Pull down the blinds! Close the drawers! You don't know where you might find "hungry." Alert the authorities; adults are feeling themselves hounded by a little creature and by the sensation of hunger!
Leslie E. Murray, MD, MPH is a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow at the University of Iowa. Her interests include the treatment of men and minority populations, eating disorders advocacy and mental health care access and delivery. Read More...
Pull down the blinds! Close the drawers! You don't know where you might find "hungry." Alert the authorities; adults are feeling themselves hounded by a little creature and by the sensation of hunger!
Posted at 08:57 PM in Leslie E Murray MD, MPH | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
I realize that I have been blogging for a while, yet there are some core journal articles, people and populations I've yet to discuss. One thing I do wish to do today is debunk some myths about eating disorders.
Posted at 08:45 PM in Leslie E Murray MD, MPH | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
There is a frenetic pace in the air this time of year. The cereal, magazine and gym commercials are on television luring in fresh prey, the grocery stores are emptied of the items that the commercials instructed people to buy and for at least this day, week or even two everyone will be on their "best behavior."
There is never anything special about Monday, even the first Monday of the new year. For the "all or nothing thinkers", "I'll start over in the morning" means that only perfection will do. If your child made a mistake in her homework, would you take the page from her and make her start over?
While I don't usually make resolutions, I will suggest one: Promise to open yourself to the possibility of changing your life direction when the moment calls for it. Don't wait. Why wait? Why make your life about weight and calories? Open your life to positivity. Change is difficult, but often necessary.
If you think of baseball, a player is considered really good if he has a batting average of over .300. Ty Cobb played from 1905-1928 and still holds the record at .367. That means that he didn't get on base roughly 2 out of 3 times he was at bat. I doubt anyone thinks Ty failed. In fact, it's pretty impressive that the record still stands. Goes to show 1 out of 3 pretty great!
Allow yourself to make mistakes and to strike out. It doesn't mean that you won't still be a superstar. Recovery and changing habits is tough work that requires patience and kindness to self.
Peace be with you.
Posted at 05:07 PM in Leslie E Murray MD, MPH | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
One of the legs on my Christmas tree stand broke this week while it was being trimmed. I was devastated.
Posted at 06:35 PM in Leslie E Murray MD, MPH | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
While at the bookstore, I saw a book titled, "The Worst Case Survival Handbook." In full disclosure, I've never read the book and cannot recommend it, but I liked the title. It also provides teachable moments.
As we move in life, the unexpected does happen. When these unexpected events occur, often times we feel ourselves knocked for a loop and shaken. Instead of getting up and planting our feet, we get on the haunted ride of the vicious circle which is fueled by our core beliefs. Then things start to spiral.
In CBT, we aim to recognize black and white thinking and core beliefs. Imagine a book in jest about the worst things that could ever happen and how to get yourself out of them. What if in life we did the same thing?
Through recovery, we learn to deal with disappointments and have a plan B ahead of time just in case things don't work out the way we planned. Sometimes we have to have a plan C, D, and E. We might not make it into the college of our dreams on the first try, that's why many people apply to more than one college.
Learning to be flexible and how to adapt to changes and fluctuations is the key to survival.
Posted at 02:55 PM in Leslie E Murray MD, MPH | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
We've all heard it, "Denial is not just a river in Egypt." Not only is the Nile the only river in Egypt, but denial is an oft used defense mechanism for sufferers of eating disorders.
Posted at 04:00 PM in Leslie E Murray MD, MPH | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Sitting with a colleague after work, I asked, "Do you know anyone who is African American and has an eating disorder?" My colleague, who is aware of my history, sat back in her chair and without pause said yes. Then I asked a follow up question that I rarely ever do..."Do they consider themselves eating disordered?" A quick "Oh heavens no" came my way. This wasn't a surprise, but it was as if I heard it anew. After a long pause, I asked "why we don't ever talk about it," and we just shared a smile and a shrug of the shoulder.
"I cannot have an eating disorder, I'm African American. We aren't supposed to get eating disorders. We don't get eating disorders. What does that mean about me and my cultural identity?" Nothing. It means you have an eating disorder and you need treatment.
I understood. I understood all too well. Not only is admitting that you have an eating disorder one of the bravest acts that a sufferer can ever do (in fact some people don't say it until it can be phrased in the past tense), but to admit an eating disorder when you don't fit the "mold" is still simply unconscionable for some. Being an African American with an eating disorder does not take away from your identification with your ethnic heritage unless you let it.
Continue reading "Eating Disorders: It is time for African Americans to talk about it" »
Posted at 06:36 PM in Leslie E Murray MD, MPH | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
When feeling morose (yes morose, not down, sad, depressed or upset, but morose), there's a tendency to reach for the songs that only deepen those feelings. You all know them. I won't list any. You all know the artists with the hallowed appearances that match their ever so haunting voices. You play these songs over and again because the pain resonates. Well, in my family there is a name for this; we call them "Depression Soundtracks."
Thinking more about the concept of those who must play this music in order to express what it is they are feeling, or to make themselves cry; I think about addiction and eating disorders. How many times have we said, "Voices not bodies?" While finding a song that you relate to is wonderful, writing those words or even saying them is simply splendid. When you can do that, you are making the steps towards recovery.
Challenge yourself to come up with a soundtrack of happier songs. You don't have to go full throttle into "I'm Walking on Sunshine," by Katrina and the Waves, but Des'ree's "You Gotta Be" and certainly Natasha's Bedingfield's, "Unwritten" is great.
Variety is important and necessary. Your life is not monotone and solely filled with sad songs; neither should you listen to them daily. Everyday is a new opportunity and a fresh start.
Let's start a list of happier songs to get the ball rolling! Enjoy!
Posted at 09:26 AM in Leslie E Murray MD, MPH | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
Sitting around the table at a function, it was revealed that others had histories of eating disorders. One woman mentioned that she had a wedding coming up. She bemoaned having to diet for the upcoming summer. I asked why? Everyone looked at me as if I had 2 heads. (Duh). The dress she ordered was in a different size.
People talked of living for that one moment when they would be happy, or remembering when they were happy. The beauty of recovery is that I am happy now. At peace. Imperfections and flaws do still exist, but they don't rule my day. A four leaf clover is an anomaly, but we consider it lucky. Go figure.
Occasionally, I make my patients laugh with a silly line I heard in Kung Fu Panda, "Today is a gift, that's why it's called the present!" Even I roll my eyes when I hear it. But it is truly a gift.
Recovery makes you cherish each day and live in the present, not for the summer when you might be a different size or yesterday when you thought you were happy, but today, when you can truly effect change.
Enjoy your gift.
Posted at 07:28 AM in Leslie E Murray MD, MPH | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
Years ago, I never thought I'd ever write something positive about what appeared on the pages of Glamour magazine. I admit that I looked at its pages wistfully, as it regularly featured models and fashions of only a certain size, a size I wasn't.
I've come to recognize after perusing this magazine (and similar magazines) for years I knew that much of what was featured diet and exercise-wise was recycled. Fashion trends also cycle as well as preference in body shape...to a point. After all, no one is petitioning to bring back the women of Rubens' era, just using "plus size" models with airbrushing; with plus size being generally women of smaller than "average size."
The question Glamour correctly asks in its November 2009 issue is, "Is this want we really want to see?" It is based on the the age old question of, "What do women want?" At times we complain that models are too thin and unrealistic; take for example recent Ralph Lauren airbrushing where the model's head was the same width as her waist. Yet, we do like fantasy and don't always want to be confronted by the truth.
We are a culture that is bred on Cinderella, Snow White, Barbie and Slim Fast. We need to know that someday our Prince will come. We want to look in the Mirror on the wall and have it tell us that we are the fairest of them all. Can we really tolerate our models actually looking like us? After all, Disney has the Magic Kingdom, not the Magic Living Room.
Continue reading "Truthtelling* by Glamour Magazine--This month's review" »
Posted at 09:12 PM in Leslie E Murray MD, MPH | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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