The North Brookfield/ Worcester West ANAD Eating Disorders Support Group meets on the 2nd Thursday and last Monday of every month at Christ Memorial Episcopal Church in North Brookfield (131 North Main Street) from 7-8:30pm. There is no charge.

The group members reflect a wide range of ages, eating disorder symptoms, and treatment needs for those suffering from AN, NB, BED, and EDNOS. Occasionally a parent or a friend will attend for support. These groups are a forum for discovering that you are not alone--other people have similar problems and feelings.

ANAD groups are not intended to replace therapy, but serve as an adjunct to therapy, not a substitute for treatment. But we can help you walk down the long road to recovery and help you on your journey.

The group is facilitaed by Suzanne Lewandowski, who has been symptom free for almost ten years after a 27 year battle with binge eating and bulimia, She is not a therapist, but is in the Rehabilitation Counseling Masters program at Assumption College and tending the Eating Disorders Institute at Plymouth State University (NH).

While the road to recovery in not easy, it is well worth the journey.
If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact shame2hope@yahoo.com.

Steps to A-N-A-D     (Applying New Attitudes and Directions)

In order to facilitate recovery, specific steps may be helpful tools in that process. The following steps were created to be used as guidelines for recovery. Please read them carefully and learn to follow them daily.

1. Admit to ourselves that we have an eating disorder.

2. Recognize that "food" and "weight" are not the real issues, but that other underlying problems in our lives have led to our obsession with food, eating, and weight.

3. Make an honest attempt to identify the problems underlying our eating disorder.

4. Acknowledge that self-starvation and/or binge-purging are not offering a healthy or satisfactory solution to these problems.

5. Accept the responsibility for changing our own lives and applying more appropriate methods of coping with problems.

6. Realize that we do not have to struggle alone to overcome our problems. We can accept the caring support of others and the guidance of spiritual strength.

7. Establish small individual goals aimed at changing our unhealthy attitudes and behaviors and begin working seriously toward their achievement.

8. Reinforce and sustain our personal growth process by reaching out and helping others struggling with eating disorders.