Hell Everyne! We held a General Service Bard meeting n 04/10/2013. Attendees: Alita, British Clumbia, CAN Annette H, Phenix, AZ Fran, IL Rachel F, Tempe, AZ Rger, MA Vanessa S, Lngwd, FL Ntes: Rger asked where t send recmmendatins fr ur bk links. Recmmendatins can be sent t inf@eatingdisrdersannymus.rg r t literature@eatingdisrdersannymus.rg. We apprved minutes frm ur 3/13/13 meeting. All actin items were cmpleted. We discussed website challenges, slutins and next steps Challenge: Meeting times fr GSB and nline meetings can be cnfusing when switching t and frm daylight savings time. Slutin: Vanessa vlunteered t list GSB and nline meetings n a web site that enables everyne t see the time adjusted fr their lcatin and als agreed t update the GSB and meetings pages t reference the website. Thanks, Vanessa! Challenge: Our website meeting page is nt mbile device friendly at present; infrmatin is cut ff and leads t frustratin when peple think they ll be able t lk up specifics when they get clse t a meeting lcatin. Slutin: Vanessa vlunteered t update the meetings page s it displays prperly n mbile devices. Yay! This has been an issue fr a lng time and will be a huge win. Challenge: Maintaining meeting infrmatin currently requires a persn with web/html experience, which makes finding vlunteers difficult. Als, having t update the website html fr every meeting additin, deletin and change is riskier and mre difficult than it needs t me. Slutin: Vanessa has built a database t hld meeting infrmatin and will recnstruct the way the meetings page wrks s it dynamically displays what is in the database. We can als use the database t stre meeting cntact inf fr GSB annuncements. We discussed having smene respnsible fr each meeting lg in t maintain their wn infrmatin, but this seems like a later step and will be tabled fr nw, hwever, Vanessa mentined adding a web page t capture the needed infrmatin frm thse wanting t annunce a new meeting. We currently get requests t pst meeting infrmatin where ne r mre pieces (start date, day f week, time, lcatin, meeting type, cntact inf) are missing Challenge: peple need t knw what makes a meeting an EDA meeting as ppsed t sme ther type f grup. Slutin: Alita vlunteered t write up a brief summary f what makes a meeting an EDA meeting, referencing the Traditins. Annette vlunteered t pst Alita s summary n the Start a Meeting page, and t include a brief discussin f steps t take when an EDA meeting clses. Challenge: peple seem t think we knw f mre meetings than are psted n the website. Slutin: Annette vlunteered t add a statement t the tp f the meetings page that clarifies that the belw are all the meetings we knw abut. 1
Challenge: Stries f EDA n the literature page des nt shw up n the Stries page. Annette will add a link t Stries f EDA n the Stries page. Alita nted that ne f the EDA brchures that lists the steps mentins the Big Bk withut reference t the text Alchlics Annymus. This shuld be crrected. Alita will send the brchure t inf@eatingdisrdersannymus. Syd, a GSB meeting attendee frm a prir meeting, called Annette with sme needed attributins discvered in the Step Three Wrkbk. Annette read ff the changes, and will frward the vice mail t Alita. Alita vlunteered t make the changes. We cmpleted ur review f the draft Guidance fr Prfessinals flyer. Annette will pst it t the website, include it in the EDA Meeting Starter Kit and will print physical hardcpies. We discussed ur next writing prject, a Balance brchure, and all agreed t think abut what the cncept f Balance means t them and t write up a few statements if they are able. Finalized Guidance fr Prfessinals Flyer Why shuld I refer my clients t EDA? EDA prvides grup supprt fr peple seeking recvery frm an eating disrder, prviding examples f recvery and cnveying the hpe f recvery t thse in need. 12 step recvery prgrams have a slid recrd f helping peple recver frm addictins frm which they can cmpletely abstain; EDA is a 12 step recvery prgram with a difference. Having realistic, healthy gals enables peple t build the essential relatinships f trust with themselves and thers that supprt recvery. In EDA, we fcus n balance rather than abstinence. We reject abslute, black andwhite thinking abut recvery. Balance is particularly imprtant in recvery frm eating disrders because it ffers a psitin between rigidity and being ut f cntrl that is bth achievable and healthy. The nly requirement fr EDA membership is a desire t recver frm an eating disrder. There are n dues r fees fr EDA membership. What is the relatinship between EDA and Alchlics Annymus (AA)? EDA is funded n the principles (12 Steps and 12 Traditins) f Alchlics Annymus (AA) and ffers supprt fr thse seeking recvery frm an eating disrder that is similar t the type f supprt ffered peple seeking recvery frm alchlism in AA A key distinctin between EDA and AA is that EDA fcuses n mderatin and balance rather than abslute abstinence Anther distinctin is that EDA des nt embrace the disease mdel f addictin as des AA; peple can and ften d recver frm eating disrders Like AA, EDA encurages its members t fcus n the slutin, nt the prblem EDA members wrk the steps, as d ther 12 step prgram members, t achieve the balance and calm perspective that makes a happy and purpseful life pssible Are there "spnsrs" in EDA t guide thse new t the prgram? Sme grups have vlunteers with time and energy t help thers wrk the steps. We strngly encurage EDA members wh have made significant prgress wrking the steps t spnsr thers. 2
We call partners in recvery buddies. EDA advcates wrking with thers, whether as a buddy, as a spnsee r as a spnsr, within and utside f meetings, t build a slid recvery. What is EDA's psitin n the disease mdel f addictin? EDA rejects the disease mdel f addictin; peple can and ften d recver fully frm their eating disrders In EDA, we recgnize that ur respnses t life are cnditined by hw we have always reacted. Life lng patterns can be changed. EDA recgnizes that recvery is hard wrk and requires a great deal f supprt; recvery is a prcess, nt an event. What is the relatinship between EDA and Overeaters Annymus (OA)? Althugh bth are 12 step grups led by members seeking slutins t the same prblems, EDA and Overeaters Annymus (OA) prvide very different answers In OA, members are expected t abstain frm specific fds f cncern and t adpt specific disciplines arund eating as a precnditin f recvery In EDA, members are devted t helping each ther develp mre resilient relatinships with themselves, thers and fd. Diets and weight management techniques d nt slve ur prblems cping with urselves and ur lives. EDA members discuss disrdered thinking s that we can talk abut slutins. This generally invlves recgnizing life chices, trying t make them respnsibly, and learning frm mistakes as we g. Des EDA endrse any specific fd plan r prgram? In shrt, the answer is N. We encurage members t eat when hungry and stp when mderately full. EDA endrses sund nutritin and discurages any frm f rigidity arund fd Fd is nurishment fr mind, bdy and sul. Balance, nt abstinence, is ur gal. Fd issues ften surface as cping mechanisms fr living the lives we have been dealt r have chsen. Members wrk t identify, establish and reinfrce adequate and apprpriate ways f respnding t life. In time and with practice, new methds f dealing with life issues gradually replace the self limiting rigidity and self destructive behavirs that are hallmarks f an eating disrder. I wuld like t audit a meeting befre referring clients. Hw d I arrange this? Sme EDA meetings are pen and may be visited by the ccasinal friend, family member, student r interested prfessinal wh cntacts the meeting ahead f time and requests t sit in n a meeting Other EDA grups are clsed except t peple seeking recvery frm an eating disrder Please visit the meetings page f the EDA website, www.4eda.rg t find cntact infrmatin fr meetings by gegraphic lcatin, and be sure t call r write befre attending May I facilitate meetings held at my ffice r clinic? By definitin, an EDA meeting is run by and fr peple seeking recvery frm an eating disrder 3
Unless yu are in recvery frm an eating disrder, facilitating a meeting means it is nt an EDA meeting Therapists and ther prfessinals have kick started sme very successful EDA meetings by facilitating ED recvery supprt grups using EDA literature then turning the meeting ver t attendees. When EDA members start running a meeting it can be cnsidered an EDA meeting. Hw des EDA wrk with prfessinals wh wrk with eating disrdered clients? EDA prvides grup supprt fr peple cmmitted t recvery, prviding examples f recvery and cnveying the hpe f recvery t thse in need EDA des nt refer its members t specific prfessinals, but we d refer peple t www.edreferral.cm and similar rganizatins that ur members have fund helpful Early recvery typically requires a great deal f supprt, and ften necessitates the invlvement f a team f prfessinals physician, psychiatrist, psychlgist, dietician t help establish new patterns and ways f thinking EDA des nt prvide a substitute fr r alternative t prfessinal care, and EDA members wrk easily with members f the prfessinal cmmunity: we recgnize yur imprtance t recvery and greatly appreciate yur help. Actin Items Vanessa vlunteered t list GSB and nline meetings n a web site that enables everyne t see the time adjusted fr their lcatin and als agreed t update the GSB and meetings pages t reference the website Vanessa vlunteered t update the meetings page s it displays prperly n mbile devices Vanessa has built a database t hld meeting infrmatin and will recnstruct the way the meetings page wrks s it dynamically displays what is in the database. Vanessa will add a web frm t capture the needed infrmatin frm thse wanting t annunce a new meeting Alita vlunteered t write up a brief summary f what makes a meeting an EDA meeting, referencing the Traditins Annette vlunteered t pst Alita s summary n the Start a Meeting page, and t include a brief discussin f steps t take when an EDA meeting clses. Annette vlunteered t add a statement t the tp f the meetings page that clarifies that the belw are all the meetings we knw abut. Alita will send a brchure that references the Big Bk withut als defining it as the bk, Alchlics Annymus, t inf@eatingdisrdersannymus. Annette read ff changes requested t prvide needed attributins discvered in the Step Three Wrkbk and will frward the vice mail t Alita (Dne). Alita vlunteered t make the changes t the Step Three Wrkbk chapter t attribute qutes. Annette will pst the new Step Three Wrkbk chapter t the website Annette will pst ur new Guidance fr Prfessinals flyer t the website, include it in the EDA Meeting Starter Kit and will print physical hardcpies. Everyne: in preparatin fr ur next writing prject, please reflect n the cncept f Balance this week, and send a cuple f examples t literature@eatingdisrdersannymus.rg. 4
We adjurned at 6:56 PM MST. Please send these minutes t members f yur grup if yur grup maintains an email cntact list! Thank yu t all wh attended and t all wh serve EDA! Best regards, Annette (aka Michelle) 5