In a perfect world, there would be absolutely no need to have an entire week dedicated to eating disorder awareness. However, as long as the rate of eating disorders continues to escalate throughout our country, Timberline Knolls is extremely thankful for National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (NEDAW). This week is designed to educate the public … Read More
The holiday season has come and gone; it does so every year with great predictability. Thanksgiving leads to Christmas, which leads to New Years. It all goes according to plan, and by and large, it is good. Equally predictable, and far less positive, is what happens the very minute America steps into a new year. … Read More
A little more than a year ago, I started writing my blog, Abundant Living. I love having the opportunity to weigh in on important news, comment on foolish fads that are here today and hopefully gone tomorrow, and to pass on some of my own recovery experiences. In just a handful of days, my husband … Read More
Families are systems that shape us, motivate us, but also leave us vulnerable with wounds and expectations. Families with a member that has an eating disorder have often been characterized as enmeshed, overprotective, overly rigid, or as having a strong tendency to avoid conflict with a lack of conflict resolution. These families create poor boundaries … Read More
Domestic violence is nothing new; what is new is the spotlight placed on this painful topic due to recent issues in the National Football League (NFL.) The scandal involving Ray Rice and his then fiancée, and other cases of domestic violence throughout the league, continues to alarm the nation. Domestic violence is not only pervasive, … Read More
Stigma is nothing new. Throughout the centuries people have been stigmatized for everything from the color of their skin and country of origin to their age and religion. A hundred years ago, people were not stigmatized for weight; yet today, people are routinely and pervasively abused for being anything outside of our thin “ideal.” And, it starts early in life. Research reveals that even … Read More
For the past 25 years, September has been celebrated as National Recovery month. The focus of the month is to promote the societal benefits of prevention, treatment and recovery for mental and substance use disorders. Recovery Month spreads the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, that prevention works, effective treatment is … Read More
In our culture, we are taught that certain things happen at certain ages – you get your driver’s license at 16, retire at 65. This idea also extends to certain decades. The 20s are geared to finishing up college, starting a career, and securing a spouse. If the spouse doesn’t materialize in the 20s, surely … Read More
In what areas does your family communications break down? Everyone in a family is affected by another family member’s problems. Yet the family can have a major influence on long-term recovery and adjustment from eating disorders, substance abuse, trauma, mood disorders and most other problems. People erroneously believe that because they can speak words, … Read More
It used to be that a child’s playdate was just that: kids would get together and run around a park, swim in a pool, maybe just play in the backyard. Today, many playdates offer a new component; one that isn’t entirely centered on the children, but geared more toward the mothers. This added component is … Read More
