Stay in touch with your peers.  There is nothing like the support and friendship of someone who knows what you are going through, and has been there themselves.  Make it a priority in your weekly schedule. This could be in the form of 12-step meetings or other support groups.  Plan to include groups, meetings and phone calls/texts with people who you can reach out to.  Don’t wait for a crisis, do at least one of these things every day.

Get good professional help.  Peer groups are great, and they are not everything.  The help of an individual therapist can move you further towards your goals in recovery.  Rehab programs can only go so far, your personal recovery is unique. The life experiences that got you there in the first place need to be explored and worked through so they cease to have the power over you that they once did.

Keep a positive attitude.  Remember that you are already well on your way in your recovery.  As challenges come up they can be thought of as overwhelming or as opportunities for more growth.  You will probably be faced with some of the wreckage of the past, and your ability to navigate these obstacles is heightened by a good attitude.

Remember, your recovery is up to you.  The power to move your life in a new direction is always within you.  Willingness, openness, and action are the qualities you will need.  Give yourself the tools you need to keep your recovery moving forward.

Many women walk around every day with a feeling that they are not “enough”; not pretty enough, not thin enough, not rich enough, not smart enough….(you can fill in the blank).

It can sometimes be a struggle to feel good enough to show up at work in the morning, or even get in the shower.  I hear questions about this all the time.  Why do I feel this way?

One thing I am sure of:  Being good enough is an inside job.

Have you noticed that voice that goes on in your head all the time?  You know the one…it tells you what to do, when to do it, how you are doing…  Is that voice critical or loving?  I am guessing most of you notice the critical messages.  If you take a moment to listen to it all, it may surprise you.  If you can’t think good things about yourself, how can you expect it from anyone else?

One way to begin to change this is to become aware of the “self-talk”.  Stop yourself when you have negative things about you rolling around in your head.  Replace these thoughts with something else.  If not something positive, at least something neutral.

Take time to note each negative thought that goes by without being challenged.  Make those thoughts kinder.  Be compassionate with yourself.  Remember that you are always doing the best you can to get from one moment to the next.

What I know is that it doesn’t have to be that way. Let’s work together to help you reconnect to your inner value as a person. You deserve to feel that value.  Support and help are there for you; all it takes is asking.

You can change things; you can get to a better place; and you can feel better.

Create Your Own Positive Affirmations

This is a brief exercise that can help anyone develop a more positive attitude.

Negative self-talk can be more prevalent than one realizes as the day goes by. The first thing to do is to become aware of some of the unkind words that we use to describe ourselves as we go about our daily lives.  As you become aware of this thinking:

• make a list of 3 to 5 words that you use to negatively describe yourself.  They can be anything.  Some examples I have heard are: stupid, ugly, unsuccessful, procrastinator, just to name a few.     (We can be pretty unforgiving to ourselves sometimes).
• next, take the 3-5 words that you wrote, and find the opposite words.   In my example they would be: smart, beautiful, successful, self-motivated.
• Now make a sentence using the three words that are most important to you.  Again, using the example, the sentence may be: I am smart, beautiful and successful!

That will be your affirmation for the day. Use it as a mantra.  Say it to yourself 10 times when you wake up in the morning, 10 times when you go to bed at night, and 10 times any time during the day when you find yourself thinking those negative things about yourself.

• How do you see yourself when you look at yourself in the mirror or in a photograph? What do you believe about your appearance?
• How do you feel about your body? (weight, height, shape)
• How do you feel In your body, not just About your body?

Negative Body Image:

• Feeling ashamed, anxious or self-conscious about your body.
• Feeling unattractive AND that your body size or shape is a sign of personal failure.
• Awkward and uncomfortable feeling about moving around in your body.
• A distorted perception of your shape (you think of part of your body unlike they really are).

Positive Body Image:

• You feel proud and accepting of your body as unique to you alone.
• You do not spend an unreasonable amount of time worrying about food, weight and calories.
• While moving around you feel comfortable and confident in your body.

Some questions to ponder about yourself and your looks:

• What messages about your body did you receive growing up?
• What messages do you get now?
• What messages do you tell yourself?

It is important, and feels better, to be gentle with ourselves.

We judge ourselves harshly – thinking that other women may see you as overweight – yet, the truth is, most of the other women are busy thinking the same thing, and so, don’t have time to judge you negatively.

There is hope to change all of that thinking.  I use a gentle, intuitive approach in therapy  that will help you get  in touch with the person you  were meant to be, in the body you have.  You can get to a natual, stable, perfect weight for yourself without constantly being on a diet, and having to always wonder if a food is right, wrong, or ok.  Please give me a call for more information, or to make an appointment to start the process today.

Here are some links that deal with problems of negative body image:

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art30227.asp

http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/nedaDir/files/documents/handouts/20WaysTo.pdf

http://www.something-fishy.org/

http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/

Your confidentiality will be protected with these notable legal exceptions:

• Suspected  Child or Elder Abuse
• Threatening Bodily Harm to yourself or another person

The other exception to your privacy is if you choose to use insurance to pay for sessions.  In this case, when a claim is submitted, the insurance company is aware of your dates of service and your diagnosis.

If you have other questions about your privacy – please contact me.

Some people choose to pay directly for their sessions without billing insurance at all.  This is a way to keep your sessions completely confidential.

You can choose to focus on a single issue, or we can do more holistic work – addressing personal themes that seem to be getting in your way.  Sometimes books, activities and/or personal journaling will be suggested.

For therapy to be effective, it is important for you to be an active participant in the process.  Commonly, sessions are scheduled weekly.  Each session is about 50 minutes in length.