My Personal Sanctuary

I have been contemplating... thinking how things have been. There have been series of unfortunate events that may have caused things turn out the way they are actually now but at the end of the day I realize that things are really how you see them.

Pain is really how you take it, it's always your choice how to take things beit positively or negatively. I have had a couple of things going on in my life lately but I say I have never been this complete. Never felt so good inspite all the things that come my way that seem to stop me, they can't...they may slow down but I'll never stop.

I feel so lucky to have the girl who to me is not just a girlfriend but a friend, a sister, a mentor and on top of it all someone who isn't superficial but someone real. We fight and disagree in a lot of things (most of it that is) but she never makes me feel sorry for anything at all. Her face just tells me that there's always something. Something to smile at, something to work your way out to make a sanctuary no matter how small it is. She to me is my sanctuary.

Foy Ya PARIS

Here's an article I got online for a friend...

Let's just hind the person by the name of PARIS...

If there's anythign I can do to ease it out and help...I'm just a text away.I may not be your sosy friend but I'll still be your critique pal..

For people with binge eating disorder, at first food may provide sustenance or comfort, but later it's the focus of incredible guilt and distress. They eat unusually large amounts of food quickly and feel completely out of control as they do it, and they binge not just from time to time, but fairly regularly. These behaviors become a pattern of eating and can alternate with dieting.
Binge eating disorder is more common in people who are obese, but it affects people with healthy weights as well. However, there's little information on how many children and teens are affected by the disorder because the condition has only recently been recognized, and many people may be too embarrassed to seek help for it. Adults in treatment often say their problems started in childhood or adolescence. Still, it's believed that 2% of adult Americans - roughly 1 million to 2 million people - have the disorder.
And although the majority of people with other eating disorders are female, it's estimated that more than a third of individuals with binge eating disorder are male.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms?
Children and teens who sometimes eat a lot don't necessarily have binge eating disorder. Kids can have huge appetites, especially during growth spurts, when they need more nutrients to fuel their growing bodies. So it can be difficult to determine whether a child has binge eating disorder. But several signs distinguish someone who binge eats from someone with a "healthy appetite."
Parents may first suspect a problem when they discover large amounts of food are missing from the pantry or the refrigerator, though it's hard to imagine one child could have eaten so much.
Other signs of a problem include:
a child eating a lot of food quickly
a pattern of eating in response to emotional stress, such as family conflict, peer rejection, or poor academic performance
a child feeling ashamed or disgusted by the amount he or she eats
finding food containers hidden in a child's room
an increasingly irregular eating pattern, such as skipping meals, eating lots of junk food, and eating at unusual times (like late at night)
People who binge eat may also experience feelings that are common to many eating disorders, such as depression, anxiety, guilt, or shame. They may avoid school, work, or socializing with friends because they're ashamed of their binge eating problem.
What Causes It?
The cause of binge eating disorder is unknown, although the National Institutes of Health report that up to half of all people who have it also have a history of depression. It remains unclear, however, whether binge eating brings on depression or whether people with depression are prone to the disorder. Many people who binge eat say that episodes can be triggered by feelings of anger, sadness, boredom, or anxiety. Scientists are also examining how brain function and body metabolism (the way the body uses energy) may affect binge eating.
How Is It Different From Other Eating Disorders?
It's important to distinguish binge eating disorder from other eating disorders, such as bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa.
People with bulimia nervosa (sometimes called binge-purge syndrome) binge on food and then vomit or use laxatives to avoid gaining weight. They may also fast (stop eating for a while) or compulsively exercise after an eating binge. Like people who suffer from binge eating disorder, those with bulimia nervosa repeatedly eat excessive amounts of food and feel guilty or ashamed about it. Unlike bulimia, however, individuals with binge eating disorder do not purge and are, therefore, frequently overweight.
Anorexia nervosa, another eating disorder, also involves feelings of guilt about eating. Whereas people with binge eating disorder consistently overeat, people with anorexia starve themselves, causing potentially life-threatening damage to their bodies. They may also compulsively exercise to achieve weight loss, a condition known as anorexia athletica.
How Is It Diagnosed?
Doctors and mental health professionals use the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV (DSM-IV) when they identify binge eating disorder. These include:
binge eating more food than most people could consume in short periods of time
feelings of distress about eating behaviors
binge eating that occurs, on average, at least 2 days a week for 6 months
binge eating that isn't associated with regular purging with laxatives or by vomiting
binge episodes associated with:
eating more rapidly than usual
eating until uncomfortably full
eating when not hungry
eating alone because of embarrassment about how much food is consumed
feelings of disgust, depression, or guilt
Also, a binge has to be accompanied by a loss of control over eating.
How Is It Treated?
A child will be diagnosed with a binge eating disorder only after his or her doctor discusses family dynamics, patterns of eating, and emotional issues with him or her. The doctor will also perform a complete physical and may order lab tests to assess some complications of obesity and nutritional adequacy. As with any eating disorder, it's also important that the child receives therapy.
Different types of therapy can help treat binge eating disorder. For example, family therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy teach people techniques to monitor and change their eating habits and the way they respond to stress. Family therapy includes the whole family in the process of helping the individual. Cognitive-behavioral therapy combines the approach of helping the individual change their self-defeating thoughts with changing their behavior. Counseling also helps patients look at relationships they have with others and helps them work on areas that cause them anxiety. In some cases, doctors may prescribe antidepressant medication to be used in conjunction with therapy.
However, there's no quick fix for any eating disorder. Treatment can take several months or longer while the child learns how to have a healthier approach to food. Although weight-control programs are helpful for some people affected by binge eating disorder, children and teens should not begin a diet or weight-control program without the advice and supervision of a doctor.
What Are the Risks and Complications?
Because many people with binge eating disorder are overweight, the most common health risks are the same ones that accompany obesity, including:
diabetes
high blood pressure
high cholesterol levels
gallbladder disease
heart disease
some kinds of cancer
depression and anxiety
How Can I Help My Child?
If you suspect your child has a problem with binge eating, call his or her doctor or health care provider for advice and referrals to qualified mental health professionals in your area who have experience treating eating disorders in children.
Be sure to talk to your child, too, and let him or her know you're there to help or just to listen if he or she needs to talk. Having an eating disorder can be difficult to admit, and your child may not be ready to acknowledge that he or she has a problem. You can also show your child how to develop healthier eating habits by modeling a positive relationship with food and exercise and by not using food as a reward.
With the help of your family and a doctor, your child can begin the trip back to eating healthy again.