Mental Health

Insomniac
Falling asleep has often been a challenge for me.  Getting my brain to cooperate and chill out isn’t always a quick process.  I haven’t quite mastered it yet, so if you’re out there struggling to get to a calm, restful state, you’re not alone. read more

Love Can’t be Measured in Weight
I put these stickers on my scale a while back to remind me that I do not weigh myself.  Unless your doctor and/or therapist asks you to do weight checks for medical reasons, I highly recommend trying this.  I used to purge after weigh-ins every single time.  It didn’t matter what the number was, it ... read more

Love and Let Live
Not everyone is going to be able to love you the way you need to be loved.  That doesn’t mean anything bad about you.  You’re not unlovable, or unworthy.  It doesn’t mean anything bad about them either.  They’re not evil, or a bad person (unless they’re abusive, in which ... read more

Don’t Believe Everything you Think
Something I’ve learned about myself is that I have an automatic response when I look in the mirror that says “You’re fat.”  It doesn’t matter how skinny I am, that just happens.  This photo was taken at a time when I was so thin I stopped having my period.  Even then I ... read more

Tutus are Always a Good Idea
This picture was taken when I ran the Livestrong Half Marathon in Austin in a pink tutu.  I was really surprised by how many people came up to thank me for wearing it, because it helped them keep going.  Being yourself gives others the space and strength to do the same, and you never know who really ... read more

Gamification
I tend to approach recovery (and just life in general) as a series of games.  Why? Well there are two main reasons: 1) Games are fun. 2) It takes a lot of the pressure off, seriousness out, and keeps challenges from feeling endless. Some of my favorite games are the “To-Do List Wipe-Out” ... read more

Afraid of the Dark?
In recovery, you can’t be afraid of the dark. That is where all of your biggest breakthroughs will be found. I’m not saying it’s always fun and it’s certainly not always easy, but if you let your eyes adjust to the darkness you’ll find the most beautiful parts of your spirit ... read more

Bad Reruns
Depression is like having a TV that is stuck on only one channel.  For many years, mine mostly played reruns of “Don’t get out of bed, it’s Hopeless,” and of course the old classic, “You’re fat, Ugly, and Stupid.”  It look a great deal of practice to learn to ... read more