El Arroyo is a Mexican restaurant in the town where I live, Austin, Texas, and is known for its humorous signs. This one made me smile. When you’re bingeing (or bingeing and purging), you’re caught in a highly stressful state. Our higher … [Read more]
Befriending depression
I've had depressive and anxious tendencies for most of my adult life. It's something I've done my best to hide from others, as it creates feelings of deep shame, separation and loneliness in me. This past week, I couldn't hide. I was feeling … [Read more]
Making peace with depression
Life is so hard. How can we be anything but kind?" - Jack Kornfield I made a big, very public, embarrassing work mistake recently, and I felt like hiding out. Instead, this mistake became an opportunity to open up and share what had really been going … [Read more]
Finding compassion for your hunger
Do you judge yourself for being hungry? On my daughter's 10th birthday, I picked her up from school to take her out to lunch at the Chinese buffet. As we nibbled on moo goo gai pan, I looked up from my food and observed all the other people in the … [Read more]
Why Willpower Doesn’t Heal Overeating
When you're stuck in a pattern of overeating, it's easy to feel caught in self blame: to believe that the overeating is your fault or due to a lack of willpower. You may hear voices in your head that condemn, "you should know better." You may feel … [Read more]
That darn can of raisins: a February binge
I wrote this post in February of 2010, after writing my book Overcoming Sugar Addiction. When I first wrote my book in 2007, I thought my relationship with sugar was healed. I felt strong and empowered; resilient. A few years later, I was shocked and … [Read more]