very random suggestion: have you ever been tested for hypoglycemia? I HATE the idea of trying to diagnose someone I've never met and, well, I'm not a doctor, but hypoglycemia does run alongside depression (specifically, reactive hypoglycemia).
Thanks, oenophile.
No, what's hypoglycemia?
I was thinking of going to the doctor's to get tested b/c I'm a little worried--I piled on the weight really fast & that just seems odd.
I suppose it's something I should check out, I just have to get past my hatred of going to the doctor's--they always weigh me & I hate being weighed.
First, I've been to the doctors' too many times & know what you're talking about. Ask at your next check-up. :)
Hypoglycemia: low blood sugar. To compensate, the brain triggers the release of a slew of hormones that leech sugar from blood cells. While this causes the traditional hunger symptoms (irritability, stress), it can also cause pretty severe depression. HG is also linked to alcoholism.