Self Acceptance

Illuminated Awareness

Submitted by nedic blogger on Wed, 09/14/2016 - 10:43

 

Image Credit

 

The relationship we experience with our body is one that evolves throughout our lives. Our thoughts and feelings toward this relationship are like waves that ebb and flow.  As they move through us, we may experience some feelings more strongly than others or some days more strongly than others.  The beauty through those intense moments are that we begin to become more aware.  We begin to better recognize how we’re feeling and the possible triggers of such feelings.  As strongly as they may feel at times, we can recognize that like all things, they too shall pass and we may arrive at a place with a new found sense of clarity.  This adds a layer to our awareness that can be a tool to navigate our experience of trusting and letting go of the hold that such strong feelings may create.  

Voices

Submitted by nedic blogger on Wed, 08/31/2016 - 14:30

                                

                                                                   Image Credit

This piece was originally submitted to The Dialouge Projects on June 29th 2016.

Although I have struggled with mental illness for a long time now, sharing my story and just generally talking about my struggle with mental illness has always been something I’ve been really ashamed of and a part of my life I have always wanted to hide. But now, I have finally found the courage to share my story.

How far do I go back? How far do I need to go back?

Submitted by nedic blogger on Wed, 08/24/2016 - 10:56

                                  

                                                       Photo Credit: Dave Martyn

TRIGGER WARNING: the following material may be triggering for some individuals - please read with caution.

It was like walking into shadows for all those years, at first I fought it, wrestled with it, then let myself sink deeper down and gave into all those urges and destructions that ran through me. My entire life feels like one big waiting game. Waiting for death; waiting for life to begin; waiting for help; waiting for people to leave me alone; waiting to be saved.

My Road to Recovery - Anything but a Straight Line

Submitted by nedic blogger on Thu, 08/18/2016 - 17:31

 

                                        

 

TRIGGER WARNING: the following material may be triggering for some individuals - please read with caution.

Over the past four years I have been admitted to treatment six times, had my parents bail me out of jail four times, ruined countless relationships, and lost faith in myself. Not only have I been in a decade long battle with anorexia, I also developed an addiction to alcohol in my early twenties.

Read more

What We Gain

Submitted by nedic blogger on Wed, 08/10/2016 - 10:51

What We Gain

I have to admit, dear reader, that I have struggled and struggled and struggled with this post.  There were so many important things to write: about body image, about recovery, about fighting the good fight against this insidious, downright abusive thing we call ED.  And then this tiny voice, deep inside, whispered: write about what you gain, when you let go.

My Father Oinked While I Ate

Submitted by nedic blogger on Thu, 08/04/2016 - 09:54

          

                                                                    Image Credit 

TRIGGER WARNING: the following material may be triggering for some individuals - please read with caution.

I want to talk about body image. It's something that affects everyone to some degree. Having said that, some of our brains have developed neural pathways that hone in on what others wouldn't even notice, such as a look or a comment made by someone else. 

Beauty Ideals: A Look At The Bigger Picture

Submitted by nedic blogger on Mon, 07/25/2016 - 16:51

            pic_1.png

                                                                   Image Credit

If we were all programmed with the same exact genes, experiences and interpretations, I suppose globalized beauty ideals would be adequate goals to reach if they represented all of us. But, do they? Well, what beauty ideals do represent and where they come from have numerous theories, which all seem to have a valid point to make.

Beauty depends on the angle from which it is explained. It involves attraction to posses, hold, value or admire attributes that are recognized in oneself or elsewhere, whether it is a landscape or a face.

Will the Real “ME” Please Stand Up? – A Holistic Approach to Self-Discovery and Self-Acceptance

Submitted by nedic blogger on Wed, 07/20/2016 - 11:34

        

                                                                  Image Credit

So, what’s in a plan, anyway?

In short – the answer is NOTHING. But, it took me a while to realize and fully understand this.

I thought that my plans defined me, and when I deviated from them it automatically meant failure; as a person, in my beliefs, and every part of my being. My plans were what made me proud, made me feel like I was successful, and made me feel complete. 

The Silent Shame of Bulimia

Submitted by nedic blogger on Mon, 06/27/2016 - 07:48

                

                                                                  Image Credit

TRIGGER WARNING: the following material may be triggering for some individuals - please read with caution.

Unlike anorexia, which is characterized by discipline, restraint, self-sacrifice—traits that society upholds as virtuous—bulimia traffics in a consuming, corrosive sense of shame. After all, there is nothing respectable about gorging yourself past the point of physical discomfort. There is nothing dignified about jamming your fist in your mouth to induce vomiting. Habitually wrapping lies around your self-destructive behavior is far from honorable.

In Defense of Obsession

Submitted by nedic blogger on Wed, 06/22/2016 - 11:24

                                                               Image Credit

TRIGGER WARNING: the following material may be triggering for some, please read with caution.

When I look back on my life, I am amazed by some of the things I did and said when I was affected by anorexia. During eighth grade, I became a vegetarian for half a year. While I told my parents it was for humanitarian reasons, it gave me an excuse to only eat the side dishes at meals. 

Pages