The document provides an update from the Eating Awareness Team (EAT). It discusses EAT's busy activities over the last few months including counseling services and workshops. It announces two staff members - Julie Loan and Jackie van Litsenburg - are leaving EAT and wishes them the best. The document also provides tips on coping with stresses over Christmas and announces EAT's closure over the holiday period. It encourages membership in EAT and donations to support the organization.
Original Description:
The Eating Awareness Team's December 2009 Newsletter
The document provides an update from the Eating Awareness Team (EAT). It discusses EAT's busy activities over the last few months including counseling services and workshops. It announces two staff members - Julie Loan and Jackie van Litsenburg - are leaving EAT and wishes them the best. The document also provides tips on coping with stresses over Christmas and announces EAT's closure over the holiday period. It encourages membership in EAT and donations to support the organization.
The document provides an update from the Eating Awareness Team (EAT). It discusses EAT's busy activities over the last few months including counseling services and workshops. It announces two staff members - Julie Loan and Jackie van Litsenburg - are leaving EAT and wishes them the best. The document also provides tips on coping with stresses over Christmas and announces EAT's closure over the holiday period. It encourages membership in EAT and donations to support the organization.
Centre Update Tena koutou katoa and Christmas greet- artists and craftspeople in the second half of In this newsletter: ings to EAT’s newsletter community! 2010! EAT has been a hive of busy-ness over EAT Update! 1 Summer is finally almost here and the the last few months. In addition to the one-to- festive season is upon us. EAT would like to one counselling services provided at EAT, Fond Farewells! 2 wish all our readers a very happy, peaceful counselling staff have delivered programmes and enjoyable Christmas and New Year and workshops at Chisnallwood Intermedi- How to Cope Over Christmas! 2 period. We realise that this time of year can be stressful so we encourage you to take ate, Bluelight Canterbury's Wahine Toa camp, and the Bridge Programme, and Ra- The Year of the No D’s" 3 care of yourselves, notice and respond to chel completed the GO GIRLS programme your needs, and to take time out when you with a group from Hillmorton High School. need to. Julie also continued to run a fortnightly Many thanks to all of the extended EAT group at EAT for people with binge eating community who supported our fundraising issues. Prefer email? art and craft auction – crEATe – in October. Earlier this year a support group was Thank you to those who donated items for formed at EAT for parents and caregivers of If you’d rather receive this news- the auction and to our generous bidders. people struggling with eating disorder is- letter electronically, simply join We initiated crEATe as an effort to raise sues. This group meets on the second Tues- the mailing list by sending an much needed extra funding for EAT and it day of each month and is run and coordi- email to eat@chch.planet.org.nz was a successful venture that we hope to nated by the members. If you’d like more with ‘subscribe’ in the subject grow and develop next year – so we will information about the group please contact line. appreciate any donations from budding EAT on 03 3667725. (continued overleaf)
If you’d like to donate to EAT, here’s how:
Give to EAT! Give a Little: www.givealittle.co.nz/org/eatingawareness Cheque: payable to Eating Awareness Team Direct Credit Account Name: Eating Awareness Team Inc. Account Number: 030855 0393532 00 Jackie & Julie’s Farewell: (Standing L-R) Monica, Jackie, Julie, Charlotte, Fiona. (Seated L-R) Monica, Kate, Anita.Rachel and Lucy were also present. Fond Farewells We bid farewell to two wonderful women who have been part of the EAT team over the last few years.
Julie Loan has been working as a
counsellor at EAT since 2006 and in that time has connected with many of EAT’s service users. In addition to her work with individuals, Julie has facili- tated several groups at EAT, the latest being a support group for people with binge eating issues. Julie initiated this group motivated by her belief in the empowerment and support that can occur within a group setting. Julie and her family have decided to take Centre Update (continued) up a more rural, seaside life near Enclosed with this newsletter is a membership form that enables you to formally join the Kaikoura and while we will miss her Eating Awareness Team. We want to extend and enliven the organisation’s membership, so presence and input at EAT, we wish we welcome new members. Membership enables people to support EAT, through both the her all the best for this latest venture membership fee and by forming a community with whom we can consult about the activities in her life. and directions of the organisation. Members are entitled to attend and vote at EAT’s AGM and any special general meetings, and to receive EAT’s annual report and newsletters (you’re Jackie van Litsenburg has been a still able to receive the newsletter even if you don’t become a member). Gestalt Psychotherapy placement student at EAT since 2007. While EAT will be closing for the Christmas and New Year period at 5pm on Wednesday 23rd Jackie has had a relatively small client December and will re-open on Monday 25th January 2010. We wish everyone all the best for load, she has been a conscientious, their New Year. dedicated and supportive member of the EAT team. Jackie leaves EAT to take up a counselling position at the Until next time, Petersgate counselling service and we ! the EAT team. also wish her all the best for this new endeavour.
Many thanks to Julie and Jackie
for their work at EAT! How to Cope With Stresses and Difficult Feelings Christmas is not always an easy time for people and may trigger stresses and worries or bring up difficult memories. Many services, like EAT, also close up during the summer period, and this may mean that people are without their regular support. Below are some tips for coping with stressful or difficult feelings: • Pause, and take three deep breaths (making sure that you breathe out as well as in). Re -main alert to your breathing & ground yourself with deep breaths whenever you need to. • Take time for yourself and get space when you need it. • Try to catch stresses as they’re building, and intervene early. Library Notice • Make your own needs a priority – ask yourself “what do I need at the moment?” If you have one of EAT’s library • Enlist support from people who are available, willing and who you feel comfortable with books we would really love to have it • Be open with supportive others about how you’re feeling – the more they understand how back when you’re finished with it. you’re feeling, the more they’ll be able to support you (you never know, they might be Sadly, many of EAT’s books have not feeling the same way!) been returned by borrowers and have • Try to predict what might trigger stresses and make a plan in advance of how you can disappeared from our library. Our avoid, limit or cope with stressful situations. And again, enlist support where possible. library is a vital resource for our serv- • Find ways to express your feelings and to support you as you feel them – journaling, talk ice users, so if you have one of our -ing, drawing, listening to music, being in nature, walking, resting, painting, jumping, danc- books – even if you’ve had it for what ing, whacking cushions, singing, reading, lying on the floor, breathing, laughing, crying … feels like an embarrassingly long • Remember what has helped you to cope in the past. time! – we’d love to have it back. • Trust and remember that your feelings are okay and will shift and change – you just need looking after in the meantime. Rachel Lattimore Fiona O’Neill Lucy Allen-King EAT Staff and Youth Counsellor Chairperson (Collective) Media (Collective)
Collective Officers Kate Yeoman Jacqueline Anne Anita Harrison
Adult Counsellor (Collective) Administration & Finance Contact Us (Treasurer)
phone: 03 366 7725
website: www.eat.org.nz Charlotte Murphy Fundraising email: eat@chch.planet.org.nz
THE YEAR OF NO D’S Ideas for Looking
During the festive season a few years back, I was struggling After Yourself this with a non-abating eating disorder. The previous year had been hell so I decided that in my quest to get well I would write some Summer: • Put on your favourite song or resolutions or guidelines for the year to come. album. If it’s dance-able - DANCE! I thought I would share these with you ting well took more effort than this, having • Curl up in a sunny spot and here. I fondly named it the “The Year of No some personal rules that I believed in, and read your favourite childhood D’s” my friends and family's support, really made book. a difference. My rules have effortlessly be- The first rule was: NO DIETS. come part of me now. I never buy maga- • Go to your local garden, bo- As a dedicated dieter this was going to zines, unless they’re about music or events or tanical or community, and soak be tough. I decided to distance myself from things that really interest me. I don’t take up the energy of things grow- people who talked about diets or ask them drugs because feeling like crap for days and ing. not to talk about them around me. I didn’t days outweighs one good night and I still buy books, watch TV or read anything that would give me tips on how to diet. It was don’t diet. It wasn’t easy but it gave me the • Explore a new skill that you’ve sense of responsibility I needed to take care always wanted to try. Learn to truly one of the most difficult things I think I of me. I was gifted with more time, now that I knit, grab a camera and take a have ever done but I began cautiously by wasn’t reading crappy mags and diet books, trip around town, learn html - trying to listen to what I really wanted to eat, to focus on finding the things that interested whatever gets you excited. to trust that my body would let me know me as a person. I treated myself to massages when to start and when to stop. and nice walks on the beach and days in bed • Take a bus to the beach. Dig The second was: NO DRUGS. reading my favourite novels and, best of all, I your toes into the sand and let It’s not like I was a hard core drug user got better. the sun warm you right but nowadays there is a lot of socially ac- through. cepted drug use around. I was always easily I hope by sharing this that you will take persuaded by the promise of a good time. I • Animal Love! Take time out some time this summer to consider what your knew all to well the downside of drugs was with your or other people’s 2010 will look like because, ultimately,#it’s devastating for me: the down, that panicky pets, they can be pretty under- your responsibility to take care of you, you feeling that wouldn’t leave me, the imbal- standing and undemanding . deserve only good things and I wish you all ance, the loneliness just weren’t worth it this the best. • If you’re into scents, burn fra- year I thought. So again I distanced myself grant oils and make your house from the ‘scene’ and made sure I told my Lucy Allen-King is EAT’s Consumer Liaison or room be pervaded with the close friends about my decision, so they and Volunteer Co-ordinator. smell of something you love. could support me. Every time I said no I felt stronger. The third rule (which interlinks with the first nicely) was NO DISTURBING IMAGES. Need Help While We’re Closed? Which really means I would stop feed- While EAT is closed, the following services will be operating: ing my brain with material which further fed •Warmline: mental health peer support phone service operating 7pm - 1am, 7 nights, any obsession with body image, body size, providing non-crisis confidential support. Ph. 03 379 8415 or 0800 899 276. and diets – essentially this meant NO maga- •Youthline: free counselling/helpline service that operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week zines. I was a sucker for buying the latest Ph. 03 379 4794 or 0800 37 66 33. NW, which is full with bad crappy rubbish •Lifeline: free and confidential 24 hour, 7 day phone counselling service, with crisis about who has cellulite and how some star counselling 11pm - 9am. Ph. 03 366 6743 or 0800 543 354 or email chris@lifeline.co.nz lost 60kg’s in a week. •Psychiatric Emergency Service: 24 hour urgent and emergency psychiatric assessments for Since that New Years I have stuck to my all ages. Referrals can be made by anyone, including self-referrals. Ph. 03 364 0482. guns with my three rules and although get- • You can also make contact with your GP.