Eating Disorders and Mindfulness
Yesterday is gone, tomorrow has yet to come. What any one of us actually has at any given time is today; more specifically, right now. Mindfulness refers to the notion of living, existing and valuing the present. You see, every single moment of life has value, if only we know how to tap into it. At any given moment, there is something to focus on and appreciate – all that is needed is the five senses. Perhaps it’s looking at the vivid coloration of a sunset, or smelling the fragrance of a flower, or tasting the flavor of fresh fruit. Even better, consider stroking a cat and listening to its contented purr, which utilizes two senses simultaneously.
The practice of mindfulness is particularly important to those struggling with eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder and compulsive overeating. This is because it is so easy for an individual to become consumed with eating disorder thoughts, which by definition are not positive or self-affirming. "I look like a pig ... if I eat this meal I will get fat ... no one likes me... if I was thin, I would have friends." How often do such thoughts, or others like them, come to mind? And the problem is, there is never just one thought; one leads to another to another. Soon they are tripping over each other, trying to take center stage, leaving the individual distracted and overwhelmed by negative emotions. This is why mindfulness has value. Instead of heading down that road of negativity, a person needs to STOP and consciously redirect their own thoughts, by looking, hearing, touching – whatever it takes to break the cycle.
Accessing one or all of the senses is always available. But mindfulness can also be practiced intentionally through meditation or prayer. Being still, allowing the mind to clear, focusing on positive issues or topics, and simply not permitting negative thoughts or emotion to encroach on this quiet time.
Remember...You do not have to be a victim of negative emotion. By practicing mindfulness, you can take control of your thoughts and ownership of your emotions.
Discover more about eating disorder treatment tools and resources in our eating disorder library of articles.
Articles
Dialectical behavior therapy for binge eating disorder
Telch, C.F., Agras, W.S., Linehan, M.M. (2001). . Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 69(6), 1061-1065.
This study evaluated the use of DBT adapted for binge eating disorder (BED). Women with BED (N=44) were randomly assigned to group DBT or to a wait-list control condition and were administered the Eating Disorder Examination in addition to measures of weight, mood, and affect regulation at baseline and posttreatment. Treated women evidenced significant improvement on measures of binge eating and eating pathology compared with controls, and 89% of the women receiving DBT had stopped binge eating by the end of treatment. Abstinence rates were reduced to 56% at the 6-month follow-up. Overall, the findings on the measures of weight, mood, and affect regulation were not significant. These results support further research into DBT as a treatment for BED.... Read More
Dialectical behavior therapy for bulimia nervosa
Safer, D.L., Telch, C.F., Agras, W.S. (2001). American Journal of Psychiatry, 158(4), 632-634.The effects of DBT adapted for the treatment of binge/purge behaviors were examined. 31 (aged 18-65 yrs) were randomly assigned to 20 weeks of DBT or 20 weeks of a waiting-list comparison condition. The manual-based dialectical behavior therapy focused on training in emotion regulation skills. An intent-to-treat analysis showed highly significant decreases in binge/purge behavior with dialectical behavior therapy compared to the waiting-list condition. No significant group differences were found on any of the secondary measures. The use of dialectical behavior therapy adapted for treatment of bulimia nervosa was associated with a promising decrease in binge/purge behaviors...Read More
Resources
Mindfulness Improves Quality of Life : Excellent information about improving mental health with the application of mindful techniques.
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Mindfulness :This page contains a variety of information and written material related to mindfulness and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction that may be of interest to you or anyone curious about the topic.
Mindfulness: The Health and Stress Relief Benefits : Mindfulness is the practice of becoming more aware of the present moment, rather than dwelling in the past or projecting into the future. It generally involves a heightened awareness of sensory stimuli (really noticing your breathing, feeling the sensations of your body, etc.) and being "in the now."