Eating Disorder Therapy LA: A Psychology Group

Do you see the similarities? Tweet by @encouragingdietitian [image description: tweet that says we don’t talk enough about cult-like diet culture is. lures you in with a sense of community.... insists that if you leave something bad will happen to you. convinces you to do things you wouldn’t otherwise do. teaches you to judge those who are not in the group.] See more

Dr. Muhlheim was quoted in this New York Times article by Virginia Sole-Smith Trapped in the House With an Eating Disorder "Teenagers have been particularly vulnerable to developing eating disorders during the pandemic, both because adolescence is already the most common time for such struggles to emerge and because of the added pressures they face now. It’s a combination of the loss of structure, the loss of peer connections and the loss of their usual activities, Dr. Muhlheim said. They have all this time and they decide to focus on an exercise program, or maybe it feels like running is the only thing they can really still do. But we know exercise is a huge trigger.

This transition will be particularly hard for our middle and high school kids with eating disorders and body image struggles. Let’s offer them some extra compassion. [image description: tweet that says High school kids in California are going back to school next month after doing virtual learning all year. Let’s normalize the anxiety about being seen in person for the first time in a year. It’s challenging enough for most kids - let alone when they’re struggling with ED’s.]

New by Dr. Muhlheim for Verywell: So You’ve Gained Weight During the Pandemic: Now What? Thanks to Whole Life Nutrition Counseling for the quotes

There is often so much fear and emphasis wrapped around bingeing behaviors but we find it essential to focus on ensuring people with all eating disorders are eating enough food. [image description: tweet that says Bingeing and emotional eating cause great distress and are vilified in our culture. But our practice focuses on ensuring that people with ALL eating disorders are working toward eating enough food as restriction is the primary problem for most.]

We have a few spaces open in our FREE Virtual Adult ARFID Support Group. Open to people in California. Thursdays from 5 to 6 pm. Email [email protected] to sign up.

Body changes are a natural part of life. Let’s teach our children that they are so much more than the size of their bodies. : @dietitiananna [image description: tweet that says You don’t need to put your kid on a diet because their body has changed while the world has been closed. Your kid’s body will continue to change as the world reopens. The impact of being made to view body changes as problematic is everlasting.]

The Second Pandemic: Eating Disorders Are Surging, and They Won't Stop When COVID Does And that's without even touching on essential workers, homeschooling parents or the unemployed, whose extra stresses could be contributing to new or worsened eating disorders, as Lauren Muhlheim, Psy.D., author of When Your Teen Has an Eating Disorder, points out. Think also of how the ubiquitous video call can affect those struggling with body dissatisfaction, and of how much time we're spending online right now. "Seeing oneself on screen all day can be challenging," Muhlheim says. "For some, there is relief at not being seen below the neck or in person at all. Neither is great. We usually aim for patients to find a middle ground between over-focus and avoidance and this is harder to achieve in this setting."

Bigger body bigger life. [image description: tweet that says Imagine if we viewed the buying of bigger clothes as a sign of expansion and recovery versus a personal failure.]

Dr. Muhlheim is proud to be a clinical advisor to Equip and also to offer FBT at Eating Disorder Therapy LA

Atypical anorexia is just anorexia with a dose of weight stigma attached. : @drrachelmillner [image description: text that says Atypical anorexia is anything but atypical. Not only because it’s more common than supposed typical anorexia, but because the healthcare community using weight stigma to oppress and deny care to bigger bodies is one of the most typical things they do.]

Your body can be trusted. [image description: text that says Seeking out the most calorie dense food after a lull in eating is not a moral failure. It’s the wisdom of your body fighting to keep you alive.]

This via @oona_hanson [image description: tweet that says I'd love to retire the phrase "struggles with their weight" because it really means: "faces size discrimination" "experiences weight stigma"... "feels fear based on harmful medical advice" "is under pressure to conform to a thin ideal" "has been body shamed"] See more

Diets are not benign and they’re one of the biggest risk factors for children developing eating disorders. Let’s teach our children that body diversity is nothing to fear. : @honestmom.nutrition [image description: text that says that ‘heathy weight loss challenge’ your child wants to do for their New Years resolution might turn into an eating disorder.]

1. Resolve to learn a new skill. Whether you’ve always wanted to learn to rock climb, play the piano, make dumplings, or cross-stitch, now is the time to do it. 2. Commit to improving one relationship. Whether it’s getting to know that coworker, spending more time with your spouse, or getting back in touch with that childhood friend, do it in 2021. 3. Pledge to reject self-denigrating body-shaming comments. Those negative body comments, often made between friends, make ever...yone feel worse. Try to avoid saying things like, My thighs look too big, I hate my double chin, Does this make me look fat? I need to lose weight. 4. Commit to not dieting. Focus instead on eating intuitively according to your own taste and hunger and satiety cues. Your amazing body will regulate itself if you let it. 5. Listen to one body-positive podcast. Improving your body image will make you feel better than dieting will. 6. Spend more time in nature. Research shows that spending time in nature is associated with improved mental health. Go on a monthly hike, plan to visit a national park, or just spend some time outside appreciating your surroundings. 7. Volunteer! So many organizations are in need of volunteers and there are so many important causes. You can devote your time to helping animals, saving the environment, or improving literacy. Volunteering provides health benefits and can boost self-esteem. 8. Create something. Paint, draw, needlepoint, collage, write a story or a song. Art is a great way to express your feelings and the act of creating something can boost mood and self-esteem. 9. Expand your cooking repertoire. Whatever your cooking ability, there is room to grow. Learn a new technique, master a new cuisine, and try some new recipes. Cooking is a great way to improve your appreciation for food and can help with mindful eating. 10. Make no New Year’s resolution at all. After all, the passage from 2020 to 2021 is just a social construct it affects neither your self-worth nor any progress in your life. [image description: text that says Instead of another weight loss resolution in 2021, try these alternatives instead.]

Just say no to Dieting and consider these alternative New Years Resolutions:

Please and thank you! Not only because it’s harmful for those trying to recover from eating disorders and disordered eating but also because... diet talk is pretty boring. : @bodyposipanda [image description: scrabble tiles that say let’s talk about something more interesting than calories this Christmas.]

You do not need to go on another diet. Bodies are meant to change throughout our lives. : @racheljeandesign [image description: illustration of a woman in a pink coat holding a drink with text that says Hey babe, you do not need to make weight loss your New Years resolution.]

We can find other ways to criticize harmful people without fatphobia. Period. : @llenaylearning [image description: text that says Nancy Pelosi, Anderson Cooper And I’m assured many others have continued to use fatphobic rhetoric in politics and the media....it’s incredibly distasteful. Make fun of 45 as much as you want but just realize the minute you use someone’s body as a joke you’re no better than 45 is and while 45 may never see the joke all our fat friends and family will see it....and no it’s not funny and never has been.]

Your body is good. [image description: text that says, I am not looking forward to all the ‘lose that quarantine weight’ New Year bullshit that’s about to drop, so here’s a reminder - your body has been processing so much stress and trauma that if you are alive and healthy you are good. Your body is good as it is. You are good.]

Let’s allow food to be so much more than just fuel. [image description: text that says Food is about so much more than sustenance. It’s about pleasure, joy, tradition, culture, and connection. You deserve to eat for those reasons and more this holiday season -and every day!]

You are needed. You are enough. : @quotesbychristie [image description: text that says I hope you know the world is a better place because you’re in it.]

Breathe. One moment at a time. : @theshirarose [image description: tweet that says You might be sick to your stomach with anxiety. You may not have slept at all last night. You might be completely overwhelmed with emotions. And you still need to eat.]

You can still treat your body with kindness on rough body image days. : @nicolecruzrd [image description: text that says Some days you might feel miserable in your body. Some days you might feel indifferent about it. Some days you might even appreciate it. And at the end of each day, can you still choose to be kind to it?]

What would it be like to take care of yourself from a place of compassion and care and not fear or hate? [image description: tweet that says, I do not have a "goal" weight. My only goal is to be in attunement. To honor and listen to my body's needs and provide it with nourishment from a place of love and care, not control it from a place of fear and anxiety.]

If you are BIPOC, part of a marginalized group dealing with disordered eating, or a clinician specializing in the treatment of eating disorders, below is a list of resources that can be helpful: Not All Black Girls Know How to Eat: A Story of Bulimia by Stephanie Covington Armstrong Marginalized Voices Project (NEDA)... @nalgonapositivitypride @encouragingdietitian Treating Black Women with Eating Disorders: A Clinician's Guide by Charlynn Small, Mazella Fuller Full post is on @verywell: https://www.verywellmind.com/race-racism-and-eating-disorde [Image description: text that says, The images used to market treatment centers almost always depict thin white females, further reinforcing the stereotype and subtly communicating to people of color, non-females, and people in larger bodies that they are not welcome or don’t belong there.]

Eating structured meals is absolutely a-okay. We are all unique and will need different approaches! [image description: text that says, Let’s not put intuitive eating on a pedestal as the only right or recovered way to eat. Eating structured regular meals is important especially if your hunger cues are not reliable. ]

What Halloween candy will you be getting this year? [image description: text that says This Halloween, let them have candy! Halloween is an amazing opportunity to normalize candy for your child with an eating disorder. Because food is so much more than the nutrients they provide. Food is also connection, tradition, pleasure, and heritage. Next slide says Encourage your child to have candy on Halloween. We want our kids to participate in traditions without their eating disorders getting in the way. There is nothing healthier than our kids partaking in celebration so make sure to get some of their favorite candy!]

Excellent article by Abby Sarrett-Cooper PARENTAL ALIGNMENT IN FBT

Recovery is so hard. Let’s give our teens some grace. [image description: tweet that says Let’s remember that teens undergoing FBT are doing the hard work of recovery ON TOP OF all their regular daily stressors including family and school. Let’s give them some grace. Just doing recovery on its own is a full time job!]

You can do hard things. [image description: Text that says I know you’re wrestling with your body image but you still need to eat.]

Being nourished and fed is essential to healing. [image description: text that says All the coping skills in the world are no match for the primary hunger drive which is why it’s essential to first ensure enough nutrition. You’re not failing if the coping skills don’t feel like they’re working! Being fed enough is an essential first step to your healing.]

Keep going. We’re so proud of you. : @bodyposipanda [image description: text that says To anyone reading this who’s currently living with an eating disorder - you’re a fucking powerhouse and I’m so proud of you. I’m proud of you if today was a good recovery day. I’m proud of you if it wasn’t.]

How you speak to yourself matters. : @worrywellbeing [image description: text under a white envelope with a red heart on it that says if you wouldn’t say it to your younger self, don’t say it to yourself now.]