Disclosure of any information provided or submitted by a user will only be allowed to be made where:

• Such information is in the public domain; or
• RSHF is obliged in terms of any law, order of court, legal process or other lawful reason to disclose such information.

Personal information may be disclosed to RSHF’s vendors, suppliers and marketing agents where this information is necessary for them to evaluate and enhance the product and services offered on this website.

RSHF may disclose certain personal information of users such as names and e-mail addresses to affiliated service providers for purposes of distributing promotional materials, surveys and questionnaires or other information or material for which a user has specifically indicated its willingness to receive.

RSHF may provide general information to third parties which do not contain particular personal information of users such as their names and addresses, and which is intended to be used solely for compiling statistical or demographic information or otherwise.

RSHF does not and cannot control the confidentiality, access to or dissemination of information which is retrieved through the use of “cookies” or information retrieved through the collecting and storing of IP addresses of visitors to this website. A “cookie” is a computer file, which is transferred automatically from our website to a user’s computer during an online session which enables RSHF and its sponsors and advertisers to customise webpage content and to gather general information on the use and frequency of the user traffic. An IP address is an address assigned to your computer or server identifying it when conducting Internet activity.

• resulting from or related to the use or access of or inability to use or access any of the Information, content or services provided on this website;
• any fact or circumstance beyond the reasonable control of RSHF;
• any breakdown in the service provided by external service providers;
• the performance or unavailability of this website, or any other website to which it is connected or linked;
• any suspension or interruption of access to this website by RSHF;
• any breach of privacy or security by any person or entity;
• the loss, damage, destruction, theft, contamination or corruption of any data, information or content accessible by means of this website;
• the preservation and protection of the integrity of any text or any other form of data, information or content which is contained on or accessible from this website;
• any publication or use of any information or data contained on or accessible from this website;
• a user’s failure to perform any of its obligations in terms of this agreement, including but not limited to a failure to comply with any of the provisions of clauses 6 and 8.

Without limiting the generality of the aforegoing, neither RSHF or its suppliers shall be liable for any direct, consequential or indirect loss suffered by a user or any other person, and the user hereby indemnify and holds RSHF and its suppliers harmless against any such claim or liability, including but not limited to loss of profits, loss of data and/or loss of anticipated business or goodwill.

While RSHF will use all reasonable endeavours to ensure integrity, security and confidentiality of all personal information submitted and/or obtained from a user, it will not be held liable under any circumstances if such information is compromised, disseminated or otherwise disclosed through conduct outside the control of RSHF such as hacking, infection by viruses, Trojan Horses or any other computer programming routines or software that are intended to damage, detrimentally interfere with, surreptitiously intercept or expropriate any system, data or personal information.

RSHF hereby disclaims any liability for, and the user hereby indemnifies RSHF and its suppliers from and against, any and all losses, liability, costs or damage suffered or incurred by a user or any other person arising out of or in connection with the use, provision or distribution of any feature or service which may be promoted, displayed on, or associated with, this website or any other website which can be accessed from this website, however such loss or liability may occur, and whether such loss or liability is financial, personal, consequential, incidental or otherwise.

RSHF does not warrant or represent that the functions, facilities or services or content contained on this website, or access to this website or any part thereof, will be uninterrupted or error free, that defects will be corrected, or that this website and/or the server that makes it available to a user, is free of viruses, infections, bugs or the like, nor does RSHF make any warranty or representation, whether express or implied, as to the reliability, accuracy, usefulness, adequacy, quality, currency, completeness, suitability, fitness for any purpose or otherwise of any of the information, services, facilities, data or material displayed on or accessed from this website.

Most people at some point or another have heard that eating disorders are about control. Control for what you might ask? There are several possibilities; one of which is the person feels she has no control over her environment, but she does have control over what she does or does not put in her mouth. No one can force her to eat, thus she has a perceived sense of control.

Another possibility is the eating disordered behavior can be a way to distract, mask and numb feelings your daughter does not know how to deal with. When she numbs her emotions through not eating or other means, she may be trying to regain control of her emotional state.

Let’s consider going with the resistance if you will, and cooperate with her desire and legitimate need for control. The reality is you both want control over her eating behavior. You want her to eat; she wants the opposite and is resistant to any attempt you make to get her to eat more.

So, how can you as her parent give her a healthy sense of control?

When you feel the resistance and the power struggle beginning, try to think about what in her behavior would be considered a good quality. Here are a few ideas about what that could look like; and for now just know it is important to use the word “respect” and we can talk about that further in a future article.

1. I respect your commitment to eat healthier and you will be able to make more choices about food when you are eating enough to take care of your body.
2. I respect your determination to look thin and I look forward to the time when you will focus that determination on hearing your own voice instead of the Eating Disorder (ED).
3. I respect your single-mindedness and I look forward to the day when you apply that focus to getting well.
4. I respect your desire for privacy and you will have more privacy when I can be sure you are not purging.
5. I respect your desire to eat with your friends and you will be able to do that more when I know you are eating enough to take care of your body.

I think you can see from these examples the positive qualities we are highlighting. Also how we have used those positive attributes to point her in the direction of using the control she truly does have.

It will take time, practice and your own determination to learn to relate to your daughter in this new way, and you will see a big difference in her responses as you move toward more respect and give her a healthy sense of control.

Read more: http://health.ezinemark.com/eating-disorders-what-you-can-expect-when-your-daughter-has-anorexia-4f3c3cfb02c.html

One of the main reasons parents miss the signs of a developing eating disorder is because it usually happens gradually; and whether it takes several months or a year, it does not happen overnight. When girls as early as eight years old are wanting to diet and dieting is now the norm instead of the exception, a girl losing some weight does not necessarily mandate hitting the panic button.

Often an eating disorder does happen just because of a diet gone bad, and to look for more insidious reasons is unwarranted and unfair. Many girls want to lose weight and eating less is a typical means of dieting. It is not uncommon to hear your daughter say she wants to be a vegetarian and that, in and of itself, is not a negative thing. The true motive behind this change is of course the concern and it is not always evident at first.

Adolescence is a prime time to begin keeping secrets from parents and you are not usually the first person to whom your daughter reveals her deepest thoughts and emotions.

It is her friends that she shares these with and they may even be in partnership with her to lose weight.

Girls become masters at finding ways to hide the changes occurring, both in their behavior and their bodies. They secretly throw away food, move food around on the plate so it appears they ate more than they actually did, say they are going to eat with friends when they have no intention of following through, hide their changing shapes in larger size clothes, and much more.

Another issue is often these girls have been the model child and most parents are stunned to learn that there is a problem of any kind. They have gotten good grades, thrived socially and in extra-curricular activities and rarely rebelled in their relationship with you.

It seems like one day you wake up in the morning and some event occurs where this information about your daughter’s behavior is revealed.

For example, a friend of your daughter or her mother asks to speak with you without your daughter present, a sibling tells the secret they have been keeping about her sister throwing away food or throwing up after meals, you see something in a text message, social networking site or e-mail and are shocked to find out what has been going on without your knowledge.

I want you to hear me say this again. Your daughter has become a master at hiding this from you and is leading two lives so to speak; the one she wants you to see and the one she doesn’t. You are not a bad parent. Were there signs you missed that you could have seen? Possibly. Were there things your daughter just plain did not want you to see? Yes, most definitely. She wanted to lose weight and didn’t want anyone to stop her.

So what is the answer to this guilt ridden line of thinking and questioning? It is simple, yet not easy to do. As much as you can, don’t allow your mind to go there. The more time you spend there, the less available you will be to see what is happening now and to be available to your daughter now.

She needs you to be in the present with her as much as you can. She needs you desperately to help her through this illness, whether she knows it or not. So give yourself a very limited time to think about what a failure you are as a parent, because let’s face it, those thoughts and feelings will come. You are human, not super mom or super dad, and the questions will be there.

Observe them, admit them to yourself, talk to someone you trust about them and then as quickly as possible, move on and focus on helping your daughter. She cannot get better without you.

Read more: http://health.ezinemark.com/my-daughter-has-an-eating-disorder-how-did-i-not-see-the-signs-of-anorexia-4f3c3a0affd.html

For years I unknowingly lived in a world that seemed to me to hold nothing but fear. I was afraid of everything; especially myself, but at the time I knew no different. 25 years of Anorexia/Bulimia had become so much part of my life, that it was as unimaginable to live without, as the fear, intense self-hatred and feelings of worthlessness, I had also lived with, for as long as I could remember. I was a bad person so naturally I deserved all the problems and failures that resulted from everything I did.

What hope then had a poor sensitive horse, in a home that was run by someone who appeared to the outside world, to be completely happy and in control, but was inwardly a complete mess, existing each day on a diet of fear, anxiety, doubt, starvation, biscuits, chocolate, endless ice cream and visits to the lavatory to evacuate any food that shouldn’t have been there.

Bronwen was truly beautiful, almost black; with a gleaming coat and, the longest eyelashes of any horse I had ever seen.

To me, she was huge and quite terrifying, I had had sleepless nights over whether I was doing the right thing getting her at all, and had relented very much against my better judgment. She was to be a companion to the previously unwanted 12.2 chestnut pony that had been given to my 12year old son during one of his many brief but convincing passions; and at 15 hands she was to be there for him to ride, when he outgrew the pony.

Having never owned a horse in my life; with experience that was no more than a reckless, knee gripping out of control gallop or two on an old horse as a child, I was landed with the task of keeping myself from being trampled under foot by two very large animals, that barely acknowledged my existence, let alone treated me with any respect.

I did realize very early on that perhaps I should have listened to my grave misgivings, as frankly I hadn’t a clue what I was doing and my son was equally useless and lost interest very shortly after Bronwen’s arrival. Strangely, it never once occurred to me to reverse my decision and let the horses go, instead I went all out, to learn how to be a responsible and enlightened horse owner; not just your average horse owner, no, my horses were going to be kept with a far greater quality of life than anyone else’s; with kindness, sensitivity and an insightful educated knowledge of the world from their viewpoint, not mine.

In theory my plan was flawless, in reality I was in for a shock. In her previous home Bronwen had been a truly biddable, delightful, kind and genuinely well behaved horse, that however all changed instantly, when she found herself being ridden and cared for by a, self-doubting, self hating, fear-filled incompetent like me. From the moment we set eyes on each other she wanted to run as far away from me as she possibly could, while all I wanted, was for her to want to be with me, as passionately as I wanted to be with her. I was shattered; each time I went out into the field to visit her, she would turn tail and head off to furthest corner of her paddock, and when I finally caught up with her, her eyes would harden with fear and she’d strain to get away from me. Nervously I persevered, attempting to tentatively groom her, carefully avoiding her feet altogether for fear of reprisal; entering hopeless struggles with saddles and tack, and darting fearfully out of her stable before she could bolt or squash me against the wall; willing all the time for her to like me, just a little bit, but all this amidst flattened ears and threatening facial expressions. I felt completely devastated, at the same time absolutely convinced that the problem lay with me, she was simply reacting to the inner turmoil that she could see I was experiencing. She was scared of me and I was too. She longed for someone to lead her, and I was failing her miserably.

Weeks of battling went by, disaster followed disaster; when riding she would constantly move away from me when I tried to mount her; spin around in the gateway in a desperate bid to return to the security of her paddock, and if we did manage to actually get through the gate, she would find every opportunity to make her way home as fast as possible, and being stronger, mentally and physically than me, she almost always got her way. I was totally miserable and became completely obsessed with trying to find an answer to the dreadful problems the two of us were experiencing. Finally a possible solution presented itself, my son found the name of a horse whisperer who was prepared to come and help Bronwen and I resolve our differences.

I was so nervous and convinced that I would fail dismally at whatever he tried to teach me, that I almost abandoned the whole idea, only sheer desperation kept me going. I watched in wonder and amazement as this small insignificant little man had Bronwen eating out of his hands within only a few minutes. He barely moved and with the tiniest signals had her moving in circles around him, backing, stepping sideways and listening with both ears and eyes fixed on him attentively the entire time, her eyes never left him, even when she was supposed to be attending to me. His assistant explained to me that he had been communicating with Bronwen in a way that she instantly understood, because it emulated the way horses communicate within the herd.

As they drove away leaving Bronwen and I alone once again, I realized the biggest lesson I had learned was that I had to change the way I approached every moment I spent with her, completely change the way I thought, my beliefs about myself and my negative attitude to everything I ever attempted to do. There is no room for doubt of any kind when dealing with horses, they cannot cope with it; to a horse, where there is doubt there is fear. Changing the thought patterns learned over a life -time was going to be an uphill task and without Bronwen to monitor my progress and encourage me with her loving approval each time I got things right I could never have contemplated such a task. She softened each time she felt I was trying to change, her truly loving nature forgave and rewarded my efforts over and over again. I had put her through hell for almost two months, as I had centered on my own inner fears and inadequacies instead of focusing on hers. It was as though the whole time she had been my ego, her dislike of me reflecting my own self-hatred and her need to run away from me, my own desire to escape from myself.

As the months passed the two us devised ways to completely re-design the destructive thought patterns that had created the self punishing, soul destroying disorder that had over shadowed the vast majority of my life. It was trial and error; sometimes we had a break through and at other times we slipped painfully back into the quagmire of and old damaging thinking. From concentrating purely on myself, my ineffectuality and how worthless and undeserving I was of her regard and respect, I learned to train my mind, through endless discipline and determination to recognize only, the thoughts that really benefited me; the thoughts that remained positive, clear and focused. These thoughts were always the ones that produced the perfect loving results from Bronwen, I had craved for all along.

Learning to overcome the overpowering need to self-destruct, with only the help of Bronwen and the ideas I took from the natural horsemanship experts, who taught me so much about equine psychology, helped me far far more than all the psychiatrists, psychologists and counselors I had seen over the many years. On the way I began to see clearly from what I was learning, that this was a way forward for all the thousands of people out there who suffer as I did, from feelings of anxiety, low self esteem and self- loathing.

Now with the years, my Anorexia / Bulimia well behind me and the experience of using my knowledge and skills to help others, I can see how incredibly worthwhile it all was. There was something truly amazing to be gained from that period of my life, without it, I would never have been able to fully appreciate the stark contrast, between living a life of fear and living one of true happiness and fulfillment.

Read more: http://health.ezinemark.com/bronwen-s-way-the-story-of-how-i-overcame-25-years-of-anorexia-and-bulimia-4eb0643f2a0.html

When you are helping your child beat anorexia, there are definitely things you will want to do and some you will not. Let me tell you some things you can do to have a huge impact on your daughter’s recovery and will make life a lot easier for all of you.

• Involve your child in things unrelated to the eating disorder and keep doing things you have always done, even if her interest has waned a bit because of the obsession with food and weight. She needs to see there is life outside of the eating disorder and you need that reminder too.

• Help distract her at meal time by making it as enjoyable as possible. Talk about your day, especially anything funny or positive and include the whole family. Siblings have great stories to tell and are always good for a quick laugh!

• If your daughter doesn’t have a passion for something, this is a great time to explore.Expressive activities like art, music, and dance are great. If her interests are too limited, like on sports, or exercise that contribute to weight loss, help her explore other things. You can also get the family involved in a worthy cause, because it is a good way to get the focus off her and the eating disorder and onto the fact that others have problems too.

• When the issue comes up, show her you understand that the eating disorder is something the whole family has to deal with and you all need help. When she sees you don’t perceive her as the problem child, her guilt will decrease and this will help her in her recovery. There is a fine line here, however. Remember she is very self-focused right now so if she becomes defensive and responds it is her problem, respect that also. The reality is she does not know what is true right now.

• When you do have to talk about food, stay calm and firm. Your fear for your daughter’s health can result in your emotional fuse being shorter. It helps to interact from a place of strength instead of anxiety and helplessness. You are the parent, and it is okay for you to act as if you are not afraid, even when you are. She needs to see you are stronger than the eating disorder, because right now she believes the eating disorder has all the power.

Read more: http://health.ezinemark.com/eating-disorders-five-things-parents-can-do-to-help-their-child-beat-anorexia-4f0384b24a8.html

If you wonder whether or not you are taking the right approach with your child’s anorexia, this is the article for you. Let me give you five quick tips for what not to do when helping your child beat anorexia.

• If you or another extended family member has had an eating disorder, don’t immediately start talking about what helped him or her. Your daughter will feel like you are putting her in a box and will question whether or not you will hear struggles and issues that are unique to her. Plus she will feel like you are saying you already know and understand what she is going through, and the reality is you don’t.’

• In the beginning when she does talk to you about eating issues, just listen. Don’t teach, correct, lecture about food, ask why she just can’t eat; just listen. Great tools are nodding your head, saying in some form you hear what she is saying, a well placed, “Uh huh” can be good too.Err on the side of listening. I cannot stress how important this is. Most important, make sure your gestures and responses are genuine, not canned like you are a robot. Just be tuned in and you will be fine.
• When arguments arise about food, and they will, don’t allow them to go into eternity. Let her have her say, respond calmly and firmly, re-state the expectation, then communicate without anger that there will be no more discussion. Change the subject, leave the room, stand on your head, whatever. Move on.

• Increase your awareness of how much you talk about food, weight, body image, calories, etc. When your daughter is around, don’t talk about these things or mention on the phone to a friend how much weight the pastor’s wife has lost. Don’t talk about your own body in negative ways and groan about how you need to lose weight.We often don’t realize ourselves how much we have bought in to the weight and body image frenzy.

• One of the most common complaints I get from children with an eating disorder is, to some degree she feels she is under a microscope. Don’t mention every eating disordered behavior you see, and don’t watch her constantly even though you are concerned. Yes, you need to be aware, but think how anxious you would be if someone were watching every move you made.

Article Source: http://health.ezinemark.com/anorexia-nervosa-five-things-not-to-do-if-your-child-is-anorexic-4f038092466.html

Why can’t she just eat? She can’t eat because the eating disorder won’t allow her to. It sounds bizarre, but when your daughter crossed the invisible line between losing weight and anorexia, she may as well have entered the Twilight Zone. And like it or not, you are there with her and nothing is as it appears.

What can I do? The first thing you need to accept is there is one thing you can’t do. You cannot fix this or talk her out of it. You are thinking logically and rationally, she is not. She is under the influence of the eating disorder and who she listens to most depends upon how far down the road she is in the illness. You have to compete with all the other voices she is hearing in her head right now, and yours is a ways down the list.

Okay, I can’t fix it, what can I do? You can educate yourself about eating disorders and get her and your family the help they need. One of the main reasons parents miss the signs of a developing eating disorder is because it usually happens gradually; and whether it takes several months or a year, it does not happen overnight. If you missed some of the signs, you are not alone.

You’re reading this so you are already doing the first part. Most parents cannot fight their daughter’s illness without assistance. Minimally they need someone to coach them through what to do and what not to do and to give them information. You will have to do research to find the right person or treatment for your child.

How do I find the right treatment for my child? If you do not have the luxury of a word of mouth referral and many parents don’t; physicians, pediatricians and nutritionists are always a good place to start. You can call other therapists in the area or get online and contact the nearest eating disorder treatment center or inpatient hospital. Most facilities have a list of therapists who have referred clients to their program and many have a list of referral sources for parents just like you.

If there is no facility near you, contact multiple programs until you have several therapists in your area to choose from.

What questions do I ask the therapist? The primary questions I would ask are what is their experience with eating disorders, how much do they involve the family in therapy (the more the better), and could they put a past client in contact with you. This way it becomes a word of mouth referral and you will feel more assured your child will be in good hands. There are families with whom I have worked in the past who are more than willing to offer support and information to others about me and their experience with me.

Read more: http://health.ezinemark.com/my-daughter-has-anorexia-faqs-for-eating-disorder-parents-4f0ae7c9ad9.html

While some people like eating and eat very much, others consider eating as a hard work due to their loss of appetite. These are two sides of eating disorders: bulimia and anorexia. The disorders occur because of psychological and physical problems. To relieve them, it is the most important to determine exactly their reasons.

One of the most common reasons that sufferers give about why they started binging, purging or self starvation is that at some point they felt terribly out of control. Whether that was because of something they were feeling inside of themselves, or something that was happening to them from an outside environment.

5 Reasons For Eating Disorders

No 1. Major Life Transitions – A lot of sufferers with eating issues do have difficulty with change.

Particularly anorexics who typically like things that are orderly, familiar and predictable. Therefore, transitions such as puberty, going into college or high school or major illness/death can totally overwhelm these individuals. This gives them a feeling of loss of control.

No 2. Troubled Family Relationships – There are some people with eating issues that come from disordered families. Usually where there are poor boundaries between their child and their parents. They have admitted to experiencing a tremendous fear of losing control or not being in control.

No 3. Social Problems – Painfully low self esteem can develop before the onset of eating problems. Research shows that going through a painful experience like being teased about their appearance, being rejected, or even going through a bad break up of a romantic relationship.

No 4. Failure At School/Competitive Events or Work – Those with eating issues can sometimes be perfectionists who have extremely high achievement expectations. If their self esteem is tied to their success then any kind of failure can produce feelings of guilt, shame or even self worthlessness.

No 5. Major Injury Or Illness – This can result in an individual feeling totally out of control or extremely vulnerable. Both bulimia and anorexia can be attempts to either distract or control themselves from such trauma.

If you see any signs of the 5 reasons for eating disorders above that are causing eating issues with someone you know, then take action to get them help. The sooner you diagnose and deal with this the better. Unfortunately if you do not act swiftly enough then a disorder can become a life long battle for those it affects.

Read more: http://health.ezinemark.com/bulimia-and-anorexia-5-common-reasons-512d3cbc028.html

Eating disorders can be broadly classified in two categories (1) Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder where the sufferer refuses to maintain a healthy body weight and has obsessive fear of gaining weight, combined with a distorted self image. Persons with anorexia nervosa continue to feel hunger, but deny themselves all but very small quantities of food. The average caloric intake of a person with an eating disorder like anorexia nervosa is 600-800 calories per day, but in extreme cases self-starvation is more extreme.

An Eating disorder is a serious mental illness with a high incidence of co-morbidity and the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder. It can affect men and women of all ages, races, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Anorexia nervosa occurs in the ratio of 1:10 in males: females. Treatment for anorexia nervosa tries to address three main areas.

Other forms of purging include laxatives (typically 2 to 30 laxatives per use), diuretics, diet pills, or enemas.

1) Restoring the person to a healthy weight; 2) Treating the psychological disorders related to the illness; 3) Reducing or eliminating behaviors or thoughts that originally led to the disordered eating.

(2) Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder where sufferers restrain food intake for a period of time. This is followed by an over intake or binge period which results in a feelings of guilt and low self-esteem. Sufferers attempt to overcome these feelings through a number of ways. The most common form is guilty vomiting, sometimes called purging; fasting, the use of laxatives, enemas, diuretics, and over exercising are also seen. The age of commencement is 18 and this disorder is nine times more likely to crop up in women than in men.

Treatment centers for anorexia offer the following courses of action for treatment : Diet and Nutrition, Medication, Psychotherapy/Cognitive remediation, Cognitive behavioral therapy, Acceptance and commitment therapy, Cognitive Remediation Therapy, Family therapy: Adjunctive/Alternate Therapies (Yoga & Acupuncture), Experimental therapy.

The treatment programs usually combine:

• 12-Step principles of addiction treatment
• Close monitoring of the therapeutic processes
• Usage of traditional psychological principles
• Experiential and alternative therapies
• Routine activities that boost Self esteem

Eating disorders have an extremely negative impact on the sufferers lives, The Victorian treatment center is designed so the female patients live in a safe haven in Newport Beach while they experience a highly supervised treatment program. The treatment program includes access to a wide variety of consulting medical experts namely psychologists, psychiatrists, marriage and family therapists, nurses and addictionologists.

Read more: http://health.ezinemark.com/diagnostic-criteria-of-anorexia-nervosa-31dc9f9b656.html