I was contacted on Facebook recently by Shannon Cutts, who is the author of a new eating disorder recovery book called Beating Ana~How to Outsmart Your Eating Disorder & Take Back Your Life. She had found my blog, and wanted to send me a copy of her book to review here. She also sent me another copy to give away, so let me know if you would like a copy, and I will do a drawing next week.
I ended up reading this book in a single sitting. It is truly an inspirational book filled with life stories, and more importantly, life lessons that I think anyone could apply to their own lives, whether you are suffering from an eating disorder or not. Shannon stresses the importance of having a mentor during the recovery process. Eating disorders thrive on secrecy, shame, and isolation, and through connecting with a mentor, who is a wise and trusted counselor or teacher, the sufferer can re-learn how to reach out to the world and once again become a part of life. A recurring saying throughout the book is, "Relationships replace eating disorders," and I find that to be so true. It wasn't until I was able to ask for help and admit that I had a problem, that I could really begin the grueling process of recovery. My favorite parts of the book are when Shannon shares what she calls Life Celebration Affirmations, which are the conclusions to each chapter. She also shares the stories of five courageous women who are in the process of recovery. Through many of their questions posed to Shannon, the reader can learn how to deal with many of the problems and snags that can trip up the person in recovery. It is wonderful to read a book written by someone who has literally walked in your shoes and found some of the important keys to recovery. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with addiction. It does closely follow the model of Alcoholics Anonymous, which is based on a twelve step process of recovery, and also stresses the importance of what they call sponsors to assist and be a role model. Beating Ana is a wonderful book, and I'm so glad that there is someone out there like Shannon to share their wisdom and encouragement with others. As Shannon says in her book, "No matter who it is, you must have someone you can talk to while you work toward healing and recovery, or you will not heal ". Reach out and get help!
Shannon Cutts is the founder of MentorConnect, a community where mentors and mentees can connect to experience the power of mentoring, and Key to life: unlocking the door to hope, an organization that offers events, workshops, concerts, and products and services to facilitate recovery from eating and related disorders. You can contact the author about both organizations here at Key to Life.
P. S. Don't forget to comment and win your own copy of Beating Ana!
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