A Journey Through Eating Disorders Support & Recovery

Many people with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may notice that their eating habits don’t follow a predictable rhythm. Maybe you lose track of time and forget to eat until hunger becomes unbearable. Or you snack impulsively—not out of hunger, but because it feels like the only way to calm down when your brain is buzzing and overstimulated. Or perhaps you’ve found…

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…

How we talk about eating disorders (and who we picture when we talk about them) reveals modern media’s influence on our understanding of race, representation, and health care. This is a tricky intersection to parse apart. Our relationships with our bodies, racial identity, and mental health are parts of a complex web that makes up our experiences. Unfortunately, historical traumas…

Is it “picky eating” or something more serious? Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is a serious eating disorder that affects both children and adults and is more common than many people realize. Unlike other eating disorders, ARFID is not driven by fear of weight gain or body image concerns. Instead, it may stem from: Extreme avoidance of specific textures, smells…

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…

It’s estimated that 9% of Americans will have a diagnosable eating disorder (ED) throughout their lives. These mental illnesses are a pervasive epidemic, yet are treatable. However, only 20% of people with eating disorders receive care. This disparity is disturbing, but not unexpected. Barriers to eating disorder treatment exist at institutional, social, and physical levels, creating an interconnected system that’s…

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…