If you are over the age of 18, and have been *diagnosed* with an eating disorder can you message me, like this post, or something?

I’m going to be taking an independent study course over the summer with my Econ professor. I would like to do my project looking at the price elasticity of demand of medical treatment for those with eating disorders versus those without (aka does having an eating disorder impact the way you think about having to pay for treatment - do increases in payment costs impact you as much, not as much, or more than someone with another medical condition)

I want to see how many people in my circles (ie: not just on tumblr) would fit into this demographic, thus how many people would be easily surveyed (there would be obviously a formally constructed survey)

(I would quit reading now if you’re easily bored with research talk)

I think this research would be important. Not just for providers to know, but also interesting on an economic standpoint as economic models are fairly clear that they consider consumers to be rational. IE: willing to pay more for things they get greater utility out of (among other things). I wonder if the psychological factor of eating disorders trumps this.

Based on personal experience, I imagine the price elasticity of demand for those non-disordered that have medical conditions (I would likely choose to focus on one other medical condition - or formulate questions to a general “other” audience that include statistics about eating disorders, success of treatment, success without treatment, etc without naming an eating disorder) is far less elastic than of those with. In other words higher treatment costs would not deter someone from seeking medical treatment as much as a higher treatment cost would deter someone with an eating disorder from seeking treatment. Even if the two conditions had the SAME medical risks/complications/mortality rates, etc.

I might also look into marginal utility (as I think sometimes with eating disorders the more treatment “consumed” the greater the marginal utility)

Also, if this sounds confusing and you want me to try to explain more coherently with less rambling, shoot me a message (anon or not)

Which of these things is not like the others? Which of these things just doesn’t belong? (Taken with Instagram)

metaconscious:

How meditation rewires your brain to be more positive

A recent controlled study showed that meditation was associated with increased grey matter in the hippocampus, which is responsible for learning and memory, and decreased grey matter in the amygdala, which is the initiator of the brain’s pre-cortical alarm system. These physiological changes parallel the theory that meditation increases conscious control over emotional, behavioral, and attentional response to threat.

Patients in another mindfulness study demonstrated significantly greater changes in brain electrical activity from activation in the right to the left cortical  hemisphere, from before to immediately following meditation and several months later, compared to a control group. This pattern of brain activity is associated with a shift away from negative and towards more positive emotional experience. In other words, mindfulness meditation regimen appeared to help people to experience more positive emotions such as love, compassion, or contentment.

Simple Breath Awareness Meditation Instructions

1. Pick a comfortable, quiet place where you will not be disturbed
2. Sit with the spine upright on a cushion on the floor or a chair. If you use a chair, make sure your feet are touching the ground.
3. Begin to notice your breathing. Try to maintain an open and curious attitude. Notice where the breath goes when it enters and leaves your body.
4. Do not try to change the breath in any way. It may change naturally as you observe it.
5. If your mind wanders away, note what it is doing, than gently bring your attention back to the breath.
6. Continue observing the breath for 15-20 minutes.

thdandeliongirl:

while I am not very good at these types of mindfulness activities, I’m sure this is the point where my therapist could say, “didn’t I tell you?”