Once again, the Looking Glass Camp at Loon Lake Forestry Camp in beautiful Maple Ridge, BC was a wonderful experience providing a week of adventure, fun, and many memorable experiences for all.
We are so grateful to the ongoing support of The CKNW Orphan's Fund and our many generous donors who offer their support to ensure that the Looking Glass Summer Camp continues to be a safe, fun place for young women struggling with eating disorders. We believe that whenever a young person has the opportunity to challenge their belief systems through therapeutic adventures, growth and healing can being to happen. It is clear from many of our campers' big smiles and candid feedback that our summer camps are a very special place for these young women to experience companionship with others and to explore leisure, activity, fun-filled adventure, nutrition, and to live life beyond an eating disorder.
"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, at 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."
- Sarah
Camper from Summer 2004 and Peer Support Volunteer Summer 2013
Thank you for making this extraordinary week possible for Sarah and for hundreds of young women like her!
“What a roller coaster week! Thank you so much for the opportunity to come to and do and learn so much. I was able to challenge myself and discover more about me. I really appreciate all the support everyone gave me.”
- Camper from Summer 2012
We are also very grateful to Scotiabank for their incredibly generous contribution to our Summer Camp Program!
Scotiabank | BC & Yukon Region
With the support of our generous donors The Looking Glass Foundation is pleased to award 4 annual scholarships to students who have received or are currently receiving treatment for an eating disorder and are now ready to reconnect with their academic pursuits.
Scholarships give young people in our community an opportunity for a fresh start as they move towards big, bright futures.
We were blown away by all of the applications that we received this year. We have extraordinary young people in our midst and we are honoured that so many of you applied.
Looking Glass Foundation Scholarship Winners – 2013
Aspire to Higher Scholarships 2013
The Mighty Men Scholarship 2013*
*Known as our Dream Team, these four men have given their all to The Looking Glass Foundation. They have willingly shared their time and talents in order to re-wire, re-plumb and re-new the Woodstone Residence. In honour of their commitment to The Looking Glass Foundation and the Woodstone Residence, this year we have named The Mighty Men Scholarship after Terry Clayton, Gordon Kellough, Paul Bemister and Darryl Gordon. Thank you for all you do!
For more information about our scholarship program and to sign up to receive updates about our 2014 scholarships, click here.
Last week we introduced you to Dolores - one of Looking Glass Foundation’s Founders. In a great blog post last week, she began her family's story: My Side of the Looking Glass. This week, Dolores explains a bit more about how her daughter, Denise, found herself fighting for her life at a young age in a battle against an eating disorder...
Denise began to change when she was about 11 years old. She had expressed a deep sadness and told me she was “fat.” This comment was regularly brought up and troubled me so much so that I took her to our Doctor. Just as I suspected, the doctor told her she was not fat as her height and weight were normal on the growth percentile chart. We left the doctor’s office and I foolishly thought to myself that with the Doctor’s advice, Denise’s comments would come to an end.
It’s a hard fact for me to share, but it is important to note that we had many close family members die in a short period of time and these deaths affected her more deeply than I could have imagined.
My father, as I wrote about in my last post, was a big part of Denise’s earlier years passed away when she was six years old. A few years later two of my grandparents also passed away. They lived in our community and were very close to the Denise.
Our much loved family dog Nicky also past away leaving an emptiness and sadness in our home. This prompted our family to begin searching for a new dog and Denise took this task on and very quickly found a litter of puppies. We chose our new family member and a few weeks later brought Tyra home. Of course I was hoping that this would fill the void and pain that Denise had been so frequently exposed to, but sadly, Denise’s Nanny passed away shortly after Tyra joined our family.
We were very close to Nanny who had been the heartbeat of our family. I was so focused on my Nanny’s last few months that I missed signs of Denise anxiety during this time. While I knew she was struggling, I had no idea how seriously ill she was. I simply didn’t have the energy to help her. I wish someone could have realized what was happening to Denise, but there was such a lack of awareness any close family members or friends had no idea what was happening to her. 
Around the same time a couple of Denise’s girlfriends' fathers suddenly passed away. These losses affected her in a profound way. Denise didn’t express her sadness or emotions and seemed to accept death in a very mature manner. She was always about pleasing and putting others before herself.
She was excelling in everything she did and school was easy for her. Denise was very popular with her friends from elementary school and soon had a new set of friends in high school. In Grade 8 Denise set her standards very high at everything she pursued; she was involved with soccer, baseball, competitive swimming, dancing, modeling and the odd job as an extra with a talent agency.
The high school counselor suggested Denise go into a program for gifted students so that she could accomplish her school day in a shorter period of time which would leave her room to dance for over 20 hours a week. At that time, we did not know she was, as she would tell us later, “always watching herself in the mirror, criticizing different parts of her body and thinking that she was fat.” These were the little secrets and thoughts that no child thinks to tell. We knew dance was her first love and so when she committed herself to dance, we supported her.
She wanted to model and joined the same modeling agency that her sisters had worked with. She had a few jobs and liked the new experiences. The agency told her that she would be a good model to send to Japan, but this was not something we wanted her to do. Denise began to lose some weight and at first it seemed like it would be just a couple pounds. But I didn’t realize what was manifesting in her head. She was receiving many encouraging compliments at school about how great she looked which, as we discovered later, only added fuel to the fire.
Denise continued to lose weight and we began to worry more and more. The different ways she acted and the things she started to do were early signs of a mental disorder that would change our lives forever.
The story continues next week. Stay tuned...
Dolores is one of Looking Glass Foundation's Founders. She and her family have been on an extraordinary journey. In the next five weeks, Dolores has generously chosen to share that story with our community so that you can understand more about where we come from and why we started. This week, Dolores starts at the very beginning...
Denise was born in 198
6 adored by her two older sisters, parents and a very large extended family. At an early age Denise had a shining personality - she was always smiling and was a happy-go-lucky kind of baby.
She went to preschool for one year the next year she was clearly bored and didn’t want to go. Her sisters instilled in her an insatiable desire for knowledge and I would often find them downstairs teaching her at the blackboard or at the piano.
Denise was lucky to have two grandparents living in town and two living in Toronto. One of our most precious memories was going to Toronto when Denise was 2 years old to celebrate Christmas with our family. We had great memories of skating on the pond, fishing through holes in the ice, building igloos, going on sleigh rides and taking the kids on snowmobile rides.
Denise was enrolled in a French immersion kindergarten class when she was 4 years old and thrived with the challenge. She was a great learner and could set goals and achieve them at a very young age. Like her sisters she had vast natural talent and athletic abilities. She liked to be busy, competition was in her blood and she was a gifted athlete. She quickly grew into a talented Provincial level swimmer, soccer and softball player.
Her grandparents were always a key part of her life - we would spend summer days boating with them over to Saltspring Island and exploring on Bowen Island where they spent their summers. When the weather here in Vancouver would turn cold, we would head south to their house in Palm Springs. I remember many times when we would go to Disneyland, to the San Diego Zoo, or head to Tijuana to hunt for Mexican dresses and trinkets.
Our wonderful years of family time with Denise’s Grandfather came to an end far too soon. Ten months after he was diagnosed with cancer he passed away. We were all devastated and dealt with it in our own ways. They say that hindsight is 20/20 and today I can look back and see this as the catalyst for a major struggle that would plague Denise’s life and our family for years to come.
Check back next week for the next part of Dolores' family's story.
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.
In the coming weeks and months, we have a great team of people working together to deliver top-notch resources, stories of recovery and tidbits of Looking Glass’ inspiration through the blog. One of these great people is Alison - a freelance writer and knows a thing or two about recovering from an eating disorder. After all, she’s a survivor.
My struggle with anorexia began when I was 14, although the underlying maladies like anxiety and perfectionism were at play much earlier. My disease permeated every single aspect of my life, poisoning my mind and feeding off energy like a beguiling parasite. By the time I was 16, it had lured me straight into hospital - solitary confinement, with a locked bathroom and only a heart monitor for company.
After six months I was released and while my physical condition much improved, my mind still possessed. Consciously or not, I once again found myself fighting my body’s need for nourishment. By then, I had also thrown myself into full-blown exercise addiction to compensate for my reluctant eating. It wasn’t long before I was re-admitted to hospital, my body having deteriorated even further beyond where it had been the first time. Again, when I left many months later, my body was stronger but my mind was completely unchanged.
By the time my third hospitalization rolled around, I was beginning to sense a horrific truth closing in on me: I felt like I had no control over my behaviour. Despite having every reason under the sun to live, to thrive, to stay healthy and happy, I found myself so seduced by my obsessions that my behaviour would inevitably, without fail, return to disordered eating. I tried everything I could to stop - extensive therapy, dietary supplements, going to school, changing jobs, moving out, even a fourth visit to hospital - but nothing worked. Nothing could break the cycle of obsession and behaviour for long.
At that point, my disease had robbed me of more than even I could see. Worst of all, as I watched myself spiral downward once again, it marred the last precious year I had with my sister, who had also landed in hospital but with a completely different condition. I was so intoxicated that I couldn’t ever be fully present for her, no matter how much she needed me in her final days. This was, perhaps, my darkest bottom. Faced with a fifth hospitalization, I fell on my knees at last and admitted complete defeat by my disease. With nothing left to lose, I surrendered my obsession with control, with food and exercise, with body weight and shape, and let others care for me the way I could not. Something shifted in my mind, and while I still experienced excruciating pangs of guilt and anger at the hands of my disease, I could let go and let life carry me to whatever end. To this day, it’s an act of surrender that I practice because I know my life depends on it.
And so, here I am, writing to remind myself every day that recovery - and the necessary surrender - is completely worth it. Through a program of fellowship and humility, I’ve found freedom from what I’ve come to see as a spiritual malady, reinforced by a body that responds like an addict to disordered eating practices. For better or for worse, I’m alive and well today, with my health and so much more returned to me in vibrant technicolour. If I can offer even the smallest comfort to anyone out there through this blog, it will all be worth it.
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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.
For residential treatment facility
information contact the
Looking Glass Residence:
Phone:
604.829.2585
Fax:
604.829.2586
Toll Free:
1.888.980.5874
