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About Dave and this web site

Who is Dave and why did he build this web site

Formerly at dognozzle.com

I am not a doctor, therapist, or dietician. I've built this web site to reinforce my own recovery from clinically severe/morbid obesity and Binge Eating Disorder (BED). This site is a compilation of the kinds of things, facts, opinions, and philosophies that are part of my personal healing process and recovery. I'm not selling anything. This is not a commercial web site. I do not endorse any fad diets, diet pills, or supplements. I know that my ideas may not work for anyone else. Recovery is a very individual process and there are no easy answers.

This web site is about the journey I've been on to free myself from the prison of binge eating disorder and extreme obesity. You will find science based nutritional information, information pertaining to lifestyle change, and general information that may be helpful to those who have had serious problems with obesity and binge eating. These are all things that I've found to be helpful in a very personal way. You will also find seemingly conflicting information. This site is about my process from beginning to present. I've grown and my views have grown and changed over time. I think that's how recovery works. We start at the starting line and explore various options till we find what works and what doesn't work for us. I don't believe there is a single path that fits everyone. My hope is that by sharing my experience, I may be able to help someone else find the keys to their prison.

This is not your usual weight loss web site. I've tried most all of the popular ways to lose weight including Overeaters Anonymous. The result was, I dieted my way right up about 450 pounds. I lost and regained weight many times becoming ever more isolated and deeply depressed. It wasn't until I changed my priorities from weight loss to overcoming binge eating disorder that I began to have any real success. What I realized finally, is that obesity and binge eating disorder are two distinct medical conditions. They are related and some of their symptoms overlap. Binge eating can certainly exacerbate obesity, but no amount of dieting would ever cure my binge eating disorder.

I had to let go of my old ideas about dieting and even my faith in the program of Overeaters Anonymous. For me, those things were part of the problem. Dieting triggers binges—it exacerbates binge eating disorder. The abstinence/addiction model of recovery used in OA triggered my binges. Neither route addressed my binge eating disorder in a healthy, compassionate, and constructive way.

Don't get me wrong, diets may be fine for some people. Overeaters Anonymous is obviously a workable solution for many people. I have great faith in the 12 Step process as it's used by Alcoholics Anonymous and similar fellowships for the disease of chemical dependency. Twenty-some years ago, AA, was instrumental in helping me to recover from the insanity of alcoholism and drug addiction. To this day I have a deep love for AA, and the universal psychological and spiritual human processes of healing and growth that the 12 Steps incorporate. However, the abstinence/addiction model that works so well for addictive psychoactive substances like alcohol does not necessarily adapt well to recovery from binge eating disorder. It feeds into the All or Nothing Thinking and Perfectionism that are such prominent hurdles in overcoming binge eating disorder.

I can't offer a specific plan for shedding extra weight or overcoming binge eating disorder. Everyone is different and different ideas can be mixed and matched to meet individual needs. My hope is that I can offer some level of believable hope and possibly, some new ideas that will help people to heal.

Welcome to my web site. I hope you find something useful here.

Love, Dave


Wanna forget all this recovery stuff and see my dog pictures instead?

Help stop religion-based medical neglect of children:

Children's Healthcare Is a Legal Duty (CHILD, Inc.) – Non-profit organization established to protect children from abusive religious and cultural practices, especially religion-based medical neglect. CHILD opposes religious exemptions from duties of care for children.

On being raised a Christina Scientist - The roots of depression. A personal work in progress

My mother was a religious zealot. She was a Christian Scientist. She believed that her "perfect faith" and prayer could conquer sin, disease, and death. It did not. It only brought our family misery and pain. She used her religious rhetoric like a battering ram to control her family and her reality. I never received dental care, medical care, or immunizations of any sort as a child. Physical pain and suffering was simply endured. She wouldn't allow Band-Aids, antiseptics, or medicated lip balm in the house. When I was little, if I got sick I was told that it was because I wasn't a good enough Christian Scientist—that I was letting the devil use me. In other words, it was my fault, I was a bad person. I remember many times watching her pray over sick pets and I watched them suffer horribly and die. I believed that would happen to me too one day. I suffered intense physical and emotional trauma as a result of my mother's religious fanaticism. Repairing the damage done to me in the name of religion has necessarily been a lifelong endeavor.

 

This web site is for informational purposes only and is not meant to serve as medical advice or to replace consultation with a professional dietician, nutritionist, physician, or mental health professional. None of the information presented within this web site is meant to diagnose, prescribe, or to administer to any physical or emotional ailments or conditions.
  © 2004 - 2008 by Dave Anderson  Home