Recovered.® by Jenni Schaefer

‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving

I am sitting in an airport right now --- headed home to Texas for Thanksgiving. I am very excited about seeing my parents, brothers, sister-in-law, and two little nephews! (There is just nothing better than being an aunt.) These days, the holidays are all about the people rather than the food. This is yet another gift of recovery.

If you are experiencing fear or anxiety about tomorrow’s events, I encourage you to visit the National Eating Disorders Association’s website at www.MyNeda.org and read 12 Ideas to Help People With Eating Disorders Negotiate the Holidays (written by Dr. Michael Berrett, CEO, Center for Change). Click on the words: How To Negotiate the Holidays under Holiday Tips.

This Thanksgiving, I would like to thank each of you for your amazing support of my work. It means so much from me!

Best,

Jenni

A New Book: Going Hungry edited by Kate Taylor

Hi everyone! My colleague, Kate Taylor, has a great new book out. I highly encourage you to read Going Hungry (www.GoingHungry.com), which is an anthology of 19 essays written by eating disorder survivors. One of the essayists is Latria Graham, who you might have read about in my article in the October issue of CosmoGIRL!

Kate, Latria, and the other writers have an important message for everyone. This book is a must-read!

For more information and/or to buy the book, visit http://www.gurze.com/searchproducts.cfm.

Best,

Jenni

Are you truly alive?

Last night, I attended an Election Day party at my friend’s house. Some people there were Democrats, some Republicans, and some neither. Even though we had our differences, one thing was for sure: We were all together witnessing an event that will go down in the history books. If I ever decide to have kids, the 2008 Presidential Election will be something that I will tell them about. Thanks to being recovered, I will be able to talk about the event in an authentic, real way.

Sadly, I can’t remember much about other historical events that I have lived through. I was so sick with my eating disorder that I was not truly present in this world. I was trapped inside of my head with all of my troubles (real and make-believe) and my eating disorder. I do not remember many specifics during that time, because my brain was not functioning properly. To me, it feels like my eating disorder erased entire sections of my life from my mind. But not anymore!

I am truly alive today on November 5, 2008. Are you?

Best,

Jenni