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 […]
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 […]
An Interview with Dr. Patricia Leavy about Research Design and Why Knowledge-Building Practices Matter
May 4, 2017 by Patricia Leavy
Filed under Art Therapy, Featured
Patricia Leavy, Ph.D. is an independent sociologist and best-selling author. She has published twenty-two books, earning critical and commercial success in both nonfiction and fiction. Her books have been translated into numerous languages. She is also the creator and editor for seven book series with Oxford University Press and Sense Publishers, the co-founder and co-editor-in-chief […]
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 […]
Is Energy Work the Solution?
April 13, 2017 by Angela Mensah
Filed under Advocacy, Body Dysmorphia, Body Image, Exercise, Fat Acceptance, Fat Talk, Healthy Communication, Mindfulness, Obesity, Weight Stigma, Yoga and Meditation
I have not written anything in a while and this will be very brief. Many of us have full lives, taking on many roles in society and never slow down, unless we are forced to. That happened to me on May 30th 2015 due to a car accident. I was not at fault and was […]
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 […]
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 […]
