Surviving the Death of Your Ex, a New Book from Praeclarus Press, Offers Hope to Those Coping ...

 

December 26, 2015 —

Amarillo, Texas (PRWEB) December 26, 2015

The death of a spouse is a traumatic event, and there are many supports available for the survivor. But what happens when an Ex-spouse or partner dies? There are few ways to acknowledge that often complicated grief. In a society where multiple marriages are the norm and many families are comprised of siblings from multiple parents, how does one begin the mourn the death of a former spouse or parent? The death of an ex can lead to a plethora of mixed emotions: grief, sorrow, anger, confusion, and guilt. These feelings can be overwhelming, and there may not be anyone who understands the experience. In Surviving the Death of Your Ex, co-editors, Robyn Hass and Robbie Davis-Floyd, share their stories of losing their ex-husbands and the range of emotions that they experienced. They also reached out and brought together stories of other women. Each story is unique, but all share similarities.

Surviving the Death of Your Ex helps those see they are not alone. It also provides valuable advice for coping and a list of helpful resources. Readers like Melanie White have noted, I wish I could have accessed something like this long before the death of my ex. I wouldve been more enlightened and had a tiny heads up on the journey. And Annette Birchard, whose former spouse experienced an untimely and tragic death, commented after reading, After the murder of my ex-husband, I searched online for information on how to help myself and my daughter, but I didnt find very much material. This book will provide a valuable resource for those who have experienced the death of an ex-spouse. In the 21st century, blended families are common, and resources to help surviving ex-spouses and children are desperately needed. They hope to reach a group of women who are largely ignored in the grief process, but need emotional support during this challenging time.

Robyn Hass, MSW, MPH is a very happily re-married wife and mom to two young boys and three beautiful step-daughters. After completing a double masters degree in social work and public health in 2002, Robyn began working for an international firm providing public health and business management consulting to various high-profile clients, including the U.S. Department of Defense. She has since retired from the consulting world, and she and her husband now own a small business together.

Robbie Davis-FloyD, PhD, is a Senior Research Fellow, Department of Anthropology, University of Texas, Austin, and Fellow of the Society for Applied Anthropology. She is an internationally renowned speaker, author of over 80 published articles, and author, co-author, or lead editor for 10 volumes, including Birth as an American Rite of Passage.

Ms. Hass and Dr. Davis-Floyd decided to collaborate on this book when they mutually discovered that they wanted to write about their experiences of dealing with the deaths of their ex-husbands, and to find others who wished to do the same. They share a strong passion for hearing womens voices and providing a forum for their stories. That shared passion has resulted in this book. Both are based in Austin, Texas.

Praeclarus Press is a small press that specializes in womens health founded by health psychologist Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, PhD, IBCLC, FAPA. It features books, webinars, and products that support women’s health throughout their lifespan. Based in Amarillo, Texas, the mission of Praeclarus Press is to produce materials that change womens lives.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2015/12/prweb13141929.htm.

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Surviving the Death of Your Ex, a New Book from Praeclarus Press, Offers Hope to Those Coping ...

Want to lose weight? Hide those Oreos

COLUMBUS — Researchers have identified two seemingly unrelated but strong predictors of obesity: having low self-esteem related to one’s weight and keeping food visibly available around the house, outside the kitchen.

The Ohio State University study focused primarily on determining whether the home environment — architectural features and food storage and availability — was associated with obesity, but also measured a number of psychological factors. While architectural features had no relationship to obesity status, several food-related findings did.

If you see it, you eat it

People in the study who were obese kept more food visible throughout the house and generally ate less-healthy foods, such as sweets, than nonobese research participants. The two groups spent about the same amount of money on food and reported eating similar amounts of total calories, but nonobese participants spent less on fast food than did obese individuals.

“The amount of food in the homes was similar, but in the homes of obese individuals, food was distributed in more locations outside the kitchen,” said Charles Emery, professor of psychology at Ohio State and lead author of the study. “That speaks to the environment being arranged in a way that may make it harder to avoid eating food. That has not been clearly documented before.”

Self-esteem

In addition, obese participants reported significantly lower self-esteem related to their body weight than did nonobese people. Obese participants also reported more symptoms of depression.

“Effects of the home environment and psychosocial factors haven’t been examined together in previous studies,” Emery said. “Most weight-loss interventions for children and people with eating disorders include a focus on self-esteem, but it’s not standard for adult weight-loss programs.

“Self-esteem is important because when adults don’t feel good about themselves, there may be less incentive for implementing behavioral changes in the home environment.”

Which came first?

Though the statistical modeling identified predictors of obesity status, the predictors shouldn’t be considered causes of weight problems, Emery said.

“We’re painting a detailed picture of the home environment that two different groups of people have created. Whether that environment contributed to obesity or obesity led to the environment, we don’t know.”

Emery and colleagues recruited 100 participants between the ages of 20 and 78. Fifty were not obese, and the 50 obese participants had an average body mass index of 36.80 (a BMI of 30 indicates obesity). Researchers conducted a two-hour home visit with participants, and followed up two weeks later to evaluate participants’ food purchases and physical activity.

The architectural assessment documented such details as the distance between favored spots in the house and food storage as well as stairs and doors that might be obstacles to food access.

Home is where the food is

Emery, also a professor of internal medicine and an investigator in Ohio State’s Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, noted that multiple metabolic and genetic factors contribute to obesity, but the home is a logical place to consider in efforts to improve health.

“I do think the home environment is a really important place to focus on since that’s where most people spend a majority of their time,” he said. “For interventions, we should be thinking about the home as a place to start helping people establish what we know to be healthier habits and behaviors.”

Change your thinking

Food is not the only issue affecting weight, either, Emery said. But changing eating habits is unlike many other behavior changes, such as quitting smoking or abstaining from alcohol.

Emery pointed out that in the study, obese participants reported greater concerns than nonobese participants about having access to enough food, but not for financial reasons. Obese participants also reported they were less able to avoid eating — whether they were hungry or not — when they were distressed or in settings where eating is socially acceptable.

“This may reflect a greater preoccupation with food, and that is also important,” Emery said. “You can’t just stop eating, but ideally you can change the way you eat and, to some degree, change the way you’re thinking about eating.”

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Want to lose weight? Hide those Oreos