TeenHelp - Conversation Between Ess The Morgenstern * and Crescendo

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Conversation Between Ess The Morgenstern * and Crescendo

Showing Visitor Messages 11 to 18 of 18

July 10th 2010 11:18 AM - permalink
Ess The Morgenstern *

sounds interesting, I have never thought about faith in order to recover, but I'm open to try pretty much anything. I don't have control over food anymore and I think my life has become a meal. I don't think thre are face to face meetings of OA in my country, or at least in my city so I'd be really thankful if you told me where I can find an online group :P
Thank you Megan xx

July 9th 2010 10:07 PM - permalink
Crescendo

Overeaters Anonymous (OA) is a group of people who, through shared experience, strength and hope, are recovering from compulsive eating. Although the primary focus is compulsive overeating, people with all types of eating compulsions (meaning eating disorders) are welcome. There is no cost to be in OA and you don't have to sign up.

OA is a spiritual program, but is not associated with any one religion.

this is directly from the OA website:

"Who belongs to OA?
In Overeaters Anonymous, you’ll find members who are extremely overweight, even morbidly obese; moderately overweight; average weight; underweight; still maintaining periodic control over their eating behavior; or totally unable to control their compulsive eating.

OA members experience many different patterns of food behaviors. These “symptoms” are as varied as our membership. Among them are:

obsession with body weight, size and shape
eating binges or grazing
preoccupation with reducing diets
starving
laxative or diuretic abuse
excessive exercise
inducing vomiting after eating
chewing and spitting out food
use of diet pills, shots and other medical interventions to control weight
inability to stop eating certain foods after taking the first bite
fantasies about food
vulnerability to quick-weight-loss schemes
constant preoccupation with food
using food as a reward or comfort

Our symptoms may vary, but we share a common bond: we are powerless over food and our lives are unmanageable. "

so basically if you have any or many of the above symptoms OA can help you!

OA can help in a few ways - by working the 12 steps with a sponsor, by going to meetings (there are a TON of online and phone meetings if there are no face to face meetings in your country or area.) and with tools to stop compulsively eating one day at a time.

The 12 steps are as follows:
1. We admitted we were powerless over food — that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12 .Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to compulsive overeaters and to practice these principles in all our affairs."

They say "God" and "Him" in the 12 steps, but you don't have to believe in God. You can believe in anything you want: Allah, Jesus, Buddha, many gods, the universe, nature, and any more options, what ever feels right for you.

I know i just gave you a ton of info, so let me know what your initial reactions are- what you're thinking and if you have any questions or anything, and if you think this might help you, we'll go from there!

July 9th 2010 08:23 PM - permalink
Ess The Morgenstern *

it's good to hear you're doing better
I'm going to try the art thing, I hope it helps^^
Your ED sounds like the one I have now, I'm on recovery from bulimia and I've stopped purging, ut I haven't controlled my binges yet, and I actually do it very often though instead of restricting, I overexercise. I've heard about 12 steep programs, but I don't know a lot about them, so I'd be really interested about them

July 9th 2010 03:55 PM - permalink
Crescendo

I'm doing okay. I just got home from a psychiatric residential facility a month ago, and i'm doing a lot better than before (socializing more, taking better care of myself, etc) but i have also still been struggling with mood swings and paranoia/flashbacks, which is really tough for me. Thanks for asking

You're dealing with a lot. Remember that even though you may be anxious to ask for help, that we all need somebody to lean on. if you have a hard time expressing yourself through words maybe try art like collaging or poetry and share it with someone you trust.

Regarding your eating disorder, I also have an eating disorder. (eating disorder not otherwise specified- for me i binge a lot and then sometimes restrict and have very low self esteem, etc.) A lot of doctors are starting to think of eating disorders as addictions, just like alcoholism and drug addictions. Thinking like this really helped me. I have also been working the 12 steps )have you heard of alcoholics anonymous or other 12 step programs?) and its been helping me so so much with my eating disorder. it might really help you too.... let me know if you want to know more about it!

Megan

July 9th 2010 12:38 PM - permalink
Ess The Morgenstern *

the song is wonderful thanks
I guess what's currently making me sad is the battle I always lose against my ED, but I think just try to face it is very brave, even though I can't remember that when I fail.
Also, I guess my unability to be open to people around me upsets me, but the problem is I have social anxiety, so I get so and so nervous when people try to know me, so I hide.
So I guess my bad mood is like that because I always hide who I am when I actually want to scream here I am ad this is what I want... butI just can't
Thanks for listening to me how are you doing anyway?

July 8th 2010 04:57 PM - permalink
Crescendo

What you said made me think of this song... check it out (its not triggering) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHvgAJe8bvM . also this is for you...

"I believe in you.
in the things that are important to you and in the way you choose to live your life…
I believe that you can accomplish anything you set out to do, that you have many talents and the wisdom to use them well…
I believe that you have what it takes to overcome obstacles and to grow from every experience life brings your way…
I believe in your courage, your compassion, your integrity, and your strength.
I believe in your goodness…
I believe in you."
by Bobbie Burrow

i know how tough it can be to believe though when it feels as if the whole world is against you. Do you want to talk about whats making you sad? I don't mean to pester you. I guess I 've coem to learn though that depression is a disease of isolation, and for me keeping a connection to other people in my darkest times is very important.

Megan

July 8th 2010 03:05 PM - permalink
Ess The Morgenstern *

hey Megan
I'm still sad I guess, but I try to move on anyway what about you?
btw thanks for answering

July 8th 2010 02:01 AM - permalink
Crescendo

Hey- I saw your post in the depression and suicide subforum and just got a chance to reply. How are you doing today? Feel free to VM or PM me anytime. You're Not Alone! :Hug: Megan

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