Eating Disorders

In my opinion, the Renfrew Centers are the best eating disorder clinics in the USA. The Renfrew clinic was also the first inpatient residential eating disorder treatment facility. Now they have eight different sites and work with many insurance providers. They specialize in the treatment of "anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder, our innovative programs emphasize the value and healing potential of healthy relationships". Their newest programs include those for people experiencing eating disorders in mid-life. They have a list of resources on their site that would prove invaluable to anyone with an eating disorder or the loved of anyone with an eating disorder. For more information on please call The Renfrew Center at 1-800-RENFREW

Here are a few more links you might appreciate:

Something Fishy

WIRED Foundation

Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center

MyED Help

National Eating Disorders Association

Suicide by Knife and Fork

When I was younger, I was abused by my great grandfather. I had gone to my grandmother and with my childish vocabulary & tried to verbalize what had happened to me. She told me that she didn't believe he had "hurt me" and if he did I deserved it. Then she told me here, "have a cookie, you'll feel better". And thus an eating disorder was born.

I'll never know if my grandmother understood what had been trying to tell her or not. Perhaps she was in denial because she had been abused by her own father or her children had been. Maybe she couldn't face what was done to me and felt guilty. Maybe she figured I was young enough that I wouldn't understand what had just happened to me or that I wouldn't remember as an adult. I'll never know. As a teen for several years, I was bulimic (its almost Halloween so I figured time to let this skeleton out of the closet). When I delving into these issues several years ago with my therapist, I wrote the following poem.

Slow suicide

By knife and fork
Slow suicide
No way to express
the distress
So instead
I anesthetize
Numbing down
The pain
From which I hide,
as I swallow
It all
Tears often only fall
On the inside

If you double click the painting, it will enlarge so that you can better read the poetry that I superimposed over it.

Edited to explain how to view the painting better.

Salutations

Greetings and salutations. Welcome to Flying Phalanges and the sister site of www.artfulabilities.blogspot.com. Over the years as a former dietitian and nurse I have collected numerous articles to help those in emotional, physical, fiscal crises as well as info on abortion, pregnancy loss and early childhood death and physical, emotional and sexual abuse. I'm also a bit of a pack rat so most of this info. on my nearly filled hard drive with all sorts of info. on these subjects. So I will cut and past lots of goodies here as I have time and energy.

It is difficult for me to write as I have had 2 strokes from migraines. I'm also a bit of a perfectionist so friends and family will be looking over what I have to say and correcting, shall we say "the error of my ways". As I said previously, much of what is put here will be cut and pasted from my pack rat days. Once again, welcome!!!

Artisttia