Lists are good if they don't overwhelm.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I make a list to help me manage my day, and it has the added benefit of making me feel better about my level of productivity. Whether one has an eating disorder, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia or diabetes, a list can help make that person’s day flow better. Note of caution: revolving my day around the list did not work! My lists work better for me when I look at them a few times each day. This technique reminds me of what needs to be done, if possible (“if possible” meaning as long as I’m not so depressed I can’t move). It is of utmost importance to not obsess over the list or try to do everything on it – especially if it’s lengthy. My productivity goes way up if I focus on doing what I can manage, rather than rushing to accomplish everything I think needs to be done.

I have gone through periods of my life where food didn’t matter, times where I couldn’t keep food in my stomach, and other moments where I obsessively thought about food, and all things food related, all the time. None of these epochs were very enjoyable, yet they did not concern me enough to do anything about them. I have only been hospitalized a few times for eating disorder issues. Some people in those hospitals had been hospitalized twenty or more times. My heart goes out to all of them. I know about the daily struggle to eat correctly. To put it mildly – it’s a bitch sometimes!

Lists have helped me fight in the eating disorder arena as well. Personally, I try to write down everything that I put in my mouth. I only write my food intake down two to three times per day so it doesn’t become a chore. Every so often, I also go a couple of days without writing down my food consumption in order to give myself a break from routine, and avoid the unpleasant outcome of my list-making becoming a meaningless ritual. Using this technique, I am able to stop myself from eating foods that are not as healthy for me. When I know I am going to have to write down “two pieces of chocolate cake”, instead of actually eating that, I will eat only a half of a piece of cake. This list is often used successfully in Weight Watchers, but since I am a diabetic I have my own list made just for diabetics. I have used this list off and on for years now and it always gets me back on track. I am not a “skinny” person either. I am actually classified as obese. However, if not for the list and other coping tools, I believe I would already weigh six hundred to eight hundred pounds instead of just two hundred and eighty!

About seven years ago I gained a hundred and fifty pounds over the short time span of a year. A lot of my excess body weight is due to the psychiatric medications I was, and am currently taking. They make me feel like eating – plain and simple. Weight gain is the most common side-effect associated with psychiatric medications, yet very rarely do the prescribing doctors equip their patients with the tools necessary to deal with such adverse side-effects. I have weathered a lot of years being diagnosed as a diabetic but not paying much attention to the disease. I did not have a special nutritional diabetic nurse for most of the time I have had diabetes. As a result, I realized only a month ago that the way you eat is what directly affects the blood sugar. The main thing diabetics need to watch is how many carbohydrates they eat. Carbohydrates turn to sugar in the body, which raises the blood sugar level. By tracking how many servings of carbohydrates, protein, fruits, vegetables, milk, sweets and fat I eat, I can keep my blood sugar under control. Keeping it under control is vital, as a high or low blood sugar affects the entire body. This segment on making life a little easier through utilizing lists has been a pleasure to write. I hope it has helped some of you!

Groups and Associations for mental and eating disorders.

Living with any disorder is difficult, and having to deal with the problems associated with mental and eating disorders can often be overwhelming. However, there are methods and tools which can be used to help people manage and cope with their disorder(s). There are a couple of tools which are very important for someone struggling with a mental disorder, such as proper medication management, and having a good psychologist to talk with regularly. There are also many support groups for people with mental disorders. Some of these groups and their sources are the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) @ http://www.nami.org/, the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) @ http://www.dbsalliance.org/, and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) @ http://www.nimh.nih.gov/. For someone with an eating disorder, it is crucial to have a comfortable environment in which to discuss ways of managing their eating, non-eating, or binging and purging habits. A common place to find a group specializing in eating disorders is Eating Disorders Anonymous (EDA) @ http://www.eatingdisordersanonymous.org/. There is also the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) @ http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/, and Overeaters Anonymous (OA) @ http://www.oa.org/. In addition to these resources, as with someone who has a mental disorder, finding a good therapist can be of great help to a person with an eating disorder as well. Managing one’s conditions and related problems (as best as possible of course) is necessary in order to lessen his/her burdens and lead a more enjoyable and fulfilling life.

Many people who have a mental disorder or an eating disorder also have other disorders accompanying them. These are called coexisting disorders. Some of these coexisting disorders can be as serious as alcohol or drug addiction. Addiction to anything is certainly difficult; however, drugs and alcohol directly affect the body and mind in innumerable ways. Therefore, it is important for the professionals treating patients to know if and when their patients may have turned to other substances in an attempt to change their reality. Some other coexisting disorders, such as diabetes or malnutrition, can change how the affected individuals need to take care of themselves. People with diabetes must watch everything they put into their bodies. They need to track their food intake, from the amount of carbohydrates, to the amount of fruits/vegetables and protein they eat. Coexisting disorders can be as serious as, or even more serious than the underlying disorders, so it is important to treat them along with the primary disorder.

One technique that helps me manage my bipolar depressive and manic states is to create a to-do list. On this list I write down everything I need to do that day, regardless of whether my mood is up or down. For the first half of the list, I write down everything I absolutely need to get accomplished, such as cleaning my cat litter boxes, making dinner and going to the pharmacy. On the second half of the list, I write down the things I need to do that are not as urgent, such as grocery shopping, washing the car and cleaning the kitchen. Then I tell myself I will check off at least three to five items on the list after I have completed them. If I’m depressed and all I can do are the very basic necessities – I still give myself credit for that. If I’m manic or have more energy, I often complete the list. When I am unable to complete things, I evaluate how important they really are to me, such as cleaning my CDs – which is something I could do at a later time – and then put them on the next day’s list. This technique makes me feel good about myself and helps me see that, no matter what, I have at least accomplished something – even if it is only making the actual list! I will have more information on this technique tomorrow.