DR MARIANNE MILLER
CARING EATING DISORDER TREATMENT IN SAN DIEGO AND THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA, TEXAS, AND WASHINGTON D.C. FOR ADULTS & TEENS
What to Do When You're Sick During Eating Disorder Recovery
I’ve recently recovered from a nasty bought of the stomach flu, and it got me thinking about how illness can affect eating disorder recovery. You’re on your recovery journey in San Diego and elsewhere, and things are progressing nicely, when WHAM!! You get the flu, get a cold, or even learn that you have a a serious condition that needs more intense medical care, like surgery. It can be incredibly overwhelming, and it can definitely affect how you eat and how you see your body.
I’ve outlined three tips on how to navigate the rough waters of illness while in eating disorder treatment in San Diego and around the world. These three tips expand beyond the typical steps, such as seeing your medical doctor and take over the counter remedies. The reason is because eating disorders are incredibly complex—physiologically, nutritionally, and psychologically. Tackling all three areas when you are feeling crappy can be a challenge—so these strategies are quick, simple, and can help you get back on the road to recovery ASAP.
How Can Yoga Help Eating Disorder Recovery?
Curious about how yoga can help you in your eating disorder recovery? Feeling scared to take the first step and start a yoga practice, but don’t know where to begin? It can be nerve-racking in San Diego to get out of your comfort zone and start something new—especially when it has to do with moving your body! I’ve interviewed Christin Conkle, LMFT, who is both an eating disorder therapist in San Diego, a yoga instructor, and a firm believer in how yoga can be a helpful part of eating disorder treatment. She explains how yoga can benefit people in eating disorder recovery, and she shares tips on how to begin a yoga practice.
Curious about Dialectical Behavior Therapy? Meet San Diego Eating Disorder Therapist Mia Najor, LMFT
If you are in recovery from an eating disorder, it’s likely that you’ve heard of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Originally developed by Psychologist Marsha Linehan, PhD, at the University of Washington, DBT is an evidence-based model that treatment centers and therapists employ to help people manage overwhelming emotions. Many San Diego eating disorder therapists and treatment programs also use DBT or DBT techniques, as emotion regulation is a key part of eating disorder recovery. Another type of DBT has emerged is Radically Open DBT (RO-DBT), with which therapists can treat people who have trouble accessing their emotions. In many cases, whereas DBT practitioners can help people who have big emotions, Radically Open DBT practitioners assist individuals who have small emotions. In San Diego, Mia Najor, LMFT, is an eating disorder therapist who uses both DBT and RO-DBT in her practice. Mia is a dynamic person with a heart of gold who feels passionate about helping people. She also co-hosts podcast in San Diego on a variety of mental health and eating disorder topics. It is called Breaking Down: The Podcast. I’m excited for you to get to know her!
Three Pointers for Pushing Back Perfectionism in Eating Disorder Recovery
Feel like you aren’t good enough? Always comparing yourself to others? Constantly cataloguing your faults and feeling like a failure? It sounds like you are struggling with perfectionism. It can be so challenging to fall into the “compare and despair” pit when you are in San Diego and there is such an emphasis on perfect looks and perfect achievement, materialistically or otherwise. Even elsewhere in the U.S. and around the world, perfectionism is a trait that can be common in people suffering from eating disorders.
As most eating disorder researchers and experts will say, eating disorders are brain disorders. When compared to brains of people without eating disorders, people with eating disorders have areas of their brains that don’t function as efficiently or effectively. What that means is that if you have an eating disorder, it’s not your fault. It’s not about willpower or about sucking it up to “just eat” or “just stop eating.” It’s about needing to get help to change how your brain works. Struggling with perfectionism AND an eating disorder can lead to (a) feeling like you have to be perfect, so you engage in eating disorder behaviors to try to be perfect, or (b) feeling disappointed or ashamed that you’re not perfect, so you you engage in eating disorder behaviors to counteract these emotions. Either way, perfectionism can be a challenge to recovery.
Exploring Binge Eating Disorder Treatment Options? Meet UCSD CHEAR Clinical Director Dr. Rebecca Bernard
Looking for binge eating disorder (BED) treatment options in San Diego? I’ve interviewed licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Rebecca Bernard. She is the Clinical Director for the Center for Healthy Eating and Activity Research (CHEAR) at University of California San Diego (UCSD). I attended a training at UCSD by Dr. Bernard, and I really appreciated how well she understood binge eating treatment and how clearly she was able to explain the research on it.
How to Get Help for Binge Eating Disorder
Struggling with binge eating? Feeling out of control of your eating and don’t know where to turn? I have an excellent starting point for you. I discussed what binge eating disorder is and how to get help on a recent podcast on the Embodied & Well Mom Show that I did on with the fabulous Lindsay Stenovec, MS, RDN, CEDRD of San Diego’s Nutrition Instincts. I have provided a transcription of the main part of the podcast in this blog post. Enjoy!!
My Eating Disorder and Trauma Recovery: "Life Without Ed" Author Jenni Schaefer
Hello everyone! I am SO EXCITED to present my new interview with none other than Life Without Ed author and speaker Jenni Schaefer! Jenni’s book came on the scene around 10 years ago, sending shockwaves throughout the world of eating disorders. Eating disorder professionals and individuals suffering from eating disorders alike acknowledged that Jenni captured a way of looking at eating disorders that was elegant and accurate. Since that time, countless people have found solace in her book, reading chapter by chapter and literally nodding to themselves and saying, “she gets it.” It has been transformative in the eating disorder field. Both outpatient eating disorder therapists like myself in San Diego, as well as clinicians in higher levels of care have recommended this book as people start on their recovery journey. Jenni has since written two more books on eating disorders. PLUS, Jenni travels throughout the country, not only spreading her story of eating disorder recovery, but more recently on trauma recovery as well. She’ll talk about both areas in this interview. Enjoy!!!
Introducing Center for Discovery Eating Disorder Therapist Christine Capuano, APCC
Happy Friday, everyone! I want to introduce you to Christine Capuano, APCC (associate professional clinical counselor). She is a San Diego eating disorder therapist who works for Center for Discovery’s (CFD) partial hospitalization program (PHP) and intensive outpatient program (IOP) in Del Mar. Christine is a very talented therapist who does great individual, family, and group work. She also works part-time in a private practice in La Mesa, California.