Inside I Am Screaming - Angels Journal

Ooh so anyway - opinions needed

2006-05-22T05:31:00.000-07:00

There was a thread started out in the forum over the weekend CLICK TO VIEW.
It started out as 'let's not judge' and I guess for the most part I've never really asked for opinions on how the site is and what we stand for since the site started. So anyway I wrote my piece on there and I'd love it if some of you did the same, either just your own thoughts or in response to any of the other posts. Thanks.

"The Body Says What Words Cannot"

2006-05-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

I got the Mirasol newsletter today - I have always had a morbid fascination adn admiration for those people strong enought o recover and so I like to read it. Anyway I liked this so here we are:

"The Body Says What Words Cannot"

This quote from Martha Graham is a perfect description of Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT), one of the many creative arts therapies used at Mirasol Eating Disorder Recovery Centers. Robin Memel Fox, one of our primary therapists, is both a registered Dance/Movement Therapist and a Licensed Professional Counselor.
The American Dance Therapy Association defines DMT as "the psychotherapeutic use of movement as a process which furthers the emotional, cognitive and physical integration of the individual". Dance/movement therapists work with both groups and individuals in a wide variety of settings, helping clients improve self-esteem, body image, and self-awareness by expanding their movement vocabulary and creating new coping skills.
"Dance and movement are basic forms of authentic communication," says Robin. Because they are direct expressions of the self in relation to the body, they can be used to help individuals identify strengths, feelings, memories and behaviors. Experiences of past physical, emotional and sexual trauma stored in the body may be evoked through movement expression, providing clients with new ways to express their emotions without the need for words. This is particularly helpful for people with eating disorders, who often detach from their physical selves to avoid painful emotions, sensations and memories. DMT is also a powerful antidote to the distorted body images that are common in eating disordered individuals.
A typical DMT session might include the use of recorded music or instruments, props such as scarves, balls and "Body Sox"™. Music may serve as a catalyst, but not always. Some clients move without music, as the therapist guides them to explore their internal rhythms, sensations, emotions and tensions within the body.
"There's no set formula for a DMT session," Robin explains. Content evolves organically within the group through cooperative or solo movement, dance, games, free expression and play. The therapist creates safe environment and serves as a witness to the client, observing the body, guiding and verbally processing the movements.
"For clients who are traumatized and disconnected from their bodies, just becoming aware of one's breath and simple body sensations can be a huge step," according to Robin. Some clients - especially clients with formal dance training - struggle to let go of their "inner critics," but most will be surprised by how much they are able to let themselves go while learning new ways to express themselves.

To learn more about DMT, visit the American Dance Therapy Association website at www.adta.org.

I know you guys have blogs and journals too, so...

2006-05-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

I decided to pop up a Pro-Ana weblog/journal directory listing on the Angels site at http://ana-angels.2ya.com. Please take a minute to grab a code and pop it on your blog and then fill out the form and send me your details. All fields on the form are mandatory. It's the bare minimum of information I need to list you and to be able to email you back once your details have been added. After that I will delete them, I have no use for them. I'd love to think that alot of people will think this is a cool idea and get behind me with this one.

Yay - it's actually kind of pretty... :)

2006-05-19T05:29:00.000-07:00

The new design is live now, for the site and for this journal and I am actually oddly proud. I have no idea, I guess because I knew the site needed a little TLC and having found the time to do just that I can sit back in my chair and enjoy the fruit of my labour :) I had a bad time last night, no energy to exercise and just could not snap out of it so I at a small bowl of pasta (only food of the day, but still...) and then did nothing. I was hoping to feel better today but still feel wiped - maybe a bug? Who knows. The weather is horrid too which is not helping.

So this is new then

2006-05-19T04:13:00.000-07:00

The old journal sucked ass (sorry LJ but the amount of haters on there got to me, and while there were so many lovely girls and guys there too, it was getting me down. I really do not need anything else bringing me down.
I started to take St John's Wort for my mood. Not sure it will have any kind of effect but I wanted to give it a go and keep an open mind. Please let me know if you have taken it or tried it and what the effects, if any, were for you. I'd love to know.
The new site design looks sweet - gotta love Nicole, especially since she admitted to being disordered, just like us. And nobody, not even Kate Moss, looks better in skinny jeans than Nic.