Are You Often Waiting for the Other Shoe to Drop?
September 6, 2017 by Karen R. Koenig
Filed under Anxiety, Binge Eating, Depression, Disordered Eating, Empowerment, Healthy Coping, Mental Health, PTSD, Recovery, Self Esteem, Self-Care, Stress Management, Wellness
Do you ever feel as if things are going swimmingly in your life—even as you’re waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop? If you frequently feel this paradoxical tug of simultaneous joy and fear, let me explain this dynamic and what you can do about it, the goal being that you lose the fear […]
NEDAWalk in Spartanburg!
August 29, 2017 by Robyn Hussa Farrell
Filed under Activism, Activism, Advocacy, Anorexia, Athletes, Binge Eating, Body Image, Bulimia, Disordered Eating, Eating Disorders, EDNOS, Featured, Guys, HAES, Males with Eating Disorders, Moms & Sisters, Politics, Prevention, Recovery, Treatment, What to Say, How to Say It
Join us for the first-ever National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) NEDA Walk in Spartanburg! Working in collaboration with Spartanburg County School District Six Spartanburg, South Carolina Spartanburg School District 7 YMCA of Greater Spartanburg, NEDAWalks educate affected individuals and their families, while raising vital funds in the fight against eating disorders. Register here: www.nedawalk.org/spartanburg2017
Hyperarousal and Dissociation in Dysregulated Eating
July 5, 2017 by Karen R. Koenig
Filed under Binge Eating, Bulimia, Disordered Eating, Healthy Coping, PTSD, Recovery, Self-Care, Stress Management, Treatment
Many dysregulated eaters bounce back and forth between two states: wildly emotional or detached and unfeeling. Both are a product of traumatic experiences and can lead to mindless, emotional and binge eating. By understanding why this happens to your mind/body, you will be better able to recognize these states, cope with them more effectively, and […]
How to Calm Your Brain
June 7, 2017 by Karen R. Koenig
Filed under Anxiety, Binge Eating, Body Image, Disordered Eating, Empowerment, Healthy Coping, Males with Eating Disorders, OCD, PTSD, Recovery, Self-Compassion, Self-Harm, Stress Management
I was looking through notes I took at a workshop I attended last year on “Calming An Overactive Brain,” and found some ideas which speak directly to why it’s difficult for dysregulated eaters to not reach for food when they’re in internal distress. My hope is that by understanding what goes on in your brain […]
Stop Measuring Everything Against Perfect
May 3, 2017 by Karen R. Koenig
Filed under Eating Disorders, Healthy Coping, Mental Health, Recovery, Self Esteem, Stress Management
Perfect—what a seductive word it is. And what a lie it represents. And what pain it causes. I wish I had a dollar for every time a client says, “Well, my eating isn’t perfect, but…” or “It’s not a perfect relationship, but…” Tell me, why must anything be perfect? Why would we expect it to […]
Please Stop Calling It “Comfort” Food
April 5, 2017 by Karen R. Koenig
Filed under Binge Eating, Body Image, Disordered Eating, Featured, Healthy Coping, Healthy Eating, Nutrition, Recovery
As an eating disorders therapist, I am so done with hearing the term “comfort food.” I’m not only sick and tired of it, but I’m frustrated and angry that we’re still using this misnomer, if there ever was one, and about how it’s affecting our mental and physical health. As a therapist—mostly on the binge […]
True Grit and “Normal” Eating
March 1, 2017 by Karen R. Koenig
Filed under Anorexia, Binge Eating, Bulimia, Disordered Eating, Empowerment, Featured, Healthy Coping, Healthy Eating, Intuitive Eating, Mental Health, Recovery, Self Esteem, Self-Care, Stress Management, Wellness, Wellness
When I say “true grit,” I’m not referring to the movie of the same name. I’m talking about a quality that is essential to success which many dysregulated eaters need to cultivate. Although I haven’t read the book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth, I did read about it in an […]
Candid interview with Joanna Poppink, MFT, eating disorder recovery psychotherapist
February 5, 2017 by Joanna Poppink
Filed under Body Image, Eating Disorders, Featured, Mental Health, Recovery, Self Esteem
This profile of Joanna Poppink was published as part of Revlon’s “Love is On” 2016 Million Dollar Challenge, which highlighted inspiring change makers around the world and raised money for select charities. written by Jonah Weiss You can describe Joanna Poppink in different ways — therapist, author, naturalist, essayist — but they’re all aspects of […]
My New Book: Helping Patients Outsmart Overeating
February 1, 2017 by Karen R. Koenig
Filed under Binge Eating, Body Image, Dieting, Disordered Eating, EDNOS, Empowerment, Featured, Finding Your Voice, Healthy Communication, Healthy Communication, Healthy Eating, Intuitive Eating, Loving Your Body, Mental Health, Obesity, Recovery, Self Esteem, Sharing Feelings, Treatment, Weight Stigma, Wellness, Wellness
My seventh book is out! Helping Patients Outsmart Overeating—Psychological Strategies for Doctors and Health Care Providers is co-authored by Paige O’Mahoney, M.D., CHWC. Don’t be fooled by the title and think that the book is only for health professionals. It has two audiences: healthcare practitioners and patients who want their providers to understand and truly […]
Making Meaning of Lack of Success
January 4, 2017 by Karen R. Koenig
Filed under Binge Eating, Depression, Disordered Eating, EDNOS, Empowerment, Healthy Coping, Intuitive Eating, Livin in the Moment, Mindfulness, Recovery, Self-Care, Wellness
Dysregulated eaters often feel like failures because they haven’t lost weight, kept it off, stopped bingeing/overeating/mindless eating, quit obsessing about the number on the scale, or have yet to establish “normal” eating patterns. They feel like failures and tell themselves that they’ll never succeed, and this focus reduces the likelihood of moving forward and increases […]
