For Singles
Single people have challenges that relate to boundaries and roles. In addition, singles have the task
of getting the support they need from sources other than partners.
If you are not in a close relationship, a marriage or partnership when the Dr. Dean Ornish Program for
Reversing Heart Disease and the reasons for seeking this program happen to you, you have many
needs which you alone must fill, or find others to fill. Thus, the Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing
Heart Disease provides an important motivation to make more connections with others than you may
have made already. You could reap the benefit of more intimacy in your life, or conversely, if you are
not willing to reach out to others for support and friendship, the program may add to your sense of
distress and isolation.
Common patterns singles notice, with respect to boundaries, is that theirs are either too rigid, and so
they feel distant from others, or too flexible, so they reveal themselves to people who may not be
“safe” or accepting. Some single people vacillate between both of these patterns. For instance, you
may feel reluctant to ask others for support, or ask for so much support from one person that they
distance themselves from you. The process of developing relationships and creating a healthy amount
of distance and closeness, and the impact of these things on your diet, are topics to bring up in group
support sessions.
The additional challenges singles face involve engendering support for adherence to the diet. If you
are single, there is no one around to run out and find a quick low-fat vegetarian meal when you are
sick. You are the one who must shop for vegetables and fruits a couple of times each week, and then
toss out the ones that have wilted because your plans changed and you weren’t home to eat them.
Much falls on your shoulders and it can be taxing.
Nonetheless, being single or living alone does not mean you do not have or cannot develop
relationships and other resources to support you. What is necessary, as with couples, is to engage in
a process of coming to terms with your aloneness, (“Nobody will save me from this except me.”),
identifying the needs you have for that support, sticking with the diet, and then experimenting with
various means of meeting those needs.
You may find yourself rallying a wide range of support to ease the load in adhering to the Nutrition
Spectrum Reversal Program. The group support element can be a huge help. In addition, some
participants plan regular nights out with friends, for dinner or exercise. Others find co-workers who are
also interested in healthy eating, and sharing feelings and ideas.
Planning new interests allows you to interact with others, to expand your circle of friends and to
develop more supportive relationships to boost your program adherence. Your own means of
additional support will probably vary over time and be unique to you. What is essential is that you
continue to develop your own plan and that it meet your own particular needs.