Saturday, March 17th

10AM - AA & AL-ANON Meeting

11:15AM - Medallion Ceremony 

12:30PM - Lunch

Did You know?

• 2 out of 5 women would trade 3 to 5 years of their life to achieve their weight goals.
•  Young girls are more afraid of becoming fat than they are of nuclear war, cancer, or losing their parents.
• More than 80% of 4th grade girls have been on a fad diet.
• Approximately 7 million girls and women struggle with eating disorders.
•  80% of children who are ten years old are afraid of being fat.
• The "ideal" woman - portrayed by models, Miss America, Barbie dolls, and screen actresses - is 5'5, weighs 100 pounds and wears a size 5.
• Up to one-half of individuals with eating disorders abuse alcohol or illicit drugs, compared to nine percent of the general population.   

Can You Relate?  

1. Are you, at times, unable to stop (or start) eating even when you really want to?

2. Do you feel guilty about eating?

3. Are you, at times, afraid to eat?

4. Do you feel like people watch you when you eat?

5. Do you sneak food or hoard food so people won't know how much or how little you are eating?

6. Are you ritualistic about eating?

7. Do you obsess about food or body weight?

8. Do you spend much of your time thinking about what, when and where you will eat next?

9. Are you constantly making resolutions about eating and not following through?

10. Do you often feel panicked?

11. Do you regularly feel useless, unworthy, disgusted or powerless?

12. Do you often eat so much or little that it affects your plans for the day?

If your answer is "yes" to three or more of these questions, you may have a problem with food. In fact, you may have an eating disorder.

Now What?

Well, the most important thing is to approach this problem calmly. You did not "get" a problem with food or an eating disorder overnight: it will not go away overnight, either. There are many options for learning to live with your condition. Any effort you make in addressing your problem will have the positive effect of helping you accept yourself as you are: self-acceptance is a very important key to recovery.

Solving the Problem

In most if not all cases, working with a qualified therapist is very helpful. Many of us have found it essential. A therapist can help you evaluate what other forms of treatment might be appropriate in your case. Many of us have found working with a nutritionist beneficial as well. There is no magic about recovery. It is hard work. Those who have worked hard at leveling their pride, being honest with themselves and others, and attempting -- repeatedly - to "the next right thing" really do find freedom, happiness, peace and self-respect.

A major key to relapse prevention is being able to identify our own unique set of triggers and cues that could set us up for relapse. These can be environment cues - the sights, sounds, and situations that may have been connected to our addiction in the past, and our emotional triggers - feelings such as anxiety, self-pity, or loneliness that we may have used our addiction to cope with.

Generally environmental triggers are easier for people to recognize. For example watching a beer commercial or seeing drug paraphernalia can trigger a craving or deep desire to drink or use. Even after years of abstinence, people may experience a profound craving if they visit a location where they formerly used drugs. Researchers have shown how environmental triggers result in physical reactions such as changes in heart rate and blood pressure. They've also mapped changes in the brain when a craving occurs.  

I ask clients to identify social or family situations they expect to encounter which may test their personal control. For example, a client may be worried about a group of friends who may not understand about his or her needs and desires to stay clean and sober. If he or she were invited to go out with one of these friends then a red flag should go up. The best advice I can give people is to avoid those people, places, and things associated with their former drug use.  

Emotional cues can be more difficult to identify; family members will often spot the warning signs before an addict in early recovery is aware of them. Sometimes family members will call and tell me their loved one in recovery is becoming argumentative or showing signs of being under pressure at work.

Because stress affects our ability to think clearly and brings up all kinds of unwanted emotions, we spend time in treatment talking about alternative coping strategies. We stress the importance of fellowship and the need to talk with someone about feelings and problems as they arise.

Here are some common danger signs which often precede a relapse that addicts and those close to them should be watching for:

• Not wanting to talk about their thoughts and feelings
• Isolating themselves from others
• Feeling overwhelmed by ordinary problems
• Outbursts of anger
• Rejecting counselling and/or not attending support groups
• Avoiding people who will give them honest feedback
• Denying the seriousness of the addiction

Everyone's triggers are different. That is why when people leave treatment we develop a continuing care plan unique to them and encourage them to attend the six month continuing care program so they get the support and feedback they need.

- Steve Low, Cedars Addictions Counsellor