Eating Disorders and Social Anxiety: Why I feel safe when I am alone

Individuals with eating disorders often report that their anxiety generally centers on fear of criticism or humiliation when in public or social situations.  Typically, they fear being judged in both body shape and size and for how and what they eat (i.e. eating rituals like cutting up food in to little pieces or avoiding foods with certain ingredients, particularly fat.)  Often, the self-loathing, shame and self-criticism that eating disorder sufferers typically feel with respect to their own body, is projected on to other people who they imbue with the power to hurt them or make them not feel safe or valued. If the assumption is that someone else is thinking negative thoughts or will make critical statements, then the environment is not safe, whether this is based on perception or reality.  Eating disorder sufferers are extremely vulnerable to negative thought, whether it is their own, others or even how they perceive others to feel about them.  Patients  also report feeling the need to accommodate other peoples feelings at the expense of their own, not feeling that they fit in, not being able to assert their point of view, essentially not feeling comfortable in their own skin when in the company of other people.  Some patients report that these feelings and interpersonal issues are significantly reduced or disappear in the safe world and solitude with food.  Social situations often stimulate and resurrect the internal negative voice; avoiding people and the situation altogether keeps the voice silenced or quieter. It feels safer to be alone.  Read More

 Some Women Try 'Mirror Fasting': What we learn-or don't-about our body image by avoiding mirrors

Diet-conscious people-and there are many-are told that they should avoid looking at their scale to help become less obsessed with their weight. Now, mirror fasting is being suggested for those who struggle with body image issues.

Mirror fasting involves abstaining from looking at one's reflection for a set period of time. For some, that means a day-long "fast." For others, it can mean not looking in a mirror for an entire year. People engaging in the experiment are blogging about it to share their personal experiences of living in a world without mirrors.

Is it a fad? A useful learning tool? Or does it actually impede working through body image issues.... Read More

Eight Surprising Parallels Between Food and Drug Addictions 

The American Society of Addiction Medicine, the nation's largest professional society of physicians dedicated to treating and preventing addiction, now embraces a broad definition of addiction, which encompasses not only drugs and alcohol but also "process" addictions such as food, sex and gambling. Why? Because of the effect all of these substances and behaviors have on the brain.

Drugs - and to a lesser extent processed junk foods - flood the brain with the feel-good neurotransmitter dopamine, affecting the regions that govern pleasure and self-control.   Read More

PreFrontal Nudity -- The Brain Exposed: How loud noises affect your prefrontal cortex.

We like to think we're so evolved because we live in such an advanced society. But really our society has grown faster than our brains can keep up. Our brain is like Lindsay Lohan, successful at a young age, having access to a million different opportunities before she's ready for the responsibility, and, well, let's say it caused some problems. In this post I'm just going to focus on one feature of modern society and its effect on the prefrontal cortex: loud noises.  

Noise causes stress, and the prefrontal cortex is perhaps the brain region most susceptible to stress. One study in monkeys illustrates just how loud noises affect the prefrontal cortex. The researchers played loud noises to the monkey at an intensity somewhere between a jackhammer and a rock band (don't you think "Jackhammer" would be a good name for a rock band?). They found that the monkeys were impaired only on certain tasks that involved working memory. Working memory is a fancy word for the type of thing you have to do when you have to remember a phone number long enough to write it down. If you've ever gone to the supermarket and forgotten the one thing you needed to buy, then you had a breakdown in working memory. Working memory utilizes the prefrontal cortex (more specifically the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for those of you keeping score at home). Read More

Exclusively for iaedp members, iaedp invites you to join us for  pre-recorded,  on demand webinars from Symposium 2012 on You Tube. These webinars are not available by searching for them.  You must access them from the links on Inside iaedp newsletters.  NOW PLAYING is a 90 minute presentation that was very well reviewed by Symposium 2012 attendees.  You may start it and stop it at your convenience.  (No ce's are available for these pre-recorded presentations at this time.)  The handout is available below. 

Eating Disorders Assessment for Men: Exploring Gender Differences and Introducing the First Male Specific Diagnostic Instrument

Presenters: Ray Lemberg, PhD and Stevie Stanford, PhD

Eating disorders in men has increased 250% over the last ten years. Introducing the Eating Disorder Assessment for Men (EDAM), which looks at issues pertaining specifically to men. This presentation examines the most pertinent factors measured on the EDAM and explores etiology, presentation and treatment of men with eating disorders.

Factors measured by the EDAM look at the unique issues pertaining to men such as a drive for muscularity, exercise issues, disordered eating and body image issues. Discussion will include how to detect eating disorders in men, the differences in presentation and those concerns most specific to men who develop eating disorders.

Click Here to View the Webinar

Click Here to Download the Handout Presentation

IF YOU ENJOY OUR ON DEMAND WEBINARS RECORDED AT IAEDP SYMPOSIUM 2012, JOIN US FOR SYMPOSIUM 2013.  KEEP READING BELOW!