A Journey Through Eating Disorders Support & Recovery

Last week, our community in The Alliance’s LGBTQ+ pro-recovery eating disorders support group reflected on what it means to have pride and how pride is expressed. This is, of course, personal to everyone. Pride can be internal and external. It can mean protest, celebration, connection to community, gender euphoria, survival, and so much more. I shared with the group that…

TRUST the process, then EMBRACE the process, and eventually ENJOY the process. Those words are written on the inside cover of my bright yellow recovery journal. It has become my recovery mantra that I read multiple times throughout the day. To be honest, this statement experienced its own process. At the beginning of my recovery, it was simply “trust the…

About ten years ago, I was taking part in an evening of live music and meditation as a part of an event to raise awareness for eating disorders, when the musician leading us in reflection and song said something that blew my mind. As he was challenging us to think about “recovery” in a different way, he pointed out that…

At The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness, we are proud to announce our membership with The Mental Health Coalition. Together, with other leading mental health organizations, brands, and influential individuals, we are working to smash the stigma surrounding mental health, including eating disorders. The Mental Health Coalition (MHC) was founded by designer and social activist, Kenneth Cole, with the mission…

Even before my eating disorder made its first official “debut” with symptoms in my senior year of high school, I had thoughts and behaviors that started much earlier than I even realized. Looking back, I could see signs of ED wanting to creep into my life long before high school. He was a careful observer…a lurker in the shadows waiting…

As of mid-April 2021, more than 23 million vaccines have been administered in California and the state’s Covid-19 positivity rate was 1.5%. Currently, California’s 1.5% positivity rate is not only at its lowest since the pandemic began; it’s also the lowest positivity rate in the nation. This is welcome news indeed – especially on the heels of the holiday season,…

A few years ago, I couldn’t imagine recovering from my eating disorder, let alone working as a professional in the field. I was deep in my disorder, and I spent the majority of my time comparing myself and my body to those around me – especially to those who also suffered from their own disorder. Fast forward to today: I…

If, as I’ve come to know, recovery from an eating disorder is a process, then transitions are the bridges we build between each phase of the process. They need nurturing and patience and require planning and attention because they play an integral role on the path to recovery. The transition bridges we build carry the weight of the moment and…

How do we know when disordered eating becomes an eating disorder? Disordered eating does not interfere with one’s ability to function, but may include irregular eating patterns along with judgment around food and/or body. Eating disorders, on the other hand, represent a wide range of behaviors involving food and eating and impair one’s health and ability to function in terms…

1 in 5 U.S. adults experiences mental illness each year. With the COVID-19 pandemic, some experts are estimating that number may be inching closer to 1 in 3. Ongoing research conducted by the Pew Research Center indicates that, since the start of the pandemic, more than 20% of U.S. adults report experiencing high levels of psychological distress. These symptoms include…