My name is Sarah and I have been involved with the Looking Glass Foundation since August of 2004 when I was invited to go to the organization's first ever summer camp as a camper. I was excited at the opportunity to attend and to have a week of freedom from my eating disorder. I was thrilled at the idea of having a week to feel normal and to be understood without having to explain myself.
However, the fear of the unknown slowly began to overwhelm me as the day to go to camp crept closer. I was worried about the food, exercise limitations and meeting new people. I decided to go anyway and I’m so glad that I did because summer camp was a life changing experience. 
I was able to let go, open up and feel for once that I did not have this heavy secret to hide. At camp you are pushed outside your comfort zone, or at least I was, a night time charades, meal time chants and morning time dance party sessions. The biggest impact was having inspirational support staff who shared their stories and were open to all of our questions. I felt so much hope leaving camp because throughout that week, people had taken the time to help me see that recovery was possible and that the process did not always have to be hard - they showed me that it was okay to open up and have some fun.
Two years later I returned to camp as a Peer Support Volunteer and enjoyed it so much that I went back again the next year. Each time I volunteered at the camp I learned so much about myself. As a Peer Support Volunteer I had the opportunity to view camp from another perspective because my role was to share my growth and ongoing journey with the campers. I was still quite shy and introverted, but with the support of the Looking Glass Staff and the camp counselors I was able to challenge myself to walk outside my comfort zone to continue growing and to help other people along in their journey.
Each one of my camp experiences has impacted my life in ways that I cannot fully explain. I still talk with the Looking Glass support staff and campers today as we formed deep bonds that have lasted through the years. I feel that no words can fully express how grateful I am to have had the opportunity to be a part of the Looking Glass Foundation’s camp. It was seven amazing days that get wrapped up into one life changing experience. I know you will love it - I sure did!
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Sarah is an incredible member of the Looking Glass' community and we are honoured that she has chosen to share her story.
Our 2013 summer camp is currently full, however we encourage you to put your name on the waiting list. More information can be found by clicking here.
Survival – it’s the most basic instinct of every living creature on the planet and humans are no exception. Our bodies, immensely complex systems that they are, have an amazing capacity to condition, adapt, and sustain themselves through even the most extraordinary circumstances.
It wasn’t until anorexia took control of me that I truly appreciated this phenomenal capacity.
Suffering from anorexia isn’t just about being thin - it’s much more than that. It’s a fight for survival that employs all of your body's systems and mechanisms. Among many other unexpected physical changes, I found that my heart rotated itself closer to the center of my body, the better to pump its life-giving blood into my vital organs. My menstrual cycle and other reproductive functions shut down and a layer of fuzz formed on all my skin to insulate my body.
When I began journeying down the road to recovery, I was amazed that my body also proved incredibly proficient in healing itself once I began to treat it well and nourish it the way it needed. 
My metabolism spiked as I began to nourish my body again - working to put long-awaited nutrients to use as efficiently as possible.
My heart, liver, and kidneys all resumed their vital functions, having suffered no irreparable damage.
Despite years of calcium deficiency and dormant bone development, my bone density regained its losses (which were miraculously few) and continues to develop normally.
In short order, my cognitive functions improved and my moods stabilized.
Once I returned to a normal BMI, my periods came back and my endocrine system started up again.
Today, I am incredibly fortunate as my body has very few signs of its years of anorexic trauma.
What a testament to the incredible resilience of our bodies. Surviving anorexia has given me a new outlook on life and a profound respect for the body that supports me, come what may. What better inspiration do I need to love it and treat it well, no matter its shape or size?!
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Alison is a regular contributor to The Looking Glass’ blog, is an eating disorders survivor and is an inspiration to those around her.
The Looking Glass Foundation for Eating Disorders is seeking its first full-time Executive Director! We are looking for an experienced and energetic leader with a passion for helping young people and families struggling with eating disorders who can build on the many strengths of the Society and lead it to the next level. Demonstrated expertise and experience in fundraising and fund development is a definite plus. If you are interested, please review the posting below and click here for the full Looking Glass Executive Director Job Description.
The Society:
The Looking Glass Foundation (the “Society”) is a BC not for profit and registered charity formed in 2002 to help those suffering from eating disorders and their families. It delivers a wide range of diverse programs in support of its vision and mission, including its largest program, the Woodstone Residence on Galiano Island which is Canada’s first residential treatment center for young people suffering from anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or eating disorder not otherwise specified.
Starting Date: October 1, 2013 or earlier if available.
Responsibilities:
Reporting to the Chair of the Board of the Society, the Executive Director is responsible for the successful leadership and management of the Society according to its vision, mission and the strategic direction set by the Board of Directors.
Detailed responsibilities are set out in the Looking Glass Executive Director Job Description.
Working Environment:
The position will be full-time and located in Vancouver BC. The position will be supported by a part-time administrative coordinator (to be hired).
Compensation will be a competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Qualifications:
Mandatory Requirements:
Preferred Requirements:
Education:
Application Process:
Applications must include a cover letter summarizing relevant knowledge and work experience (focusing on the qualifications listed above), a current resume with contact information, and the names and contact information for three professional references.
Applications must be received no later than 4:00pm (PST) on August 15, 2013.
Applications may be sent by e-mail to info@lookingglassbc.com. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure delivery; only those selected for an interview will be contacted. All information is included in this posting and job description - no phone calls or e-mails seeking more information please.
When you're young they tell you about "sticks and stones" and we learn quickly that words hold the power to bring us to our knees, build us up and shape the way we see the world. This week, Alison writes about the word "pretty" - six letters that hold tremendous power, both to destroy and to empower, and the evolution of meaning as she has journeyed to recovery.
The word “pretty” seems to be a basic vocabulary staple for everyone - introduced in early childhood and sprinkled here and there for years thereafter. It’s one of those words subject to the eye of the beholder. But what I’ve realized is my own “eye” for prettiness has evolved as much as I have over the years - an evolution marked by the journey from innocence to experience and towards greater self-acceptance.
When I was little, “pretty” meant the sweet simple tokens of life unfettered by concern or calamity. It was patent leather party shoes that always smelled new. It was the little birds that carried spring on their wingtips to my windowsill, and the green-blue-brown speckled eggs they nested safely into tree branches. It was seashells and sea glass collected with Mum on the beach.
When did “pretty” become lipstick and push-up bras? Little pink pills and scads of eye shadow? How did the “pretty” girls make life look so easy, breezing through high school, all-night parties, and boyfriends with apparent ease? Why was “pretty” so eternally elusive for the rest of us, who smoked, dieted, exercised, and purged in its pursuit to no satisfaction?
Now, “pretty” is a different story. It has traveled full circle and returned to the simple things that mean more than words can express. It’s the sun between cedars in the precious forests of Lighthouse Park. It’s the sparkly stretches of untouched snow in the meadows. It’s the gowns at friends’ weddings, outshone only by the smiles of those who wear them.
Pretty is no longer just a word, but an expression of gratitude and humility, to which I’ve only just awakened in recovery. Only since finding release from the obsession of my eating disorder have I been free to stop and smell the roses, as it were. Perhaps I never would have done so, if I hadn’t had to fight for my life. If it took so many years of pain and darkness to truly appreciate the pretty things, then maybe it was worth it. It’s certainly worth the recovery!
Alison is a regular contributor to The Looking Glass’ blog, is an eating disorders survivor and is an inspiration to those around her.
With the Looking Glass Foundation's Summer Camp just a handful of weeks away, camp alumni and eating disorder survivor, Alison, remembers how she left summer camp feeling like she had been given new life...
It seems as though summer camp is a quintessential part of every childhood. Whether we liked it or not, we all got shipped off to some ilk of wilderness at least once. Art camp, music camp, sports camp, co-ed, teens only, Boy Scouts - the possibilities were endless. Good or bad, most of us have memories of camaraderie, mosquito bites, campfire singalongs, outhouses, hiking, fishing, swimming, and the odd prank or two. Those were the golden years!
Not every childhood though includes a life-or-death struggle with an eating disorder. Although prevalence of eating disorders among youth is high, many kids enjoy their young lives without the mind-and-body imprisonment of anorexia, bulimia, compulsive eating, and other related diseases. Those that do, however, find themselves cut off from such normal adventures when they are immersed in the world of medical intervention for their condition. That was how my story went when anorexia took hold of my life. Once so social and spirited, I no longer had the energy for anything outside of surviving the torment of my disease. I felt alienated from my peers and stuck in my small world of hospital, refeeding, blood tests, and weigh-ins. Even when I was discharged, medically stable and finishing school, my life had only the depth and spirit of a laundry cycle.
So when I heard about the Looking Glass Foundation’s Summer Camp, I felt my old self stir. My laundry cycle trance shifted just enough to register feelings of excitement and intrigue - followed swiftly by fear, doubt, and anxiety. The thought of a week-long retreat from my monotonous yet familiar and safe lifestyle was like a flash of hope - tremendous and terrifying. I got the “all clear” from the doctor and drove with my parents out to Zajac Ranch, just outside of Mission, BC.
And what a week it was! Sick of the introspective broken record of therapy and the crushing tension at mealtimes, the chance to meet others in recovery and cavort freely in the great outdoors was literally a breath of fresh air. The days were filled with activities like horseback riding, meditation, mani/pedis, zip-lining, and crafts, which left little space for my eating disordered obsessions. The gentle support at mealtimes was all I needed - but there was always help available if I hit a rough spot.
The brief reprieve I had from my eating disorder was like nothing I could have imagined during my isolated rehabilitation and my time at camp was nothing short of transformational. Before I knew it, I was driving home again with a book full of notes from new friends and a heart that seemed to have been given new life.
Just when I thought I was broken and could no longer hope for a “normal” life, I went to The Looking Glass Foundation’s summer camp - possibly one of the most special summer camps out there - and tasted life again. Thanks to the Looking Glass, I discovered a flash of hope for life in recovery.
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The Looking Glass Foundation's 2013 Summer Camp is from August 18-25 and will be at the beautiful Loon Lake Forestry Camp in Maple Ridge, BC. Click here for more information and to register.
Alison is a regular contributor to The Looking Glass’ blog, is an eating disorders survivor and is an inspiration to those around her.
For residential treatment facility
information contact the
Looking Glass Residence:
Phone:
604.829.2585
Fax:
604.829.2586
Toll Free:
1.888.980.5874
