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.