Blogs
Ever wonder about the skeleton in my family's closet? Watch this eating disorder video about Dexter, an eating disorder stand-in for my future documentary. He's going to help us separate our children from the eating disorder.
There is one aspect of Adult ADHD that has perplexed and befuzzled my wife…Heads, I ignore you because I'm hyperfocused, or tails I ignore you because I'm spacing out. I can't for the life of me imagine why she'd have a problem with this.
Recently, my husband and I have been getting set up for new life insurance. We had to go through health exams and fill out paperwork regarding our personal family histories and current medical information. I listed that I have anxiety and that I take Sertraline daily. I was not asked to elaborate on any treatment plan or history of my anxiety. My family has a history of diabetes. My husband's family has a history of cancer, diabetes, premature death, etc. My husband rock climbs, scuba dives, and flies planes. So when the final pass or fail results arrived, guess who passed and who failed?
It is often assumed that eating disorders occur because of poor body image. I believe the relationship between the two is far more complicated. In fact, VERY complicated.
I’ve been meditating three times a day for the last two weeks and I still can’t find inner peace. It’s my own fault really. I bit off more than I can chew. My cousin asked me to take care of her little boy and I foolishly agreed. I thought it would be as easy as taking care of my girls. But I forgot that’s not so easy some days. I thought that with my bipolar disorder under control that I would be able to control any stress that came my way.
Ever feel like the proverbial caged animal? Adults with ADHD sometimes have excess energy that is bursting to get out. That would be the hyperactive component of ADHD at play. Winter is especially hard for me because I can't get out for a bike ride, my favorite activity to release pent up energy. What do you do to burn off excess energy and find calm in the storm within your mind?
Is it true that adults with ADHD experience a frequent search for high stimulation? Could there be any truth to such an outlandish claim?
When I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2006, it was I who took in an online questionnaire that I had filled out. I had been hearing a lot about the symptoms of bipolar disorder through medication commercials. Until then, I hadn’t put two and two together that I had bipolar disorder. I knew that I had been depressed and I knew that I had high times of the year when I would drink too much. I knew something was wrong, but I wasn’t sure this was it; until I took that online quiz, that is.
Admittedly, not everyone in the eating disorders world agrees on everything. In fact, I wonder how many fields have as much internal dissent and such a lack of common ground? We don't agree on cause, treatment, or even how to diagnose or measure recovery. We don't all agree on what an eating disorder IS. Worse still, too many people rest in the belief that their view is happily shared by all.
One of my favorite aspects of ADHD is the delightful way I open my mouth and insert both my feet into my mouth…usually sideways with boots on and an awkward piece of toilet paper trailing behind. It paints a great image, but it's even better to hear. My mouth has been known to light bridges aflame behind me leaving burned out friendships to mark my passing.
You are absolutely correct when you said, "They're still going to act like people." People are people who will act in ways we wish they wouldn't -- even the ones closest to us. That statement can be a large pill to swallow, yet it is one that we need to get down if we want to sustain our mental health. I have a specific page in my journal that lists things I can control and can't. I often look at it to remind myself that I can't control other people's actions, choices, or feelings.