sanative magazine

Sanative: conducive to physical or spiritual health and well-being; healing. Sanative is a magazine created entirely by the works of those who have suffered or are suffering from a mental illness. It's purpose is to be a place for expression in a world where those struggling with mental health disorders are too often silenced. SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN, send them to [email protected]

[sanativemagazine]

SANATIVE MAGAZINE ISSUE THREE SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN

email me at [email protected] if you have a mental health related submission you would like to be considered for issue three!

[sanativemagazine]

SUBMISSIONS FOR ISSUE THREE ARE NOW OPEN.

Just a reminder that submissions for Sanative are now open.

Email them to [email protected]

:)

[sanativemagazine]

ISSUE TWO IS FINALLY HERE!!!

First before anything else, I apologise for the extreme lateness of this issue. I have had two hospital admissions (one for 4 months and one for 1 and a half) and my brain has been receiving a lot of ECT. My focus has been elsewhere and it is completely understandable if you are angry at me, and I truly am sorry for how late it is.

BUT

Trust me when I say the people who submitted for this issue are talented as hell and their artwork, writing and stories are just amazing.

The profits (sadly only a dollar per purchase, but still, every dollar counts!) from this issue all go to RAINN, the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, an amazing organisation that helps so many people through terrible times.

As always all the contributors understand what it is like to go through the struggles of a mental health condition because they themselves have been there. Hope you enjoy!

[sanativemagazine]

Quick question about the 50 Alternatives to Self Harm Ordered By Mood post. What if you are tempted to self harm because you are reminded of what a terrible person you are (even if you know, logically, that you aren't a terrible person, but you feel it in every fiber of your being) and you want to hurt yourself to punish yourself for being such a stupid and terrible person? It's not quite angry or sad, and I never really find anything helpful online about this particular triggering mood.

As you know yourself best, I think it is important for you to ask what you need in that moment. Is it comfort? Distraction? To physically get out the pent up negative self hating energy coursing through you?Take a look at the list, and with this in mind, choose a few that stand out to you and write them down. When the urges come forth, try one. It may work, or it may not. Try again until you find what helps you, until you discover what you need to break free of this cycle.Although the list is broken down into emotions that you don't feel describe how you're feeling, it doesn't mean there won't be something within it all that will work for you.Keep trying, don't give up, and remember wherever you can how strong and sensational you truly are.

[sanativemagazine]

hey! what's the update with the next copy of sanative? c:

I just got out of hospital a few days ago after spending three months in there, so hopefully it should be within the next 1-3 weeks (depending on how quickly the test copy arrives).I am extremely sorry for the lateness, but as I had no wifi internet access whilst I was inpatient, I couldn't use my laptop to upload things, and even if I could, in between ECT and ICU I really was not in the space to work on the magazine.I hope you understand, and I thank you dearly for your patience.

[sanativemagazine]

Hi how is the second issue coming along? :)

It's almost done, I just need to put it all together and print off the test copy before it will be released :)

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Is everyone else as excited as I am for issue two? I hope so, because it'll be out soon, and this time each copy sold will give monetary support to an important cause!

[ladycedar]

There are a number of students in my GCSE class that have behavioural issues and if they feel uncomfortable they can do anything from storm out of the classroom to throwing chairs and punching their tables. They’re great kids, they just dont always see the light at the end of the tunnel and when they are in stressful situations they dont know what to do other than lash out sometimes. They are 10 months away from their final exams and the pressure is being mounted on them in every aspect of their school lives.

Last week one of the students saw me making little origami stars. Its something I do when I’m feeling anxious to help me focus on something else. He asked if I could show him how to make them. He had been clenching his fists all lesson, which I’ve noticed is a tell that he is struggling to retain composure. I gave him a strip of paper and talked it through with him. Soon half of the class were asking me to show them. They all picked it up really quickly.

After about five minutes and about 8 stars later, the student sat back down and was in a much calmer and motivated mood for the rest of the lesson. Our next lesson I placed a box of paper strips on my desk and when I saw anyone getting worked up about their work I silently placed a strip in front of them and let them get on with it. The lesson after I was amazed to see that students would go up to the box of their own accord, pick up a few strips and head back to their desks to continue working after calming down.

Yesterday I brought a large jar into the classroom and placed my anxiety stars in there. The boys put their strsss stars in there too. When they fill the jar I’m going to bring sweets into the lesson to celebrate them working hard and working through their problems in a positive manner. I know I’m not the teacher they deserve just yet but I feel like I’ve made a big breakthrough with them.

[dynastylnoire]

art therapy is important.

[sanativemagazine]

THIS IS PART ONE OF A MONTH LONG SERIES AT SANATIVE. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- In honor of April being the awareness month for sexual assault, the American Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) is MATCHING donations. This means your contributions will be double throughout this month!

If you can't spare money, please share this information and get yourself educated on rape and other crimes of sexual violence. The RAINN website has many helpful links on statistics and basic info, but more importantly on how to help a loved one who has been effected by sexual assault (or, how to help yourself). They also have a phone and web based helpline.

Click here to donate to RAINN & have your donation doubled!

More resources can be found at: CASA (Australian) Rape Crisis (England and Wales) Rape Crisis (South Africa) Survivors UK (Support for male survivors) Rights of Women (a women's voluntary sector organisation which provides free legal advice and information to women affected by sexual violence) After Silence (information and a wonderful forum filled with survivors, giving you the space to share your story or simply talk to other people who have also been through trauma)

If none of these above links give you the information or support you are after I suggest googling something along the lines of "Rape Crisis - insert place of residence here -" or "Information about...", there are an abundance of resources out there, and I will continue to cover more of these throughout the month.

- Rebecca.

[freeingeileen-blog]

[sanativemagazine]

Reminder that Submissions for Issue 2 of Sanative Magazine are now open.

Sanative Magazine is not only about raising awareness of mental health issues, but giving a voice to those who have been touched by a mental illness. People are so often silenced in ways they would never be with a physical illness and Sanative hopes to change that, if only in a small way. 

Writing (poetry, diary entries, stories, articles), art and photographs (creative, personal) are published in out print magazine and I promise that this is a project dear to my heart and I will be kind and supportive of anyone who submits their work.

You can send things to [email protected]. :)

(P.S. We especially need art and photographs for this particular issue!)

[sanativemagazine]

Help your kangaroo riding, koala hugging, shrip on the bloody barbie mates out, spread this list of useful MENTAL HEALTH HELPLINES (and a handful for those who have suffered abuse) provided. Some of these services may charge your phone with a bill, so it could be wise to check on the website first if this is something that will cause an issue for you.

URGENT/IMMEDIATE/EMERGENCY: 000 Lifeline: 13 11 14 Kids Help Line (up to age 25): 1800 55 1800 Triage Numbers (for emergency and concerns) (you will speak to a trained health professional, on most clients treatment plans throughout the public system, this will be one of the emergency options within the safety plan. They can help you decide if a trip to the hospital is required and provide an ambulance to you if needed. Please note that services such as Lifeline and Kids Helpline will also provide a referral to emergency medical teams if they have reason to believe you or someone else is in danger).

Victorian State Triage: http://www.health.vic.gov.au/mentalhealth/services/adult/index.htm (click your area to find your corresponding phone number, if unsure of area and in emergency ring anyway and ask to be directed to the correct service) South Australian State Triage: 13 14 65 New South Wales Mental Health Line: 1800 011 511 Western Australia Mental Health Emergency Response Line: 08 9224 8888 1300 555 788 (Perth metropolitan) 1800 676 822 (Peel region) Northern Territory Crisis Assessment Telephone Triage and Liaison Service: 1800 682 288

A-Z OF ONLINE (EMAIL AND WEB COUNSELLING) SERVICES These services also provide telephone counselling and a more detailed description of their services is listed later down.

1800-RESPECT: https://www.1800respect.org.au

Butterfly Foundation: http://thebutterflyfoundation.org.au

Eating Disorders Victoria: http://www.eatingdisorders.org.au/services/the-eating-disorders-helpline

Gambling Help: http://www.gamblinghelponline.org.au/

Headspace: https://www.eheadspace.org.au/

Kids Helpline Web Counselling: http://www.kidshelp.com.au/teens/get-help/web-counselling/

Kids Helpline Email Counselling: http://www.kidshelp.com.au/teens/get-help/email-counselling/

Lifeline Crisis support chat: https://www.lifeline.org.au/Get-Help/Online-Services/crisis-chat

Mensline: http://www.mensline.org.au/register.html

Suicide Call Back Service: http://suicidecallbackservice.org.au/register

Wire: www.wire.org.au

A-Z OF TELEPHONE HELP SERVICES.

- 1800-RESPECT: The national domestic violence and sexual assault helpline, available nationwide, with translators present on request. 1800 737 732, 24/7.

A: ARAFEMI Carer Helpline (support and referral for family, carers, and friends of people with a mental illness. health professionals and other interested groups may also use this service to find out about supporting families and carers in the community.): 1300 550 265, line available 9-5, Monday to Friday. B: beyondblue (for information on depression, anxiety & related mental illness'): 1300 22 4636, line available 24/7 Bush Support Services (Telephone support and debriefing service for multi-disciplinary remote and rural health practitioners and their families.): 1800 805 391, line available 24/7. Butterfly Foundation Support Line: Butterfly’s National Support Line and Web Counselling Service provides free, confidential support for anyone with a question about eating disorders or negative body image, including sufferers, carers, family and friends, teachers, employers and more. 1800 33 4673, Friday 8am to 9pm  D: DirectLine (Immediate counselling (including crisis intervention), support in dealing with the impact of drug use on the family, and information and referral to treatment and support services across Victoria.): 1800 888236, line available 24/7 

E:

Eating Disorders Victoria Helpline (Nation Wide): The Eating Disorders Helpline provides information, guidance and support to anyone whose life is affected by an eating disorder, body image issues or disordered eating. The Eating Disorders Helpline is the first point of contact with support, guidance, information and referrals for thousands of people with an eating disorder and their families, partners and friends. 1300 550 236 : Monday to Friday from 9.30am – 5.00pm

F: Family Drug Help (Information about drugs and their effects, support and referrals.): 1300 660 068, line available 9am until 9pm, Monday to Friday. G: Gamblers Helpline: (Free & confidential counselling for people experiencing an issue with their gambling, including family and friends Telephone and online support.): 1800 858 858, line available 24/7 Griefline (Free, confidential telephone counselling services to anyone in the community who may need support in order to express their feelings and experiences.): 9935 7400, line available from 12 noon until 3am, 7 days a week. H: Headspace (Online and telephone support and counselling to young people aged 12 to 25.): 1800 650 890, line available 10pm-1am. K: Kids Helpline (Free, private and confidential telephone and online counselling service for young people aged between 5 and 25.): 1800 55 1800, line available 24/7 L: Lifeline (crisis support, suicide intervention & prevention, mental health support. Telephone and online support available.): 13 11 14, line available 24/7. M: Mensline (Telephone and online support, including video counselling information and referral service, advice for men to deal with relationship problems in a practical and effective way.): 1300 78 99 78, line available 24/7 O: OCD and Anxiety helpline (Assistance to callers to understand and manage symptoms of anxiety disorders and depression, and referral to community and health services.): 1300 269 438 or 9830 0533, line available 10am – 4 pm weekdays. P: PANDA (Counselling for people affected by post or ante natal depression): 1300 726 306, line available 10am to 5pm on weekdays.

Parentline: Telephone counselling, information and referral for parents and carers with children from birth to eighteen years. Different areas have specific numbers and websites. Queensland and Northern Territory: 1300 30 1300 from 8am-10pm, 7 days a week. Victoria: 13 22 89, Open 8am to midnight 7 days a week South Australia: 1300 364 100, 24 hours a day, seven days a week New South Wales: 1300 1300 52, 24 hours a day, seven days a week Western Australia:  6279 1200 or 1800 654 432, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Tasmania: 1300 808 178, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Australian Capital Territory: 6287 3833, 9am to 9pm, Monday to Friday

S: Sane (Information about treatments, symptoms, medications, where to go for support and help for carers.): 1800 187 263, line available 9-5 Monday to Friday. Sexual Assault Crisis Line Victoria (State-wide after-hours, confidential, telephone crisis counselling service for victim/survivors of past and recent sexual assault.): 1800 806 292, line available 5 pm – 9 am, 7 days a week. Suicide Call Back (Crisis counselling to people at risk of suicide, carers for someone who is suicidal and those bereaved by suicide.): , line available 24/7 Suicide Line (Specialist telephone counselling and information to anyone affected by suicide in Victoria): 1300 651 251, line available 24/7. W: Wire: WIRE Women’s Information provides Victorian women with free and confidential support, information and referrals on any issues statewide. 1300 134 130, 24 hours, 7 days.

Women’s Domestic Violence Crisis Service Victoria (Support and ideas, advice about how the law can help protect people and information about places to stay to get away from domestic violence.): [phone] or 1800 015 188, line available 24/7.

[sanativemagazine]

Sanative Magazine's 50 alternatives to self harm ordered by mood. 

It is important in many peoples recovery journey to have a management plan when working through self harm. People can experience a wide variety of moods when the urge to self harm arises, although this list only deals with a few moods I hope that it is comprehensive and you will be able to understand that if you are feeling jealous you may like to try out the sad suggestions (if you are feeling particularly down), or the angry ones (if you are feeling particularly riled up and filled with frustrated energy).

It is good to have a few ideas that you would be willing to try in mind before the urge becomes too much to bare. Different emotional states often respond best to emotion specific responses, which is why lists like these can help. Keep any ideas that you are drawn to written down and try them next time you are feeling as if you want to self harm. These distraction and self soothing lists will be in constant revision as you find out what works for you (some things won't work, and often nothing will work 100% of the time, but it is important to keep working at it.)

As with any mental health concern I recommend getting the assistance of a professional to work alongside you in this journey.

Here are a list of some distractions & self soothing ideas based on mood. Some of these activities could overlap into another mood, so don't feel like they're set in stone - use whatever you think would be helpful! SAD 1. Cry it out. 2. Watch a ridiculous comedy.  3. Take a warm shower 4. Listen to inspiring, upbeat music. 5. Spend time with a pet. 6. Organise your room 7. Phone a friend or even visit them 8. Read a trashy magazine 9. Make a list of quotes and lyrics that inspire you 10. Make a list of places you'd like to visit, or things you'd like to do within your lifetime. 11. Write how you're feeling in a journal 12. Go for a long and peaceful walk 13. Bake or cook a favourite dish 14. Go to the movie theatre and watch the next movie that comes on (of course attempting to ensure that it will be trigger free) 15. Watch silly daytime television. 16. Play a video game or a board game. 17. Write letters to your best friends and send them if you wish to. 18. Start drawing, or a create a collage of how you're feeling - don't worry about how it looks, no one has to see it. 19. Cuddle a soft toy

ANXIOUS 20. Place a blanket in the dryer and wrap it around yourself 21. Make a cup of tea/coffee and attempt to focus mindfully on your actions whilst preparing and drinking the tea. 22. Look up and learn breathing techniques and mindfulness strategies, if you see a health professional try talking to them about these strategies and work out a plan of how to practice these techniques so that you'll eventually be able to successfully use them when your urges seem unmanageable. 23. Run yourself a warm bath and fill it with aromatherapy oils. 24. Count by 9's 25. Paint your nails 26. Colour in a mandala 27. If you are religious, pray or meditate. 28. Take photographs of something that catches your eye. Upload it somewhere like Instagram. 29. Collect a list of silly websites! For example 30. Look up funny cats and dogs on Youtube. Trust me. It's endless and brilliant. 31. Fill in a CBT ABC worksheet or something similar. You can ask your therapist for something of the sort. Here is a good resource, it contains thought records as well. You can even draw up your own as these are arguably not the most aesthetically pleasing worksheets. http://www.psychologytools.org/download-therapy-worksheets.html 32. Watch a candle burn. 33. Fingerpaint ANGRY 34. Dance to ridiculous music 35. Scream out to music that expresses how you feel 36. Scream into a pillow 37. Punch a pile of pillows  38. Invest in a punching bag. Punch the absolute shit out of it. 39. Write a letter to someone you're mad - swear at them, scream at them, get it ALL out, and and tear it up 40. Eat a lemon, sour loly, a chili - anything that will focus on your senses without hurting you. 41. Hold ice cubes in your hand, rub them under your knees, on the heels of your feet. 42. Watch a film that makes you laugh. 43. Take your dog for a walk 44. Wash the dishes 45. Go for a run/sprint 46. Write your thoughts on your body in red pen. 47. Hit soft toys/pillow against the wall repetitively. 48. Have a cold shower. With your clothes on if need be. If you get out of the shower and your urges/anger comes back, get in the shower again. ALL: 49. CALL A HELP LINE OR THERAPIST IF YOU ARE IN DANGER OR ARE FEELING UNSAFE LASTLY: 50. Remember that not every distraction will work and it is still important to consider why you are self harming to begin with. According to DBT therapy distractions are not a CURE for self harm, rather they are a technique to be used whilst the urges are too severe to work on. Aftere the urge has subsided it is important to SPEAK TO SOMEONE about how you are feeling. It is 34239534973657864% recommended that you find a health professional you trust to talk through these things with.

I repeat: NOT EVERY DISTRACTION WILL WORK. And those that do may not help every time. A slip up, or a 100, do not make you a "failure" of recovery. The fact that you are actively trying to get help and find other ways of coping is AMAZING. Try (and try and try) not to be hard on yourself!It is important in many peoples recovery journey to have a management plan when working through self harm. It is good to have a few ideas that you would be willing to try in mind before the urge becomes too much to bare. Keep these ideas written down and try them next time you are feeling as if you want to self harm. These distraction and self soothing lists will be in constant revision as you find out what works for you. As with any mental health concern I recommend getting the assistance of a professional to work alongside you in this journey.

[recoveryisbeautiful]

Even though some of the links go directly to the iTunes or Android store, still double check them because most of them are available of both platforms as well as others :)

12 Steps AA Companion (iTunes/Android)

Alura: Cognitive Therapy

ASK & Prevent Suicide (iTunes/Android)

AutisMate

Beating the Blues

Beat Panic

Beat Social Phobia (iTunes/Android)

BellyBio Interactive Breathing

Bipol-App

BioZen

Body Beautiful

BrainHQ

CBT Referee

Circle of 6

Cogmed

CogniFit

Cognitive Diary CBT Self-Help

Cognitive Enhancement Therapy

Constant Therapy

COGPACK

Control Alcohol (iTunes/Android)

DBT Diary Card and Skills Coach

DBT Self Help

Depression CBT Self-Help Guide

Eating D

eCBT

eMoods Bipolar Mood Tracker

Emotions and Feelings - AutismFeelings Book

Fit Brains

Focus Trainer

Guardly

Happy Habits: Choose Happiness

HAPPYneuron

HELP Prevent Suicide (iTunes/Android)

iCBT

iCounselor

iMoodJournal

ImQuit – Quit Addiction

iPromises

iStress

Just-in-Case

Kissy Project

Life Mood

LifeLine Response

Live Happy

Lumosity

Mobicip Safe Browser with Parental Control

Mood and Anxiety Diary

Mood Panda

Mood Tracker

Mood Tracking Journal and Diary

Mood Watch

MoodGYM

MoodKit

Moodlytics

MoodMaster Anti-Depression App

Moody Me

MyBrainSolutions

MindShift

My Mood Tracker

MyThoughts

OneHealth Meeting Finder

OnWatch (iTunes/Android)

Operation Reach Out (iTunes/Android)

Optimism

Overcoming Social Anxiety

Panic Aid

Project Toe

PSSCogRehab

PTSD Coach

QPR Suicide Crisis Support

Recovery Box

Recovery Record

Rise Up + Recover

Sad Scale

SAFE Alternatives

Safe Helpline

Safety App

Safety Plan

SAM – Self Help for Anxiety Management

SAS – Social Anxiety Support

Scientific Brain Training Pro

Self-Esteem Blackboard

Self Help Classics

Sobriety Counter

Stop Panic & Anxiety Self Help

Stop Drinking (iTunes/Android)

STOP!T

StopSelfHarm

Suicide Lifeguard

T2 Mood Tracker

Take Control

Teen Hotlines

The Now

This Way Up

Thought Diary

Watch Over Me – Personal Safety App

Way of Life

WhatsMyM3

Wingman Project

Worry Box- Anxiety Self Help

[rainbowrecovered]

Advice to Medical Professionals

Recently I was asked to deliver a presentation to third to fifth year medical students at Lismore Base Hospital. An element of my presentation dealt with advice for medical professionals (in particular doctors). I surveyed some of my friends and asked them what specific things doctors/medical professionals had done that had been (a). helpful; and (b). unhelpful.

Trigger warning: some content, particularly in the ‘unhelpful’ section may be triggering for some readers as it mentions weight and BMI.

This is a summary:

Madeline

Doctors: what is unhelpful? Certain statements can be very triggering. It is important that you develop an awareness that whatever you say will be twisted around and interpreted in the most triggering way possible, regardless of an intentions. Eating disorder patients are typically extremely intelligent and often very articulate and are well-equipped to interpret information in such a way as to fuel disordered thoughts. For example:

You look well = you’re fat

You don’t seem too bad = you’re fat and don’t have an eating disorder

You seem to be doing well lately = you don’t have an eating disorder anymore and you’re waisting my time

I’m not sure we need to be too concerned = a personal challenge to get MUCH more sick

Following a survey of my friends, the following scenarios emerged as being particularly UNHELPFUL, harmful or triggering in some way. The purpose of presenting this information is to increase awareness in the medical profession and the wider community of the degree to which ignorant behaviour and misinformation pervades certain individuals in the medical profession. The purpose is NOT to dissuade individuals with eating disorders from seeking treatment. There are many kind, caring, and helpful professionals out there and it is possible to access treatment in a supportive, positive way. 

A very prominent psychiatrist commented to me that ‘they’ only become really concerned about eating disorder patients when their BMI is less than thirteen.

Doctors and nurses have commented to friends that have presented to the Emergency Department at various hospitals that they aren’t thin enough to be anorexic or that their symptoms aren’t very severe.

A friend, booked an emergency appointment with a GP because her heart was racing etc the night after a binge when she was quite underweight. Her mother had to persuade the GP to check her blood pressure.

A friend was admitted to hospital for anorexia and having a nurse asked what made her think she was anorexic

The first time a friend went to the GP concerning her eating disorder and her weight was mentioned the GP told her it didn’t matter because I was 50 kilos aka must be healthy. The GP neglected to consider how tall she is (5’9”).

A doctor told me I looked like a pudding next to the other anoretic patients he’d seen

Doctors: what is helpful Similarly, I asked my friends what they perceived to be helpful treatment. The following is a summary of their points:

Specific questions are best from my treatment team. I don’t want to lie, but I will avoid sharing the whole truth. If a question is specific I will answer it. If it is vague or ambiguous I will ‘round up’ giving the allusion that things are more positive than what they are. Why? Because eating disorders thrive on secrecy. When an eating disorder is hidden it can manifest and the behaviour can continue.

- Compare ‘how are you going with self-harm’ (‘fine’) to the more specific ‘how often are you self harming at the moment.’ - How much are you exercising or what is your intake not ‘how is your eating and exercise going’

Putting the emphasis on refeeding and not giving me much power to make decisions. At the time it is hard but in the long run it was the best possible thing. If they’d let up and given me some power consequences would have been more severe. They treated me physically and were inquisitive to how they could help emotionally but mostly left that to counseling.

Have someone sit down and show me where I was, where I needed to be, how I’d get there and explain rationally refeeding, binge eating etc. (this would be most appropriate coming from a dietitian)

When people are straight with you, and treat you like an (intelligent) adult, even in my case when I was a teenager, it was helpful

It seems like people always treat you one of two ways, like a mentally ill person or a physically ill person. Being treated like I was physically ill was good until I myself could recognise what was wrong and that mentally I was not ok, only then could I take on board any of the actual therapy.

Don’t try and treat a patient you can’t give optimal support for; refer them to a better service and let them talk as much as they need to. If you’re referring someone elsewhere, be their support in the process rather than someone just passing them along. Try and connect with them on a more personal level, ask how they’re doing, ask about their friends, etc. The info needed for a referral can be easily gained that way, and will put the patient so much more at ease.

Being sensitive to triggers and changing treatment to accommodate is a HUGE element of building constructive rapport with a patient (as discussed above).

Comorbidity. You can almost guarantee that a patient that presents with an eating disorder will also have depression or anxiety. Or both. Symptoms of depression or anxiety are generally worsened by malnourishment. It seems that so much of the time in treatment medical professionals only seem to focus on one thing or another, instead of understanding that all this stuff works together.

Flexibility within the treatment process. Not every behaviour is ED-related. I have friends that hate, for example, butter. Forcing them to eat butter purely because they are ED patients is not helpful, sensible or logical. Instead, flexibility within the treatment processes and respect for individual preferences and dignity would be more conducive to developing productive rapport with patients.

It is important to distinguish the patient from the eating disorder. My paediatrician was particularly good at it. He’d say “that doesn’t sound like Madeline talking” or “is that actually what Madeline wants. We need to get Madeline back in the drivers seat.”

Understanding that weight is not a reflection of wellbeing - just because I haven’t lost weight doesn’t mean I haven’t had a really rough week. Additionally, I really struggle to lose weight now: just because I am maintaining my weight, however, doesn’t mean my intake is sufficient. Telling a patient ‘that’s good you maintained your weight’ is akin to telling them to set themselves on fire and roll around in glass. I’m not exaggerating.

Finally, building a sense of rapport with the patient. Whilst you can’t be their friend, your patient isn’t going to talk about what’s going on if they don’t trust you and if they don’ t think you respect them.

Doctors, dietitians, patients, psychologists and other medical professionals: what are your experiences? What has worked for you? What doesn’t work? What is helpful? Not helpful?

Share your thoughts with us here via our ask box, send us an email to [email protected] or tweet us @RbowRecovered

[sanativemagazine]

Would you guys like it if we started reblogging (mental health related) things on this blog, or do you prefer it only relating to things that will specifically appear in the magazine? :)

[sanativemagazine]

SUBMISSIONS FOR ISSUE 2  =^.^=

For the first issue I aimed to release it mid-January and it wound up being published early March (which really made me feel quite more appreciative of those people on shows trying to build houses and absolutely get flogged by their deadline... no more judgement from me!)

So for the next issue I am aiming at mid to late May which right now seems like "loads of time", but... well... we'll see!

Anyway, more to the point, to anyone who is interested submissions are open and more than welcome (no, seriously, I do a lil internal jump every time I get a new email filled with writing, photographs, artwork).

A couple of people have gotten confused (because I'm horrid at explaining things, no doubt!!!) and thought that any content with a base of mental illness is accepted, no matter who creates it. This is not the case and only things made by those with a history and experience of mental illness or their friends and family will be featured in the magazine. I know that might seem unfair, but the point of Sanative is to give people who are often silences (because let's be real, a lot of the time you aren't really encouraged to talk openly or creatively about your illness outside of the therapy office!)

So if you have something you want to submit (and I know a lot of you think it may not be "good enough" to submit, but I promise it's absolutely fine!) please email it to [email protected]

P.S. This isn't the cover of issue two, but it was a photo featured in the first copy (which you will know if you've purchased it :P ), and almost the cover of it, and I think it deserves a share because Bridget's photograph(y) is absolutely divine and thought provoking!