Center for Hope & Health, LLC

When you’re doing the hard work of changing your patterns and becoming a more mentally #well human, you’re going to feel a LOT of tough things. Tolerating distress, sitting with a spinning, anxious brain that’s doing everything it can to activate old behaviors, breathing through panic, none of this is fun . BUT it is a non-negotiable part of growth and change and it will get better. Neuroplasticity is a super cool thing. Through hard work and #expertsupport, you can change your brain and how you react to thoughts and things. We promise: you are stronger than your anxiety. You CAN handle the discomfort. It might seem impossible, but it’s not. Discomfort isn't dangerous. You can do this.

Hey - no matter what you do, this year’s holiday will look different. No amount of planning or beautiful meals or perfect presents or expended energy will make it feel exactly the same as previous years. And that’s okay. Your anxious energy might be all over the place right now, but you can’t perfectionist your way to a perfect 2020 holiday. You CAN make a plan that acknowledges your feelings and sets yourself up for as much happiness/holiday cheer as you can get this year. What do you need? What will help you get the most out of the coming days and put less energy into the stressful parts? Once you identify these things, you can then create a plan that caters to them. 2020 has been a rough one - give yourself a break. We all deserve it.

Tomorrow!! Catch Melissa talking about this 2020 holiday season and how parents can talk to their kids about it and keep things special even when times are strange. Check out @fox29philly at 8:15am to tune in!

Last week, we chatted with CHH alumna, Haley, about her recovery journey. When you're struggling with an eating disorder, it can seem really overwhelming and honestly impossible to recover. What would that even look like? And then you hear that for some people, eating disorders never really go away! Why do all the work then? Haley shares what recovery looks like for her and how her thoughts and actions have fully shifted - and why you should have hope. Recovery IS possible and you won't always feel/think the way you do now. It takes some work, but you can do that. There's a whole big world and life out there for you. As Haley says, "Live your LIFE! #Eatingdisorderrecovery

We chatted with the inspirational Haley, a CHH alumna, all abour recovery, life after anorexia, and more. Check out the full video here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIY1sbxjb_y/. She's amazing!

I’m not up for that right now, is one of our favorite ways to say no. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for your boundaries (even if they ask for one). Sometimes, you might not even know why you don’t have the energy to do a thing, but you just. aren’t. up. for. it. There’s a lot of social pressure around the holidays and end of the year, this year potentially more so. You get to decide what you are able to do and to set boundaries around those things even if people don't... agree with you. You might even feel guilty about them! But if you are doing what YOU need, that’s what matters. Consider this your permission to say no, say maybe, say yes, and then if you need to, change your mind. The people who love you will get it. Or even if they don’t, they’ll love you through it. If setting a boundary feels hard, that's okay and it doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong! It probably just means you're new to them - but they get easier every time :) Holidays are tough. Pandemic holidays are tougher. Let's make setting and respecting boundaries the 2020 gift we give ourselves and one another. #weneedawin #2020 #boundaries See more

If we had official catch phrases, We’re moving on!! would be one of Dr. DiLossi’s . We all have negative or intrusive thoughts. Having a thought does not equate any kind of disorder - it’s what happens AFTER the thought that counts. For someone with an eating disorder, a thought about their stomach looking gross or guilt over a food choice will trigger behaviors or consume their thoughts and actions afterward. For someone with OCD, intrusive thoughts spiral and cause deep ...distress. So if thoughts never go away, how can you give them less power? By practicing the art of moving on. You cannot control your thoughts but you CAN control how you react to them and how much weight you give them. For people in eating disorder recovery, the thought My stomach is gross might pop in from time to time. However, instead of lettting that thought change their behavior, they will simply move. on. from. it. It’s just one of the many many thoughts they have in a day. Practicing moving on over and over again means you can walk away from a thought without needing to do more about it. This week, see if you can stop, consider your thoughts, and give them less power, if needed. It can be super liberating! See more

Dr. Jenna talked with the team at NBC10 Philadelphia about the mental health impact of COVID-19 on kids and teens. It will air this evening during the 4pm news! We are so thankful to raise awareness and share information about #mentalhealth, especially during this stressful season. #CHH #mentalhealthmatters

Break ups always hurt. It can be so hard to watch a friend grieve a relationship, especially when you can’t make the pain go away! Dr. Jenna shared one of her favorite break up texts with @bustle: I’m proud of you for having the conversation. Speaking up for your needs is always important, even if it means a relationship ends. It’s brave and hard to put yourself first - praise that! #breakups #mentalhealth

Food-centered holidays can be triggering when you are struggling or recovering from an eating disorder - and depending on where you are in that journey, your preparation for Thanksgiving will look different. As a general rule, though, remember: Thanksgiving is just another day. It’s another meal. Focus on what YOU need and want right now - and this might be different than last year or next year. If that means you treat the day as just a very normal day and eat the same breakdown of portions and helpings that you’d normally do, that’s great. If you want a second helping of your favorite foods or two pieces of pie, do that!! You don’t have to eat more, or less, to do Thanksgiving the right way. What do you need? Figure that out and build your plan from there.