eating disorders

My future plans

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Olivia
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This break’s been nice. It’s truly exhausting to put things out onto this website, knowing that a handful of people from my old school will likely comment something negative and/or hateful. I have only good things to say today, however! This fall, I’m going to be attending Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. I’m on as…

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6 Books That Will Enhance Your Understanding of Mental Illness

Mental Health
Olivia
Latest posts by Olivia (see all)

By now, if you’re a recurrent visitor, you’ve probably seen the short list of books I keep perched on the front page of this site. If you haven’t, every book there will be on this list, so no need to click out. I thought it might be worthwhile to expand upon it, as well as…

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Anorexia and PTSD

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Olivia
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This week, the 25th of February through the 2nd of March, is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. It’s also the last week during which I won’t be glued to my phone, hungering for college acceptance emails, but for the purposes of this site I’m going to stick to writing about eating disorders instead of fretting…

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VIDEO: Daily Anorexia Recovery and the Exchange System

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Olivia
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I made a quick video to accompany an explanation of the exchange system, which is a method of meal planning that I was introduced to in treatment. Read on, try to ignore how flushed I am, and make sure to watch in HD 1080! One exchange is, essentially, a quantity of food that can be…

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Photos: Scenes from a Mental Hospital

Creativity
Olivia
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I’ve compiled a set of items, papers, and other memorabilia from my two stays in mental hospitals. I’ve been in significant inpatient treatment twice, and have accrued quite a box of items to remember those stays by. Hopefully, sharing these pictures with you, accompanied by brief descriptions, will help you develop a better understanding of…

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VIDEO: “Ed” as an Abusive Inner Voice

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Olivia
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The following is a video essay that I put together on the topic of the distinctive and abusive eating disordered voice. I put a lot of heart into it, despite the first couple of minutes being blurry(!)- which turning it to HD will help with- but you can also read the transcript below the video,…

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Eating Disorders in a Bikini

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Olivia
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It’s winter break, which means that plenty of families, at least around where I live, are making a mad dash for the warmer escapes of the world. My family is one of those; we’re staying on a Florida beach for my school system’s allotted break time. It’s manageable for me now, but when my eating…

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Thanksgiving with an Eating Disorder

Mental Health
Olivia
Latest posts by Olivia (see all)

Setting aside the shamefully imperialistic twangs that Thanksgiving often summons to my brain, Thanksgiving is a fraught holiday for me. I am, indeed, thankful for many things. I’m thankful for my friends, my dog, for my brother, and not necessarily in that order. I’m thankful for my recovery and I’m thankful for my upcoming graduation….

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The Value in Surrendering

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Olivia
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The easiest and hardest things I’ve ever had to do all involve the act of surrender. Struggling with surrendering composes much of the human condition, but I have had to surrender to the following. I can’t restrict anymore; I must surrender to my doctors. I have to eat much more than what others of my…

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I’m so OCD: Anorexia and OCD

Mental Health
Olivia
Latest posts by Olivia (see all)

I’m so OCD is a recurring theme. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is my primary diagnosis and I’ve noticed that there are many circulating misconceptions and misunderstandings of the disorder. I’ll be writing about different compulsions and areas within OCD’s jurisdiction, in the hopes that discussion of it will help foster understanding and compassion. Warning: some of…

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