Living the Life I Truly Desire
An Anorexia Recovery Workbook
by
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Exercise #5 If thought # 5 rung a bell or two, then you have put on hold many things that you actually value in order to comply with your ED. This exercise is important because it clarifies how this ED is trying to eliminate everything that you give value to as well as anything that will help you have a fulfilling life. Well, lets be truthful of what an ED is. It is a disorder…and what disorders do is to limit, make sick or even take away what is alive. Thus, if you keep complying with what the ED is telling you to believe in and do, you are eliminating the most precious gift you have: YOU. Lets take a moment to connect with what is happening to you by doing the following lists. The purpose of doing these lists is to help you evaluate if there is a better life than the one you are living right now. Lets list some things that you have stopped doing that you enjoyed because of the obstacles your ED has created 1. 2. 3. Some answers I have received before are: Dating, going out with friends, trying new restaurants, having a dessert, going to the movies, family time, sister/brother time, sports, extracurricular activities, dancing, traveling, shopping What do you do now that you enjoy? Do you really enjoy yourself? Lets do a list of values that you have stopped paying attention to because of your ED 1. 2. 3. Some answers I have received before are: Health, Honesty, Responsibility, Friendship/family, Academics, Happiness, Peace, and Spirituality What values you still feel are precious to you? An example of a patient’s answer was: I feel that honesty and responsibility are still values I hold up to. How about you? What could you do differently to live your life according to your values? The same patient answered: Becoming honest with myself of the struggle I am having and the damage I am causing to myself. Being honest with my caretakers. I also value responsibility so I could be more responsible with my body’s needs. How about you?
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About the Book
This is an artistic clinical workbook for those who are struggling with Anorexia, for parents with children that are struggling with an Eating Disorder or clinicians that work with Eating Disorders. The book is divided by 43 unique and inspiring images, which were created and designed by patients that were struggling from an eating disorder and treated by our Viva Clinic team. Each image has a message to guide you through your recovery process. Each image includes an exercise for you to complete. All exercises are based on psycho-therapeutic models that have been validated to treat Anorexia as well as other psychiatric disorders.
About the Author
1st author Dr. Valerie Stipes is a clinical psychologist that specializes in working with high-risk psychological conditions, especially eating disorders, severe depression and patients in the obsessive-compulsive disorder spectrum. She has also vast experience working with pregnant women and sexual therapy. After working in the typical psychiatric hospital setting, she felt moved by seeing the immense necessity that exists for specialized and individualized treatment programs. This need motivated her to start Viva Clinic in 2014. Her clinic differentiates itself by providing individualized and specialized programs for each patient. Dr. Stipes designs a unique plan for each person integrating an interdisciplinary team to treat every aspect that person needs to heal. She believes that patients can fully recover and aims for that with each program she designs. Apart from the clinical therapies, most programs have activities that the patient enjoys or is interested in learning. She explains, “Not everyone enjoys the same things. Discovering or rediscovering what we love to do is a great tool to use during a difficult time in our lives.” Dr. Stipes focuses in her sessions and workbooks on connecting patients to their true self by being more mindful of their emotions, thoughts and inner wisdom. She also works on challenging beliefs as well as thoughts that limit the person to become their full potential. Viva Clinic is located in the beautiful island of Puerto Rico and everyone in the team is fully bilingual offering all therapies in English and Spanish. 2nd author Lyzmar Cordero is a dietitian specialized in treating eating disorders, as well as weight reduction. She has vast experience working with pregnant women, vegetarian and vegan patients as well as people diagnosed with diabetes. She is the founder of Nutritional Impact by Lcda. Lyzmar Cordero. Her office offers different programs from a multidisciplinary approach focusing on meeting each patient’s medical nutritional needs as well as achieving emotional and physical wellness. She is a strong believer that food is medicine and can significantly impact your health and life. She aims for people to maintain a healthy lifestyle knowing this will improve their life significantly. She has also developed workshops that focus on different topics for each population she specializes in.