Perfectionism and Eating Disorders

Perfectionism in psychology is defined as a personality trait in which a person strives for ‘flawlessness’. This striving is accompanied by setting high performance standards, being self-critical and a concern for what other’s perceptions of you are. The Positives and Negatives of Perfectionism The positive side of this personality trait is that it can motivate a […]

Shame, Self-worth and Promiscuity

How many times have you found yourself in a cycle of doing things to make you feel better because you feel shit about yourself only to find you feel worse after? Then you make attempts try to reach some ideal of a more ‘perfect’ version of yourself only to find yourself doing the same over […]

Flexible Dieting and Eating Disorders

Recovery from an eating disorder or disordered eating involves so much more than just addressing diet. They are such complex issues often involving comorbid conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD and substance abuse. At the centre of any eating disorder is a person who is trying to feel some sense of value. Adherence to […]

Professor Patrick McGorry Speaks about the Need to Mend our Broken System

You may need to use headphones to hear this clearly and I apologise as I just used my phone to record it at the launch day at Parliament House Canberra. But the message of Professor Patrick McGorry, founder of Australians for Mental Health is loud and clear. We need improvements in our broken system for […]

Recovery: The Heart of the Matter

If I could sum up what recovery from an eating disorder or any other kind of addictive behaviour looks like in just a few words it would be “Freedom to love who you are”. I believe I am correct in saying that most of us want to be loved unconditionally, yet we place conditions on […]

What is Muscle Dysmorphia?

Muscle Dysmorphia (MD) is classified as an obsessive-compulsive, body image disturbance disorder that involves excessive exercise as the primary focus with disordered eating as a secondary component.  The compulsion is to achieve high levels of muscularity and leanness. It has also been known as ‘reverse anorexia’ called ‘bigorexia’. Individuals with MD perceive themselves to lack […]

Crossing the Line from Healthy to Unhealthy Eating and Exercise Behaviours

The benefits of physical activity and healthy eating behaviours for physical and mental health are well documented. The Department of Health has published guidelines for recommendations of physical activity levels and dietary requirements for various ages. On average, it is recommended that 18-65 years old’s participate in 2.5- 5 hours of moderate activity per week or 1.25- 2.5 […]

THE COST OF AN EATING DISORDER

I don’t like the term ‘burden of disease’. For anyone who has or has experienced a physical and/or mental illness, feeling like a ‘burden’ is what the sufferer often thinks of themselves. I’d like to call for a change of this term. Can we also stop calling eating disorders ‘body image’ issues.  What happens to […]

THE DECEPTION OF PERFECTION – HEIGHTENED RISK OF SUICIDE

It is difficult to grasp what goes on in the thoughts of someone who appears to have it all together yet secretly, or openly, struggles with feeling that they are not enough. They may suffer from depression, anxiety and a combination of many other illnesses of the mind. This article is based on a research […]

WAYS TO HELP PREVENT EATING DISORDERS

Prevention is better than cure – that is what we often hear for many chronic physical illnesses. However, there are also some things that we can do to help prevent the risk of eating disorders by promoting self-worth. The language that we use is important as is our own attitudes to food. Read more in […]