Dear friends,
I just received the following
announcement from Rebecca Lester, PhD, MSW, PLCSW, who has recently launched a non-profit organization dedicated to education
and advocacy issues for eating disorders and other culture and mental health
issues called The Foundation for Applied
Psychiatric Anthropology (FAPA). The website is www.psychanthro.org.
She wants us to know about two new initiatives, in case you (or other people you know!) might be
interested in participating.
Please reply to Dr. Lester via the
website. Here’s her announcement:
First...
We are currently soliciting submissions for an edited volume of poetry and other writings created by
Eating Disorder survivors. The aim of this project is to convey the
profound suffering this illness brings, as well as the hopes and successes that
can come with recovery.
We consider an eating disorder "survivor" anyone who has suffered, or
is currently suffering, with an eating disorder, yet who remains alive to share
the experience. One does not need to be fully recovered to be a survivor.
However, we do ask that people who are currently in treatment or early in
their recovery discuss their participation fully with their therapists and/or
treatment teams before submitting their work.
As we know, many survivors of eating disorders are amazingly talented and
eloquent, and many write poetry or other musings as part of their
journey. Unfortunately, most of it remains in the pages of personal
journals or filed away somewhere, and is not shared with others who might have
their eyes, minds, and hearts opened by reading it. It is our intention
that this volume will become a valuable resource for clients, professionals,
families, and the general public by illuminating the complex and devastating
contours of these illnesses, as well as the strength and reliance of those who
battle it every day.
We welcome any and all submissions written at any stage of illness or recovery.
Although we may not be able to accommodate all submissions in the present
volume, our aim is to include as many as possible. If we get enough
submissions, we may consider publishing additional volumes.
The collection will be marketed to established publishers and will be available
for purchase nationally (and perhaps internationally) All proceeds will
go to The Foundation for Applied Psychiatric Anthropology to fund additional
education and advocacy initiatives related to culture and mental health,
including eating disorders.
Contributors to this volume may remain anonymous if they do not wish to reveal
their identities. As the editor, I will need to know who they are (in
order to get permissions signed and so forth), but authors may remain unnamed
in print if they wish. Certainly, others may want to use their real
names.
On our website (on the Advocacy and Education page) is a form that may be given
or emailed to anyone who might be interested in contributing to this
effort. Contributors can send in hard copies of the form and their work,
or they may send both by email or secure fax. Please let ANYONE who might
be interested in participating in this project know about it!
Second...
The other initiative currently underway is the arrival of our first Advocacy and Education Poster, which
promotes the message that no one CHOOSES to have an eating disorder.
Posters are 11 x 17, full color,100lb text gloss print, and may be viewed on
our website.
Posters are available for FREE via our website with a
$5.00 donation to The Foundation for Applied Psychiatric Anthropology
(shipping is free, too!). Visit our website at www.psychanthro.org to get
yours today!
Thank you for your support!
Rebecca Lester, PhD, MSW, PLCSW
Department of
Anthropology
Executive Director and Psychotherapist
Washington University in St.
Louis The Foundation for Applied
Psychiatric Anthropology
www.psychanthro.org
www.cathexa.com
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