On this episode of Book Journeys, Vice President for The Author Incubator, Jenn McRobbie, interviews Lori Losch, author of Rather than Rehab: Quit Bulimia & Upgrade Your Life.
Bulimia has been part of Lori’s life for a long time, as she recalled seeking help for it in 1995, when she was 27. It took her until 2013 before she recovered from it, and while she had intended to write a book on it as early as 1995 she only did so recently. Lori noted that her original intention was to write a memoir, but that it was unlikely to be read by so many people, and had she written Rather than Rehab any earlier it might have been pointless, as such would have been more of a textbook full of theories about what might or might not have worked, rather than from experience. As Lori noted, “I couldn’t possibly lead somebody to a watering hole that was dry.”
Jenn remarked in the interview that bulimia is a terrifying topic for her, but Lori then remarked that, as far as she was concerned, bulimia was just another part of her life and that it was common. That said, Lori notes that such eating disorders are usually kept in secret from those around those who are suffering said disorders, and that the basis of any addiction – food, alcohol, work – is pain avoidance. She also notes that four years is considered long-term recovery and that she can still relapse.
Lori had written books before she wrote Rather than Rehab, and by her own admission the previous books weren’t as significant as Rather than Rehab, as writing the book enabled her to get a “monkey” off her back. She remarks that Angela Lauria instilled in the authors she worked with, with the concept of being of service to the ideal reader, and this gave her the subsequent perspective she wrote the book from. Lori credits the use of the ideal reader as being a big help to her where writing the book was concerned, and she remarked that an ideal reader could very well be the writer four or five years previously. The ideal reader enabled Lori to get connected with her audience, and she pointed this out when she remarked that, after looking at the altar which had a lot of information on her ideal reader, she realized that she needed a stuffed toy to remind herself to be gentle and nurturing.
Lori is a certified addiction recovery coach, and she takes her work seriously, noting that a lot of people with eating disorders are suicidal. She remarked that the calls and e-mails she gets remind her of the time when she had an eating disorder and that her time as a former addict does enable her to serve her clients better. Lori notes that there are groups, such as EDA (Eating Disorders Anonymous) which can help people with eating disorders. She also remarked that she is new to coaching and that she enjoys being in the coaching community, as she can learn from other coaches on how to become a more effective coach.
Lori can be reached at ratherthanrehab.com.
Listen to the Lori Losch Interview on Book Journeys Radio
(Transcript) Lori Losch – Book Journeys Author Interview – April 27, 2017
DOWNLOAD the PDF: Book Journeys Author Interview – Lori Losch – April 27, 2017
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