Falk (Faces Without Names) -- "Deadly Beauty"

I got an update via Google Alerts today.  It was entitled "NEDA Names Music Duo Alexa and Natalee Falk as Official Ambassadors."  An excerpt from the press release on openPR.com is below.

The sisters, who grew up in the music industry, have found their genuine voice and are garnering national attention for their song “Deadly Beauty,” which is dedicated to young women struggling with eating disorders and the family members who worry about them. 

You can read the entire press release here.

And you can read the song lyrics here: 

The song is on YouTube, but I'll let you search for it yourself.  **Possible trigger warning** so YouTube search with care.

I, for one, think this is a truly inspiring story.  And the song tells some of the more scary realities of living with an eating disorder.  I think the song is good, but I don't think it has everything right.

I'd be interested to hear what y'all think!!

Keep ROCKING OUT with that RECOVERY SWAGGER!!

God bless,

<3  Becca

The little, light blue, convertible Volkswagen Beetle that could.

Okay, so I haven't blogged in a while. And for all intents and purposes, "a while" in this instance means a heckuva long time.

But instead of catching up and recounting what has happened to me the past however many months, I instead want to share my message of hope in the form of a metaphor loosely based on a children's story....that can be applied to people of all ages.

Are you familiar with the story of the "Little Engine That Could"?? If not, I suggest you stop reading this blog post, google the story, and after researching/reading it, continue reading this.

While this story is an excellent metaphor for anything we go through in life, I have not always been a fan of it. I have, at times, thought to myself, "This story is so cliche. Sure, it may give hope to some people, but really?? A little train engine that talks and by repeating the phrase 'I think I can' over and over is able to overcome adversity?? Good in theory, but does not apply to my life."

It has been only recently that I have translated the story, with my own personal spin on it, to my own life.

For me, I submit the title of the story be "The Little Light Blue, Convertible Volkswagen Beetle that could."

Why this title?? I'm glad you asked!! A light blue, convertible Volkswagen Beetle is my dream car. My first car was a Beetle, and I now have a Toyota, which I love, but I still yearn for that light blue convertible bug (black soft top).

I have come to think of my life in terms of the newly-revised title I proposed. I, of course, play the role of the light blue, convertible Volkswagen Beetle who could. Below, I will tell the story, and you can decipher it in terms of Recovery. I think it will be a fun little game.

Once upon a time, there was a little light blue, convertible, Volkswagen Beetle. The Beetle wanted nothing more than to drive on the interstate for the first time. But the Beetle was scared to try something new. "Surely there is a way I can undertake, and succeed at, this task," the Beetle said to herself one Summer's day.

The Beetle decided to go ask others she knew for help and encouragement. Everyone she talked to offered her words of advice and assisted her as much as they could, but after talking to everyone who offered her support, she realized it was really up to her to make it happen.

So, days passed by. As did weeks. As did months. As did years. Summer changed to fall changed to winter, for 8 years, and the Beetle still had not ventured on to the interstate. "I don't think I have the courage to take this giant leap," the Beetle said to herself.

One night in early January, the Beetle had trouble sleeping. She had a nagging feeling that there was something she needed to do for herself. She woke up and "paced" around the garage. Suddenly it clicked!! "Tonight is the night," she said. "I am going to get on that interstate, and nothing is going to stop me!!"

The Beetle slowly drove up the main road in the city that led to the interstate. Second by second, she gained more speed. She entered the ramp that connected the city road with the interstate. The Beetle went faster and faster and faster and faster. In a matter of seconds, before she knew it, she was on the interstate, going 70 miles per hour.

"Woohoo!!" screamed the Beetle, "This is the best feeling I have ever felt!! Why did I wait so long to tackle this feat?? I had no idea I could feel this HAPPY and FREE!!"

The Beetle kept an eye on her speedometer, but she pushed the gas pedal just a little bit harder so she could feel the wind in her face. "So THIS is what truly living feels like," she said. "Now that I've experienced this, I can't ever imagine going back to the world where I was scared to tackle my fears."

The Beetle kept cruising along the interstate, headlights straight ahead, only using her rear view mirror to remind herself of how far she had come, and how much further she was going with every passing rotation of her wheels.

I hope each and every one of you is having a blessed day.

God bless,

<3 Becca

Self-affirmations?

I am a BIG fan of quotes. Particularly recovery-related quotes. But I have noticed that so many recovery-related quotes can relate to the larger population. For today's post, I'd like you to read and discuss (if you'd like) the quote below.

At this very moment, you may be saying to yourself that you have any number of admirable qualities. You are a loyal friend, a caring person, someone who is smart, dependable, fun to be around. That's wonderful, and I'm happy for you, but let me ask you this: are you being any of those things to yourself? ~~ Phillip C. McGraw


And as always, remember, RECOVERY ROCKS!!

God bless,

-Becca

For everything, there is a season.

(Insert little blurb about how I know I haven't blogged in MONTHS and how I promise I'm going to get back into it like I used to be).

(start blog post)

Seasons. What does that word mean to you?? What connotations does it have?? For me, it means everything from Kentucky weather, arthritis episodes, and everything in between (positive AND negative). But more than anything, though, when I hear the word "seasons," my mind instantly goes to the word "change."

I'm going to start by using an analogy Rog made as he was driving home from visiting me in North Carolina a few weeks ago. As many of you know, I was a patient in UNC's Eating Disorders Program for 5 weeks, spanning half of September and 3 weeks of October. Those of you who live in an area densely populated with trees, and especially if you have ever driven through Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, or any other such comparable state in early fall are familiar with the beautiful changes the trees undergo. The lush greens of summer turn into breathtaking reds, oranges, and golds of fall. There are few things on earth that are as awe-inspiring as a multicolored forest in early October. What is even neater than the leaves changing colors, though, is that the changing colors are the first step to the tree being renewed, reborn, in the Spring. Of course, there are several interim stages between golden and red leaves and the new green colors that greet our eyes in March or April, but of one thing we can be sure -- the trees will rejuvenate themselves again, as they have every year they've been in existence thus far.

Now, how exactly does this relate to Recovery?? Particularly my recovery as I transitioned from one phase to another of UNC's program?? Well, I'm glad you asked!!

As with the trees, Recovery is a process. It is often cyclical (as is evidenced by the past 8 years of my life), and it provides you with constant opportunities for renewal. I equate the change from summer's green to fall's multicolored forest to the stage of Recovery I entered when transitioning from the Inpatient program to the Partial Hospitalization Program, as well as the preparations I made for the transition back home to Kentucky. Throughout the program, I underwent several changes, and most, if not all, of them helped make me into a more colorful and bright person (something my eating disorder had stolen from me). As the trees, so was I morphing from something I used to be into something I knew I could only be WITH Recovery.

You may be thinking, "Now, okay, that makes sense. But what about the part where the fall leaves literally fall off the tree and the tree dies?? What does that mean for your recovery??"

That is a little more tricky, but it IS understandable. Most people lament over the beautiful leaves falling to the ground and leaving us with dead trees. However, those same people are the first to rejoice when the trees bloom again come springtime (I am guilty of this, as well). What we (myself included) fail to acknowledge, though, is that the "death" of a tree can also be beautiful, because it is just another notch in the wheel of renewal. Relating to Recovery, I see the "death" of the trees as a parallel with the "death" of my eating disorder. Or, if not the complete death, the considerable lessening of the eating disorder's grasp on my life. And, as with the trees, I have been afforded the chance to move from that death into the springtime of Recovery.

Now, I am by no stretch of the imagination fully recovered. I am still not sure if I believe that is possible. But I do have a renewed sense of hope, and I am becoming a little more confident each day that the past 8 years I have spent in bondage to my eating disorder have merely been a season of my life--a season that is finally starting to draw to a close. There's no telling how long it will take for this season to fully end, but again, I am confident in my ability to handle it--however long it may take.

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." -- Ecclesiastes 3:1

God bless,

Becca

I'm blogging for Mental Health 2011!!

Greetings, all!!

It's been a while since I last posted, I know, but that has been because life has been super hectic.

In any case, I wanted to make sure I posted TODAY.

Why??  You might ask.  Well, today is "Mental Health Blog Day 2011" and I want to raise awareness!!

There are several great blog posts going up today, so mine will be short, sweet, and to the point.

Mental health affects all of us, in some way, shape, or form, every day of our lives.  Some days you may be in good mental health.  Some days it may not be so good.  The important thing is you recognize that the mere fact you have a MIND means you have varying degrees of mental health throughout your life.

Some may struggle with mental health issues more than others....and they should NOT have to be ashamed of that.  So this is me, telling YOU that if you are suffering in silence because you feel like you can't talk about mental health....reach out and ask for support!!

It is only by asking for support that we help to reduce the stigma our society, at large, still has, surrounding mental health.

If someone you know and love is suffering, offer them your support.

If we all band together, we can end the negative stigma mental health issues have in our country, and work together to help those who need it!!  Because let's face it -- everybody has "something."

Happy Mental Health Blog Day!!

"When I discover who I am, I'll be free."

So I was perusing quotes the other day, and came across one I thought was worthy of sharing.  The quote is actually the title of this blog post, but I've shared it below, as well:

"When I discover who I am, I'll be free." -- Ralph Ellison

I'd really love to hear what this quote means for YOU!!  What does discovering who you are look like??  Do you have any idea who you really are??  What does "being free" look like to you??

Please share your thoughts -- remember, the only thing that can hold you back is you, so take a risk and make your opinions known!!

As always, remember:  RECOVERY ROCKS!!

God bless

"Desperate Housewives" syndrome.

I came across an article that particularly intrigued me regarding eating disorders and the influence Desperate Housewives (my favorite TV show) has on women, particularly those who are classified as "middle aged."  The full article can be read here, but I've included a couple of quotes from the article below.

“There is an epidemic of disordered eating and body image despair,” says Dr. Maine, who is giving a talk on midlife eating disorders on Tuesday at a conference organized by the National Eating Disorder Information Centre in Toronto."

"Some researchers call it the “Desperate Housewives effect,” referring to the cultural influence of the hit TV series, in which improbably thin women in their 40s prance around in short shorts."

So, for those of you who watch Desperate Housewives, or for those of you who may have just seen commercials for the show or maybe have caught only an episode or two, do you think it is an accurate statement to say that the show could perpetuate eating disorders in the middle aged women age group??  I know I, personally have my own thoughts, mainly because I, myself, have compared myself to those "improbably thin women" on the show (even though I still tune in every week), but I would LOVE to hear what y'all have to say!!

As always, remember:  RECOVERY ROCKS!!

God bless