The Power of Words

Written by Cathy Kelly, LCSW
Lead Therapist/Training Specialist, The Meadows

We live in a cultural that can both over and under estimate the power of someone’s words. Certainly we may tune in more fully to the words of someone we love, want to be like or even someone we fear and as humans we also have a well-developed ability to tune people out. The well-spoken can lead and mislead others with their use of the “right” words. We hire people to sell products, ideas, and positions through the use of language. So are words powerful? Absolutely! We can soar or crash in what we say and what we hear.

Anorexia and Depression – Eating Disorders

While not everyone experiences depression in the same way, it can make the world feel like a darker and lonelier place. The connection between mood disorders and eating disorders is complex: depression may play a role in an individual developing eating disorders but sometimes eating disorders can cause depression to emerge in a person.

Changes in a person’s appetite are typically one of the key symptoms observed in those suffering from depression; some individuals lose their appetite and do not eat enough, whereas others overeat to compensate and comfort themselves.

Summer Heat and Your Diet

You may have noticed that as the summer temperature rises, your appetite wanes. If you have a history of an eating disorder, you need to be aware of this and the impact it can have on your health and well-being.

Despite not feeling hungry, it is still important to eat because your body needs energy and fuel in order to perspire and stay cool. Therefore, it is necessary that you consume essential nutrients, such as those rich in vitamins and minerals, and that you drink at least two liters of water a day.

Have You Heard Of Orthorexia?

While most people know what the terms anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorder mean, many people may not be as familiar with the definition of orthorexia. Orthorexia Nervosa, or orthorexia, is a term that means ‘correct appetite” but in practice it is a fixation on righteous eating. Orthorexia is characterized by a fixation or a desire to only eat ‘healthy’ foods or to avoid entire food groups.

Putting Down the Weight: How Social Media Makes Eating Disorders Worse

Demi Lovato, the actress and singer, has been open about her struggle with an eating disorder since her 2010 emergence from a stint in rehab. She has become something of an activist around the issue. Despite her efforts to use her celebrity to change perception, she still gets called out on her weight, which is finally in a healthy range. The most recent salvo occurred last week when on Twitter a hater called her “fatty.” Lovato is no stranger to being fat-shamed. She took the high road in her response, tweeting, “Dear Haters, you don’t have to like me cause I love you. Everyone’s equal, everyone has a soul, and everyone deserves to be loved.”