I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to take up space - literally and figuratively.
I am a therapist, and I specialize in women’s issues; therefore, this topic leads me to think about women and the cultural messages we receive about claiming space in the world. I use female pronouns and refer to women as a result, but rest assured that anyone could relate to this concept.
After I left treatment, I felt like a misfit. I remember standing in the cereal aisle at the grocery store, completely frozen, unable to think or speak. My eyes slowly moved from box to box as I desperately tried to pick a cereal that didn’t scare me, that wasn’t a threat, that didn’t feel like “too much.” The harder I tried to decide, the more scared and nauseous I became.
Chase Bannister is the founder, senior vice president and chief strategy & clinical integrity officer for Veritas Collaborative, a specialty hospital system for the treatment of eating disorders in a gender-diverse and inclusive environment. He is credentialed as a certified eating disorder specialist by the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals and is a licensed clinical social worker.
Sometimes, the hardest cages to break out of are the ones we build for ourselves. Society has created a cage for many adolescents around the world, creating an illusion that these cages aren’t meant to be broken. The bars surrounding their open spaces are created from every single magazine cover, television show, and “ideal” image of what a person should look like.
Hope…there is hope for recovery.
I know this. I want to share this message with the world. I spent years of my life held prisoner by the lies and intrusive thoughts of anorexia and bulimia. I no longer live in this place and I want you to know that there is hope for recovery. How, may you ask, is this possible? This is a question that only your journey to recovery will reveal to you. However, there are valuable tools that we all can share to uplift one another along our own journeys.
New research published today in the International Journal of Eating Disorders confirms what we’ve all known for years – models are being pressured to lose weight or change their body shape/size, and as a result, disordered eating and full-blown eating disorders are rife in the industry.
I have a confession to make: I despise checking the news. It seems like every time I turn on the TV or radio, or log on to social media, there is another act of violence, hate, or terror being reported, not only in our country, but around the entire world.
There’s no denying that breakups are always hard. It can take months—even years—to completely heal and be ready to move on. When you have an eating disorder (ED), it can be even harder. It’s easy to be overwhelmed with negativity and self-doubt, which can trigger your ED behaviors in order to cope.
If you are looking to be a part of something special in 2017, then join us for a NEDA Walk near you. NEDA Walks are coming to over 40 cities this spring and we can’t wait to meet you there. This year, we’re walking to inspire others. We’re walking away from stigma to send the message that eating disorders are dangerous illnesses, not lifestyle choices. Eating disorders are the deadliest of all mental illnesses, but we’re in this fight together and we’re walking to win!
Growing up with anorexia, I came close to losing my life. Several times. I remember the first time my eating disordered thoughts began. I was seven.
I am blessed with an amazingly loving family. But even so, something in my brain told these me thoughts shouldn't be shared. That they were true, they were mine, and I needed to deal with them on my own. Little did I know that that is the nature of the disease: shame, secrecy, silence.
