Reflections & Insight

IBD – Biological or Emotional?

I have been asked many times, “Could I have caused my Inflammatory Bowel Disease because I am such an emotional person?” The answer is a definitive NO. Many years ago it was believed that IBD was part of a group of medical disorders that were characteristic of certain personality traits and specific biological markers. However, current research maintains the notion that the etiology of IBD is biological and not emotional. CCFA has addressed this issue of the role of ...

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The Power of Thinking Positively

I recently attended a seminar and the key note speaker, for all intent and purposes, could have titled his presentation, The Power of Thinking Positively. He invited the audience of over 1000 people to repeat the mantra, energy flows where the attention goes! He was speaking to the issues of being in debt, overcoming procrastination, making the “right” decisions, and other similar topics. I was thinking about how I can take this cognition concept and help people who are ...

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Camp Oasis – summer camp for kids with IBD

For several summers, I had the wonderful opportunity to serve as the Camp Psychologist for Camp Oasis. For those of you not familiar with Camp Oasis, its mission “is to enrich the lives of children with Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis by providing a safe and supportive camp community” (CCFA). The principles that guide our mission include maintaining a safe environment, promoting respect, building nurturing relationships, providing skill-building opportunities, and of course, to have fun!

From a mental health perspective, ...

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Spirituality, Wellness, and IBD

In other articles, I talk about the “mind-body” connection; how our emotional well-being certainly has an impact on our physical well-being. But what about our spiritual well being? Many people suggest that a “mind-body-spirit” connection does exist. Without getting too technical, many recent research studies support the notion that spiritual perceptions, activities, and practices may indeed, lead to modulations of the physiology, biochemistry, and emotional response.

As a psychotherapist within a health and wellness paradigm, I not only acknowledge ...

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Everything You Need to Know About Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

(taken from Yahoo! contributor network)

When eating disorders are brought up, most people will envision a fragile, emaciated woman who suffers from anorexia. However, contrary to common belief, anorexia is not the most prevalent eating disorder. According to the Weight Control Information Network, “Binge eating disorder is the most common eating disorder; it affects approximately three percent of all adults in the United States.” Like anorexia and bulimia, binge eating disorder is an uncontrollable mental disorder that can ultimately result in ...

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Protecting Your Eating Disorder Recovery During the Holidays

Kenneth L. Weiner, MD, FAED, CEDS
Chief Executive Officer and Founding Partner
Eating Recovery Center

The holiday season can be a particularly challenging time of year for individuals struggling with eating disorders. The food-centric festivities surrounding most holidays can feel overwhelming to patients, regardless of their stage in the recovery process. In response to the anxiety that can accompany heightened exposure to food and gatherings of friends, family and colleagues, treatment professionals often observe an escalation of eating disordered thoughts and ...

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“Focus on the Feelings, Not on the Food”

If I had to offer parents one morsel of advice when their adolescent daughter is struggling with an eating disorder, I would repeatedly remind them to “Focus on the feelings and NOT on the food.”

Parents often feel helpless when they see their child not eating, especially during a holiday meal. As parents, we are responsible for instructing our children on the right things to do. After all, we have spent their lifetimes teaching and shaping their appropriate behaviors. Now, you ...

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The Dangers of Thigh Gap

Images portraying skeleton-looking legs that are often digitally altered and bare thighs so thin they don’t touch, is the look that many young women are trying to achieve, which is unrealistic and unhealthy.

If you can stand straight with your knees together and see a space between your upper thighs, you have what thousands of teen girls are willing to starve themselves for.

The thigh gap, as it is known, is a small, hollow cavity with a huge following on social media. ...

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Can Music Tame Your Inner Beast? Music Therapy for Mental Health

Music can affect a person’s thoughts, feelings and behavior and has been shown to assist with managing stress, expressing emotion and improving communication.

Music therapy — the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals — helps people with understanding and developing self-identity, promoting quality of life and maintaining well-being.

So how does music therapy work to help someone with their mental health concerns?

Music therapy can be used with children, adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities and mental health ...

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Psychological Aspects of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract:
Psychological factors play a major part in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Stress influences motility, secretion and vascularity of the gastrointestinal tract and may produce functional disorders. Stressful events, which in childhood might be family tensions, separation or major changes such as that of school or house, may aggravate or even cause IBD physical symptoms of the disease. These stressors can be distressing and can lead to anxiety and even behavior problems. Stress and distress can themselves produce physical symptoms ...

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