I worried about grades as a teenager. I mean, I really worried. Today, I know this was not typical anxiety about school. Looking back, I struggled with obsessive-compulsive disorder and perfectionism. Among other things, I was obsessive-compulsive about never wasting time. Not. One. Second. Further, I was laser-focused on getting…Read More
When I was struggling, confused, and pretty hopeless regarding my own trauma, I remember reading Dr. Peter Levine’s Waking the Tiger. Finally, my strange set of symptoms and behaviors made sense. I wasn’t going crazy. I was actually having a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. Sadly, research suggests that it takes twelve…Read More
I was born afraid. So, it became no surprise to me now that, by the time I entered college, my high anxiety, sensitivity, and perfectionism had fueled anorexia nervosa. Restricting food decreased anxiety. And, if I ate enough in a binge, I didn’t have to deal with difficult emotions. Controlling…Read More
I don’t have any kids yet, but I am certainly a proud mom of many! Tara DeAngelis is one. Tara wrote the article below last summer, as part of her internship with me. Today, even further along in her recovery from an eating disorder, PTSD, and anxiety, she has had…Read More
“I’m hopeless,” I sobbed to my therapist, “I’m never going to get better.” I had been crying in therapy for nearly an hour. My therapist was really experienced. But even with his knowledge and guidance, I was convinced that nothing was going to change. I’m never going to recover, I thought…Read More