Going out to eat is supposed to be fun. It’s a great way to get out of the house, socialize, try new cuisines, and eat without having to cook. For people without eating disorders, restaurants are exciting and relaxing. If you have an eating disorder, however, going to a restaurant can feel like torture.
Read More“I want to stop caring about what other people think.” This is something I hear often from not only clients, but also people I’ve encountered throughout my everyday life. I also hear a lot of, “I don’t care what people think.” This one makes me chuckle. Why? Because it simply cannot be true. Everybody cares what people think, at least to some degree.
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If you’ve ever been in therapy, you’ve likely heard the term self-compassion. Self-compassion in simple terms means kindness to yourself. It might look like forgiving yourself for your mistakes or going easy on yourself about your imperfections. Often, in an effort to help clients find compassion for themselves, I ask, “What would you say to a friend in your situation?” knowing that we are almost always kinder to others than we are to ourselves. For some, this gentle reminder is enough to change the pattern of harshness, but for those with a long history of self-deprecation, the prospect of treating yourself the way you would treat a loved one might not seem doable.
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As the City of Chicago continues to open up, many are still concerned about their health in the midst of the Coronavirus-19 pandemic. Sure, you can protect yourself by wearing a mask and washing your hands regularly, but what if you wish to avoid going out altogether unless absolutely necessary? There is no shame in that! Everybody has a different level of comfortability when it comes to reentering the world, and many would rather wait for a vaccine.
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I think it’s safe to say that six months ago, nobody anticipated Summer 2020 to look quite like this. While Chicago is beginning to return to normal (whatever that means anymore), things are still very different. Beaches are closed, concerts and festivals are cancelled, and bars, restaurants, and nightclubs are operating on a seriously limited basis.
Extroverts around the city already had to endure three solid months of strict quarantining.
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On Friday, June 5, Netflix will air its fourth and final season of hit show 13 Reasons Why. Previous seasons of the show have attracted millions of viewers, but critics worry that the implications of viewing the series could be dangerous.
Read MoreRumor has it, quarantine might soon be coming to an end. States like Florida recently started welcoming customers back into bars and restaurants, allowing what some may consider a much-needed dose of normalcy. Here in Illinois, we have yet to hear of a specific reopening date. The end of solitude seems so close, and at the same time, so far.
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The sinking feeling of shame- everybody knows it. Unlike guilt, which is focused on regretted behavior, shame is the deeper belief that there is something wrong with you. According to Brene Brown, shame researcher and viral Ted Talk speaker, guilt sounds like, “I’m sorry; I made a mistake,” while shame condemns, “I’m sorry; I am a mistake.”
Read MoreHow many times in the past month have you chosen to do something even if it meant putting up with uncomfortable feelings? Maybe you woke up at the sound of your morning alarm although staying in bed for another hour would have been much preferred. Maybe you worried about looking silly while wearing a mask to the grocery store during the COVID-19 crisis, but you wore one anyways. Or perhaps you chose to forgo watching your favorite Netflix show in order to write a paper or study for an upcoming exam.
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While it’s obvious that quarantine has been an isolating experience, those who live with others, whether in a friendship, romantic, or familial capacity, might be struggling with exactly the opposite- not enough alone time. Under normal circumstances, most of us have some degree of time to ourselves, whether during our commutes, in the office cubicle, or even during shopping trips. Now, however, these opportunities have been severely limited, if not completely erased.
Read MoreSocial media: good or evil? The battle is nothing new. What is new is that now, for the first time, users are engaging in social media while practicing social distancing, away from the outside world.
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Eating disorder recovery is one of the most rewarding, yet difficult, journeys upon which a person can embark. As if it isn’t challenging enough, those in recovery must now navigate its waters while being stuck inside their homes in quarantine, preventing the spread of COVID-19, or Coronavirus. Eating disorders, like most other mental health issues, thrive in isolation. Throw in a dose of fear, restricted movement, and grocery store chaos, and you have what seems to be the perfect breeding ground for eating disorder thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. But what if mandated social distancing could be looked at as an opportunity to go further in recovery than ever before?
Read MoreI watched helplessly as the flood waters rose. Panicking, my husband and I tried to barricade certain areas of our apartment with anything absorbent. Towels. Old clothes. Spare bed sheets. We tried to bail out as much water as we could, which was really only effective in reducing the helplessness we felt versus actually making an impact on the rising water.
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I’m sitting in the chair with my mouth wide open. I’m staring at the ceiling as the drill starts up. I smell the horrible smell of bone being shaved off my tooth. I taste the bitterness of the adhesive sliding on to my tongue. The dentist stands over me. Just behind him is the computer screen where I can see my “treatment plan,” aka all of the work that’s ahead of me in the months to come. I breathe and think to myself “I can do this. I can do this.”
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You’re sitting in your living room watching yet another episode of The Office. You’ve seen it a million times, at least. In the back of your mind you’re aware of that nagging thought. You ignore it and go back to Jim’s latest prank on Dwight. The thought pops up again. You ignore it. It pops up again. You ignore it. It pops again and this time you’re even aware that by ignoring it you’re only making it worse than actually attending to it. And yet, you ignore it.
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