From Chaos to Disorder

Dr. Anita Johnston is a Psychologist, Storyteller, Educator and Author of “Eating in the light of the Moon,” a beautiful book available in 7 languages that uses storytelling, myths and metaphors to help women transform their relationships with food. Anita has been working in the field of eating disorders since the early 1980s, and is currently the Clinical Director of Ai Pono Hawaii, a Treatment Center for eating disorders on the island of Maui. In this podcast, we talk about how Anita started treating Eating Disorders Treatment in the early 1980s, and how she uses the language of metaphor in the work she does. We also talk about the ways people can cope with chaos by using food in disordered ways. Anita tells several stories, and also gives us some wisdom about ways to move from chaos and disorder, and back to order again.Introduction to Anita Johnston “Metaphor is how you use one thing to describe another.”The language of metaphor is pictures and storytelling to describe what eating disorders are and how to treat them“It’s using the right hemisphere of the brain” to understand Eating Disorders• The left hemisphere = helps you see the trees• The right hemisphere = forest• We see the same things, just from a different view• Our culture has reared us to use mostly the left side of our brain, and that’s how the Eating Disordered Brain gets hijacked!When you listen to a story, time is no longer linear!• “Anita’s Story,” growing up in Guam influenced her way of thinking• Multi-cultural, indigenous, storytelling has taught her right and wrong• Not good-bad-right-or-wrong…just different!How Anita got startedIn the early 1980s, she had an interest in women’s experiences, and eventually an interest in psychology, and in disordered eating. Remember Karen Carpenter? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyXil9JPn9cHer body of work:• Why is it women and girls?• Why is it a struggle about food and body?• “I decided to listen to their stories and figure out what was going on.”The Emperor’s new clothes (Story time with Anita!)Internal and External Chaos“Chaos happens when we disconnect from our authentic self.” We disconnect because we were taught to do so (to survive)Using food to get to peace / regulate when things get chaotic is natural! However, it becomes problematic when food is the only way we know to regulate. It is necessary to learn other ways of coping with chaos. Disorder happens…with chaosWe go to disordered eating when we are seeking order outside of ourselves, and not letting it all in! (A lack of receptivity) (An inner experience is lacking)We are taught NOT to tune in to receive…to NOT attune to the energy we receiveExample: When there is overeating, there may be “never enough” time, careWhen we judge ourselves, it is not helpfulThose who pick up on the energetic vibes of the universe are highly attunedThis is a good opportunity for those “highly attuned” individuals to reflect on possibilities other than “There is something wrong with me.” Resources and Story Time:Be a mindful consumer of news, and explore https://www.positive.news/Go into the storm cellar when disaster strikes – What is stable?Nothing new comes out of the “status quo.” It always comes out of chaos“If you want to have something new, you have to make friends with chaos”Angelise Arrien: “And that’s a story that doesn’t need to happen.”Mark Twain: “I’ve had a lot of horrible experiences in my life, and, it’s a good thing most of them have never happened.”The images we create in our mind’s eye will be our superpowerWorry is a good imagination…creativity. Once you realize this, you can work with it!Visit Anita and see all she has created at the...