Being the Change – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Last week you may have noticed there was no newsletter from me…as part of my plan to increase the access for families to more support, I was leading another training of Eating Disorder Caregiver (EDC) Coaches. I’ll be passing most clients onto these new coaches AND...
Three Reasons to set Firm Boundaries AND Enforce Them – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Boundaries are not cruel, they’re COOL! It doesn’t help family caregivers or their sick child to fall prey to all of the chaos and fear of the eating disorder (ed). We need to live in-tune with our own desires, needs, and feelings. FEAR can lead to SILENCE,...
When Your Adult Loved One is Resisting Treatment for an Eating Disorder – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Today I had the joy of learning about a family caregiver’s adult family member who was able to choose to go to treatment after a long and winding road of family caregivers trying everything. When your loved one is over 18 you might fear there is nothing you can do...
Antidotes to Burnout for Family Caregivers of those with Eating Disorders – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Who else has been feeling the ‘January Blahs’ that seem to transcend location and circumstances? Nothing like another Covid variant spike to really dial it up. Last week I took myself to a local pool (yes, I’m very lucky to be in sunny Southern California where I can...
Why is Self Love Needed for Caregivers? – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
What is self love? Why is it important while caregiving a loved one with an eating disorder? How do we practice self love? WHAT IS SELF LOVE? This week I learned of a school district in Mississippi that sent home a letter with middle school students informing them and...
Anosognosia in Eating Disorders – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Last week I heard this story on the radio (you can read it here in LAist) here in Southern California about anosognosia in mental illness. It both made me both happy and sad to see attention being given to this topic of lack of awareness of one’s mental illnesses...
You Survived 2021! ~ by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Finally, the December holidays as well as our SECOND YEAR of this PANDEMIC are over. And you have somehow survived, hopefully more or less intact. Perhaps you and your parenting partner are not on the same page - this is so common. Many families of those with eating...
Coping with Holiday Body Image Challenges – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Toward the end of each year we see even more messaging than usual that we should be afraid of how we look and we should “manage” our holiday foods and therefore, our size or our lives will be a disaster. Even when we have learned about Health At Every Size (HAES)...
Letting Go of “Shoulds” During December – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
The month of December can become very busy with holidays and year end duties no matter what/if any holidays you observe. Whether you have parties or gifts or family gatherings as part of your traditions, it can become a lot of pressure and we can fall into “shoulding”...
Holidays and Caregiving – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
How do we support a loved one in eating disorder recovery when a holiday is as focused on food as some traditional Thanksgiving celebrations have become? Previously, I have offered up the possibility of simply skipping a holiday that makes being in treatment for an...
Providing Powerful tools to Empower Family Caregivers – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
If you have never parented a child with an eating disorder you may be surprised to learn that many parents tell me that they feel like running away from home, they are out of ideas, they are desperate, they are terrified, and nothing works. In addition to that they...
Belonging – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Seeing the Palm Springs community come together to support and celebrate LGBTQ folks makes me smile. What a life saving and life giving gift Pride Celebrations have become to rally around and show support for the folks who’ve been marginalized for so long. What...
Tools for Caregivers Coping with Rough Times – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Walking back and forth in the desert sand next to the I-10 freeway outside of Palm Springs I had loads of time, three hours it turned out, to ponder how to sit with the many feelings that were present in me. And to consciously choose how I wanted to BE during this...
Managing Expectations as a Family Caregiver – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
In planning for this big two year travel adventure (aka: being nomads) I had the expectation of myself that my weekly newsletter would get written last week in the midst of packing and getting on the road...well that didn’t happen. We all hold expectations for so many...
Prioritizing Priorities; 3 Life Rings for Caregivers – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Some weeks the topic for this newsletter just shows up and other weeks my brain is scrambled eggs and nothing is bubbling to the top... I had a great night’s sleep (9 amazing hours!) and have been practicing massive self care and trying to balance; work, joyful...
Coming Home from Treatment; Tips for Parents – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
One of the biggest fears parents have during a child’s eating disorder treatment is when their child is coming home from treatment for the first and hopefully last time. Tips for Parents When You’re Terrified about Your Child Coming Home from Treatment Support...
Living with; The Good and the Bad – by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Many parents or other family caregivers will tell me that they feel badly because they feel frustration, bitterness, resentment and sometimes anger along with the massive sadness, fear, worry and compassion for their loved one with an eating disorder. It can be tricky...
Comorbidities – by Intern Anna
One of the most difficult things about battling with my eating disorder was also dealing with the other mental health problems I had on top of it. Comorbidity means that an individual is dealing with two or more physical/mental illnesses at the same time (NEDC, n.d.)....
Back to School; Make sure you and your loved one have the support you need
Back to School! As summer comes to a close, many of us are preparing to send our children back-to school. It’s common to experience “the jitters” as we adjust to a new daily routine, but that anxiety can be enhanced if you’re sending a loved one in the midst of eating...
Parental Guide to ED, by Summer Intern Anna
Navigating an eating disorder through the role of a caregiver can be quite difficult. You may feel as though you don’t know what to say to your child or that you tend to get into arguments when you bring up certain topics. This blog post will be about things my...
How to Define Recovery – Edward P. Tyson, MD
If you read my newsletter last week, you won't be surprised that this weekend is a bit wild and we're in the process of selling our house here in Minnesota. So, I'm re-sharing Dr. Ed Tyson's definition of recovery as I've been getting more questions about what...
Cup Half Empty or Half Full? by, Becky Henry, CPCC
Looking on the sunny side of life and seeing my cup as half-full has fortunately mostly been in my nature. But when I’m stretched to my limits in too many areas, even the smallest things can feel overwhelming. You know, the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s...
Social Media Can Be the Thief of Joy – by, Intern Anna
Due to the shame and secrecy with eating disorders and the fact that parents are not attached at the hip to their kids, it is often very well into the illness that parents become aware that detrimental social media behavior is occurring. The vast majority of parents...
The Tipping Point in Eating Disorders Recovery – by, Intern Anna
Parents desperate for hope inevitably ask me, “Do you think my child can recover?” When they hear the statistics about only about ⅓ of all people with eating disorders recovering fully, they tend to lose hope. First, the sooner an eating disorder is treated, the more...
The In-between Time in Eating Disorder Recovery – by Intern Anna
Understanding that recovery isn't linear and that it's not just us the parents who want it sooner than later can help us be more patient. My summer intern, Anna shares her insights here on what she calls, "The in-between time" before full recovery. Letting go of logic...