Adina Silvestri

I sit across the room from a 20-something telling me her reality of not being able to control her emotional eating, and I think, “We’ve all been there.” More and more like her walk into my office begging the answer to a similar question: “How do I behave like food is not an issue in my daily life?” Wanting to stop binging is simply not enough for these individuals.

As counselors, engaging individuals suffering from anxiety can be a challenge. In my practice, almost 50% of individuals suffer from some form of anxiety. When talk therapy does not work, is it time to break out the Crayola crayon box?

As a kid, recess was my favorite part of the day. I loved being outside exploring or inside coloring—letting my mind travel (sometimes too much). In this free-spirited vein, I recently started using Art Therapy with my adult population as a way to end our last session. It was a “party” of sorts. All clients needed to bring was their imagination and a willingness to try. However, after a recent art class, it made sense to me that Art Therapy should not be saved for a special occasion, but utilized whenever possible.

When I first heard of cheat meals, I was concerned because it was coming out of the mouth of a 20-something, thin-framed client at the prime of her life. Then the dreaded body competition stories began, and it all made sense. Restrictive dieting to binge eaters is like porn to a sex addict—one vicious cycle.

Every brain will become addicted. Think about that sentence for a minute. Every brain will become addicted. How is it that at some point or another every one of us does not have enough will power to stop a behavior that we have a strong urge to perform?