Hyperarousal and Dissociation in Dysregulated Eating

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 […]

Pick Only Intimates Who Celebrate You

While talking with a client, we began exploring what kind of people she wanted out of her life and what kind she wanted to keep in and attract more of. She said, “I seem to pick people who I have to work to get to like and approve of me. I’d rather have friends who […]

I’m With Her, Because She’s Always Been With Me

Graciously re-posted by Joslyn Smith. My family lived three miles down a dirt road in rural Arkansas. In 1990 my fifth grade class trip to the State Capitol in Little Rock introduced me to the work of the First Lady of Arkansas. She inspired me to think about how to make a difference in the […]

Next Page »