Truth.

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#believe, Anorexia, be you, beautiful, beauty, Bulimia, eating disorder, Eating Disorders, health, hope, inspiration, inspire, keep going, life, live, love yourself, Mental disorder, mental-health, mirror, true beauty, truth, understanding

Hanging On: A Poem

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#believe, Anger Management, Anorexia, Anxiety, beautiful, bipolar, borderline personality disorder, Bulimia, depression, Dialectical behavior therapy, eating disorder, encourage, encouragement, health, hope, inspiration, medicine, mental-health, relationships, treatment, understanding

Below is a poem I wrote a few years ago in the midst of processing my own recovery process. It’s true that sometimes, the best we can do is hang on.

Hanging On
By: Erin Elizabeth Casey

I feel lost today
In every single way

Not sure where I am headed
Or even where I want to go
Sometimes it seems impossible to know
Which is the direction I should choose
Everyone says something different – I am confused

This makes me crave control
And fosters the desire to burry myself in a hole
My thoughts unwanted creep into my head
I remember all the horrible things everyone has said
The dark clouds move in and I retreat inside
Thinking to myself “oh well, I tried”

Suddenly my hips seem grow
I forget the how to use the word “no”

Anger fills my heart
I want to rip my body apart

The tears fall faster than ever before
And I don’t want to live anymore

But just when it seems impossible to hang on
I peak out from my hole and realize what has come
It is dawn

The clouds have broken, and sunlight has come through
My hips returned to their size that is true

My heart is again filled with love, hope and joy
I am thankful is was not my body that I did destroy

My tears had stopped after seeing the light
And desiring my life after realizing it will be alright

I feel lost and other difficult things some days
And I often react in many ways

I’m struggling to learn ways to manage and cope
But after a storm there is always hope
It is dawn

hang on

My name is Erin and this is Where I Stand.

Truth

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#believe, be you, beautiful, beauty, eating disorder, encourage, hope, inspiration, keep going, mental-health, self expression, self love, self-confidence, strength, truth, understanding

DBT Skill of the Day – MEDDSS

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Anxiety, balanced lifestyle, dbt skills, Dialectical behavior therapy, doctors, eating disorder, exercise routine, health, hope, Marsha M. Linehan, MEDDSS, medical, medication regimen, medicine, mental-health, Nutrition, Pharmaceutical drug, prescription medication, recovery, Shopping, Skill, skills, strength, therapy, treatment, understanding

Committing to the MEDDSS Skill helps you to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle. MEDDSS was on the first DBT skills that helped me to evaluate where I was in taking care of myself, and what I needed to do to take care of myself better.

M.E.D.D.S.S.

*These are the things that I must do to maintain my mental, physical and emotional health. I (insert name) will commit to doing these things daily.

M

Mastery (Something I do well)

I (insert name) will do something that makes me feel accomplished or that I enjoy doing every single day.

Examples

• Get something done
• Practice Good Hygiene
• Make sure my surroundings are clean
• Do something I enjoy
  • An art project
  • Write
  • Spend time with a friend

E

Exercise

I (insert name) will commit to a regular and healthy exercise routine that is agreed upon by me and my doctor(s).

Example:

• 30 mins per day
  • 30 minutes of cardio/30 mins of strength and conditioning
  • Take one day off per week
  • Do not exercise when sick

D

Diet (Nutrition)

I (insert name) will commit to eating three adequate meals per day (along with any additional snacks, supplements or vitamins recommended by my doctor(s))

Example:

• 3 meals per day
  • A meal constitutes as a serving of a main dish and one or two side dishes
    • Be honest about food

D

Drugs (Medication)

I (insert name) will take all my prescription medication as prescribed. I will also refrain from all substances that will interfere with my medication regimen. I agree to be honest with my doctor(s) about all side effects that may occur as well as any time I have an inability to follow my medication regimen.

Example:

• Take all medication as prescribed.
• Know what each of my medications is for, and what dose I am supposed to take.

S

Sleep

I (insert name) will commit to finding out how many hours of sleep per night that my body needs. I will then commit to blocking out time for sleep and making it a priority. I acknowledge that both my mind and my body need adequate resting time for me to function at my best.

Example:

• Sleep 9 to 10 hours per night
• Track how well I sleep each day, and compare with moods

S

Spirituality/Self Care

I (insert name) am worthy or love and respect, because of that I will take time each day to connect with my faith and/or spend extra time working on appreciating who I am.

• Spend time in prayer and meditation each day.
• Ask God for advice first.
• Thank God each and every day for everything you have.

Remember, before it is anyone else’s responsibility it is YOUR responsibility to take care of yourself. YOU are worth the time, the energy and the investment.

My name is Erin and this is Where I Stand.

Related articles

• DBT – the therapy that saved my life (whereistandblog.wordpress.com)
• DBT Skill of the Day: DEAR WOMAN (whereistandblog.wordpress.com)
• DBT Skill of the Day: Willingness (whereistandblog.wordpress.com)
• DBT Skill of the Day: Radical Acceptance (whereistandblog.wordpress.com)
• DBT skill of the day: Distract. (whereistandblog.wordpress.com)
• How to Manage Bipolar Disorder (casapalmera.com)
• DBT Skill of the Day: Ride the Wave (whereistandblog.wordpress.com)
• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and Co-Occurring Disorders (casapalmera.com)
• Where art thou, DBT? (survivingstigma.wordpress.com)
• Video Post on DBT Distress Tolerance Skills of Self-Soothe Five Senses (writeintothelight.org)

Truth.

Tags

bright, darkness, life, light, mental-health, perspective, truth, world

Lori Dowd stands for being honest with who you are. What do you stand for?

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Anxiety, anxiety disorder, becoming me, daughter, Dependent personality disorder, faith, friend, God, Gratitude, honest, hope, Human, jesus, Obsessive–compulsive disorder, recovery, sister, stand up, talents, Today (NBC program), treatment, where I Stand

A message from a teacher, a friend, a daughter, a sister, a follower of Jesus, a Where I Stand supporter, survivor, a mentor and a beautiful human being:

“I woke up this morning feeling like I had to post a message on here. I believe that Where I Stand, along with the support of friends and family, has been nothing but a complete blessing in my life for the past year. This organization was developed for a God given reason and I know that I am not the only one who feels that way. In the past year I have moved away from home, completed the first year of my teaching career, worked on relationships, gone through many trials, and discovered more and more about who I really am. Throughout my “younger” years I tried really hard to sweep things under the rug and cover up things about myself and my life. That was not me. That is not who I really am. In the past year, God has opened my eyes to the reality and truth of who I am. I have prayed, stumbled, lashed out, grieved, cried, panicked, yelled, depended on God’s word, and have searched and searched to figure out the foundations of “me”. A year ago I asked myself a question: What makes me who I am? Well, low and behold God has answered that question in more ways than one. God showed me the fruit throughout several experiences in the past year: I am a great teacher, humble, loving, kind, mentor, stronger than I thought, helpful, a good speaker, leader, and a person who will most likely always put others before myself. But, God also showed me things about myself that I had tried so hard to cover up. Being out on your own pretty much requires you to focus on the one person that you often times do not want to face: yourself. I started out with intense research and then with the help and prayers of loved ones was actually able to walk into a physician’s office. After many weeks of evaluations and conversations I heard the truth, that stuff I thought was weak and that no one would accept me for. That stuff that I thought made me look weird or like a freak. I was clinically diagnosed with an Anxiety Disorder on the spectrums of severe OCD tendencies/Panic Disorder/and Separation Anxiety tendencies, which is more commonly known as DPD (Dependent Personality Disorder). Wow, I know, that sounds like a mouthful. At first, I felt that overwhelming feeling that I was a freak: I wished I could be “normal”. I felt “sick” and “weird” because I had to go on medication. But then God dried my eyes and made me realize something more important than anything else in this world: Lori I made you, you are who you are, and I love you. The most perfect words that I had ever felt and heard in my life. Today, I am who I am. Through intense research and discovery I am proud of who I am. I too, love who I am and who I am becoming. I am no longer ashamed or embarrassed to speak about who I am. No one is perfect and every person is made up of different traits and talents. I am no longer afraid to stand up. Today I stand for being honest with who you are. YOU too are special and God loves you, just the way you are. Thank you to my own personal “support team” and Thank you Where I Stand. “

Everyone has a story. Where do you Stand?

Related articles

• Lori Dowd stands for being honest with who you are. What do you stand for? (whereistandblog.wordpress.com)

 

Struggling with Accountability? Try this!

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accountability, application, Bulimia nervosa, disorder, Eating, eating disorder, encouragement, health, Mental disorder, mental-health, phone, recovery, support, Treatment Services

If you are having a hard time sticking to your meal plan, need encouragement, or want to track moods and thoughts, try this free app! 

Through research and friends I have heard logging meals is almost always helpful but has its ups and downs.  But I have heard great things about this particular way.  No more pen and paper!  I suggest Recovery Record for those recovering from an eating disorder.  There are some awesome features such as:

1.  Meal planning, logging meals, and even alerts to log meals

2.  Track exercise and the intensity and duration of a workout

3.  Choose from a list of emotions of what you would like to track

4.  Every time you log a meal or snack it provides you with an inspirational quote and picture

5.  Link this to your clinicians so they can see an easy access and an accurate

There is a lot more to the app as well so explore more for yourself!

Thank you Jenna Tregarthen and Stuart for making this app!

Stay Strong,

Natalie

Make Time.

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COMPLICATED, goals and aspirations, IS ALWAYS, life, relationships, school, support, What do I need, where I Stand, working, YOU are human

Life is ALWAYS complicated.

For most of us we have more than just a few things going on. We are working or are in school, have multiple different types of relationships, have various goals and aspirations, and often times we have several needs and wants within a given day as well (and that does not even scratch the surface). 

I remember in the first two months of exploring treatment thinking: how is this going to fit into my life? I don’t even have time to do what I already do. Now, I have to expend tons of energy learning new ways or doing things. GET ME OUT OF HERE.

Thankfully I stuck with it.

The truth is, I was operating incredibly inefficiently when I was not well, and taking time and energy to spend on treatment and recovery gave me more time and more energy to spend on the things in life that I wanted to invest in; things like school, scrapbooking and my friendships.

When we look at our lives it is SO easy to come up with reasons we don’t need or want treatment right now.

1. I don’t have enough time
2. I don’t have enough money
3. I’m going to wait until I finish _____
4. I’m not ready because ___
5. It’s not bad enough yet

The reality and answer to all of those questions though is this: YOU are worth every dollar in the world; YOU are worth every second in a day; YOUR time spent now will make for more effective and enjoyed time later; YOU are as ready as YOU decide to be and finally; Getting help doesn’t mean YOU are bad or YOU are sick; It means YOU are human.

Today make time for yourself and ask: What do I need? 

Maybe it’s more support. Maybe it’s time for yourself. Maybe you’re not sure. But you really will never know until you ask.

My name is Erin, and this is Where I Stand.

Truth.

Tags

#believe, feelings, hope, inspiration, keep going, life, love, Open yourself up, recovery, strength, truth, understanding, where I Stand, you are amazing, you can

Up and Down.

Tags

breathe, eating disorder, encouragement, feelings, health, help, keep going, mental-health, recovery, Stress

Today I have been feeling many emotions from stress to excitement and have been from tears to laughter.  It has been important for me to take a step back and remember that feelings ebb in and ebb out.  An intense uncomfortable feeling will not last forever as well as a extreme happy feeling.  This realization helped me today as my feelings where up and down, side to side.

This is important for people struggling with a mental illness.  One is more apt to make healthy decisions by grounding themselves in the present and to not jump to acting on feelings!  You can do this!  Have a great night everyone.

Natalie