WHAT IS THE HOPELINE?

      The Hopeline is a self-help guide for people with eating disorders and their families.  It is written from the perspective of someone who has recovered from anorexia nervosa, bulimic subtype.  It is often the reading of someone else's experiences and struggles with an eating disorder that make it possible to confront one's own struggles without feeling defensive. It also seems that knowing that one is not alone or the only person in the world who engages in certain behaviors makes it possible to confront those behaviors and change them. 

WHAT IS THE STORY OF THE HOPELINE?

      The Hopeline was really loved and people told their friends about it.  Over time, over 1000 people all over the country were subscribing.  This was in the days before e-mail and each Hopeline  was mailed out individually. Dr. Kim stopped writing The Hopeline in order to make it into a book, but has not done that yet (hopefully this year!). She chose to complete her doctorate, develop her private practice as a psychologist, get married, write a different book with her husband, Dan, and have children instead. During this time, the Hopeline book was put aside.  It is time for The Hopeline to be available to people again.

HOW CAN THE HOPELINE HELP WITH RECOVERY?

    Recovery from an eating disorder is one of the most difficult challenges any human being can face.  It takes a tremendous amount of determination over a long, long time. For most people, recovery takes between two to five years from the time that the individual with the eating disorder decides that she/he wants to recover.  Recognizing that there is considerable variation in the needs of each person in recovery, a broad spectrum of ideas are presented.  The intent is for the reader to pick and choose those things that are helpful to her or him.

     Recovery requires the resolution of emotional issues as well as the changing of many food and weight related thoughts and behaviors.  The former may be extremely painful, but is, in some ways, easier than the formidable task of changing the thoughts and behaviors. The Hopeline addresses both aspects of recovery.

      HOW DO I READ THE HOPELINE?

Five sample issues of The Hopeline are included on the website.  They are numbered 1 - 5 and their links are at the top of this page. A special poem about recovery called TRIUMPH is included as well. It's link is also at the top of his page. These are revisions of the first five issues that were written when the newsletter was first published.  The initial issues addressed issues relevant to the support group to whom it was written.