Welcome

By Dr. Mark Warren, Chief Medical Officer at The Emily Program

One area that is a constant concern with those with eating disorders has to do with heart rate, in particular, low heart rate. This issue is generally observed at low body weight but can happen anytime there has been a significant amount of weight loss. In general, as one loses weight one loses muscle mass. With the loss of muscle mass, there may be loss of heart mass as the heart is a muscle.

**Content warning: This is one person’s story; everyone will have unique experiences in recovery and beyond. Some stories may mention eating disorder thoughts, behaviors, and symptoms. Please use your discretion when reading and speak with your support system as needed.

By Liz Rognes, a former Emily Program client in recovery. She is a teacher, writer, and musician who lives in Spokane, WA.

I have always been something of a perfectionist. As a student, I aimed for straight A’s and I was involved in everything, but just beneath the surface, I was filled with insecurity, uncertainty, and shame. No matter what I did, I didn’t feel like I was good enough. I had terrible anxiety, and I didn’t know how to talk about it, so I just kept feeling anxious. Bulimia and anorexia became a way for me to attempt to manage that anxiety, but instead, my feelings of anxiety and shame intensified. I struggled with an eating disorder throughout high school, and when I moved away to college, I thought it could be a way to finally escape the eating disorder. I thought that moving away from my little Iowa farm town, away from old triggers and patterns, might simply erase the eating disorder chatter and urges.

And, in fact, for the first semester of college, things were okay. I was using eating disorder symptoms less than I had been before. I made friends. I learned about new concepts and theories in my classes: music theory, feminism, philosophy, and I discovered that I loved talking about ideas and examining various points of view. I felt inspired by academia, and I knew that I wanted to give my whole attention to my studies, but I still had the pull of bulimia holding me back.

By Lucene Wisniewski, chief clinical officer

“How do Parents of Adolescent Patients with Anorexia Nervosa Interact with their Child at Mealtimes? A study of Parental Strategies used in the Family Meal Session of FBT.” International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol 48, issue 1, p. 72-80 White, Haycraft, Madden, Rhodes, Miskovic-Wheatley, Wallis, Kohn & Meyer (2015)

This recent study examined the types of parental mealtime strategies used during a family meal session of Family-Based Therapy (FBT). Researchers studied 21 families with children between the ages of 12 to 18 who were receiving FBT for anorexia nervosa. They also were interested in the emotional tone of the meal, as well as the parents’ ability to get their child to eat.

By Lisa Diers, RD, LD, E-RYT, Director of Nutrition Services

Today I want to talk about the role of the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and what to expect in your first session with an RDN at The Emily Program.

At The Emily Program, part of your treatment will likely include meeting with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. And you may be wondering — what role does the RD play in recovery?

Well, let’s talk about it!

This is one person’s story; everyone will have unique experiences on their own path to recovery and beyond. Some stories may mention eating disorder thoughts, behaviors, or symptom use. Please use your own discretion. And speak with your therapist when needed.

By Clare Harmon, a former Emily Program client, and woman in recovery

When people ask me about my recovery, I always say that it is, above all else, a practice. It’s the application of skills I learned in treatment, daily reflection, forgiveness, and grace. Of course, everyone’s journey to, in, and through recovery is unique; I’m honored to be given the opportunity to articulate a bit of my own.

By Mark Warren, MD, Chief Medical Officer, The Emily Program

An important topic that comes up relatively frequently with my patients in eating disorder treatment is whether those with low heart rates are at risk. The answer is absolutely yes. A low heart rate is a very significant risk and requires immediate attention.

There is a belief held by some that low heart rates are normal – and safe – in adolescents who are athletes. However, this is not supported by evidence and, in fact, it is almost certainly untrue.

By Tiffany Hammer, Community Outreach Specialist

Perhaps one of the most culturally ingrained normative about our culture is the emphasis that we receive from media regarding how one should feel, dress, or behave with regards to our relationship with our bodies and food. In my own personal experiences, even before making eating disorder awareness a professional pathway, I notice that when I get together with my friends, often over food and drinks, how much of a regular topic of conversation it is to discuss: exercises–what we “should” or “have to” be doing, food–the “good” or “bad” of what we have been or are consuming, and body image–what we “can” or “cannot” wear or feelings of “fat.”

Now, I feel hyper-aware when these topics come up, and how much I notice myself or those around me, making this subject an introductory topic of conversation. These topics, like “how are you doing?” or “what do you do?”, have come to be placeholders in our interpersonal connections, where we feel obligated to answer “fine,” “ok,” “good” and then launch into a discussion about all the things we “should be” doing. If we lift the curtain a little further just beyond what we are already discussing with the people in our lives, we can start to see that body image, exercise, and food, is not just on the tips of tongues, but also bombarding our senses via all platforms of media. How are we to feel great about ourselves when we are personally exhausting the topic, then screen, ads, and even radio are labeling our habits “good” or “bad”?

Eating disorders can create a lot of stress and sadness in people’s lives. The secrecy and isolation can cause feelings of despair. However, we have to power within ourselves to change how we feel. With a simple gesture, we can begin to improve our mood. Now, by no means do the following ideas treat or cure eating disorders but, it could help you feel better every now and again, if even for a moment.