A Journey Through Eating Disorders Support & Recovery

For many adults, eating has never felt straightforward. Certain textures or smells might make you tense up before you even take a bite. Maybe you once choked or got sick after eating something unfamiliar, and food hasn’t felt safe since. Or perhaps you rarely feel hungry at all; eating just feels like something you have to get through. Over time,…

When someone has an eating disorder, it not only affects them as an individual, but also the entire family. Recovery is a shared journey, and while the priority is to heal the person with the eating disorder, their family and loved ones also need support and healing. The Family’s Role in Recovery Having a steady support system is extremely important…

The holidays—from Halloween through Thanksgiving and the December celebrations—can be one of the most challenging times for individuals and families navigating eating disorders. While many focus on celebrations, those struggling may face heightened stress around food-centered entertainment, meals, disrupted routines, and social pressures. It can be common to wonder, “Is this really the right time for treatment?” As someone who…

Lived Experience from ViaMar Health Alumni and Their Families The holiday season can be a time of joy and celebration, but for many in eating disorder recovery, and their families, it can also be overwhelming. Moments that are meant to be exciting and festive can instead feel stressful and triggering, sometimes bringing out eating disorder behaviors and the urge to…

What is ARFID? Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder where a person regularly avoids certain foods or limits how much they eat. This is not due to body image concerns but rather to: Low appetite or lack of interest in food/eating Strong reactions to how food feels, tastes, or smells Fear of choking, vomiting, allergic reaction, or…

Recovery from an eating disorder can have its ebbs and flows. Sometimes it feels like you’re cruising along—you got this. But very quickly, it can turn into the opposite, like you’re treading water and the waves are only getting bigger. When you feel like you’re losing momentum, it can help to remember that this rollercoaster ride is a normal part…

Anyone who tuned into Oprah Winfrey’s 2024 TV special, “Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution,” likely walked away with one particular phrase reverberating in their head: “food noise.” The special, which focused on weight loss medications, covered the journeys of several people who have used these medications, including Winfrey. During the special and in subsequent interviews, Winfrey spoke about…

Holidays can feel warm and celebratory for many—yet for people with eating disorders, Thanksgiving often brings intense stress, shame, and old patterns to the surface. For anyone who has experienced disordered eating, the day’s focus on food, family, and appearance can trigger feelings that are not really about hunger or calories at all. This article explains why Thanksgiving can be…

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) is often misunderstood as extreme picky eating, but for those experiencing it, the challenges run much deeper. At ViaMar Health, we approach ARFID treatment with compassion, collaboration, and a strong foundation in both nutrition and emotional safety. Our work focuses on helping clients rebuild trust in food, step by step, meal by meal, while equipping…

As the National Alliance for Eating Disorders marks its silver anniversary, it’s worth pausing to look back through the lens of impact, growth, and stories told in numbers. When The Alliance was founded in October 2000, it was born out of a promise to pay-it-forward after more than a decade of struggling. Since then, the National Alliance for Eating Disorders…