Waves of Recovery: Real Stories from ViaMar Alumni

The Inspiration Behind Waves of Recovery The idea for Waves of Recovery began while I was listening to an alumna…

There are moments when I catch myself scrolling without even realizing how long I’ve been doing it. A few minutes…

Eating disorders, mental health concerns, and suicide risk are rising among transgender individuals, making this a time-sensitive issue for clinicians.…

I start my day off with a big ol’ cup of wariness and a bowl of skepticism toward the trend…

When people talk about trauma responses, most of us have heard of fight, flight, or freeze. But there is a…

Every year on June 2nd, advocates, clinicians, loved ones, and people in recovery come together to recognize World Eating Disorders…

Research suggests that up to half of people diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (DID) also live with an eating disorder.…

Why Summer Can Feel Different in Recovery Summer often brings a shift in pace. School schedules change, routines become less…

Travel should be about connecting to the world around you. But for people living in larger bodies, travel can come…

In a culture that increasingly celebrates optimization, efficiency, and self-improvement, health and fitness apps are often framed as tools of…

We all live in diet culture, a society obsessed with thinness and dieting. Weight and food biases permeate the air…

Misunderstood and sometimes even normalized, eating disorders affect around 10% of the U.S. population, and rates are on the rise.…

FIf you’ve ever felt pressure to “keep up,” be more productive, or push harder, you’ve experienced hustle culture. Hustle culture…

The connection between alcohol use and eating disorders is more common—and more complex—than many people realize. Research shows that up…

In a world where many often value clear answers and a straight path forward, eating disorders – and their treatment…

The road to recovering from an eating disorder isn’t simple. Treatment approaches are constantly refining and providers are learning new…

College can be an exhilarating chapter. It’s a time of expanding horizons, forging new identities, and building lifelong friendships. Yet…

Technology surrounds us. We find it in the palm of our hands, in the apps we use, the videos we…

Academic excellence can vanish almost overnight when eating disorders take hold. High-achieving students may find themselves unable to concentrate, missing…

Menopause is often known by its broad generalities of symptoms: hot flashes, mood swings, and brain fog. But there’s another…

Eating disorders are serious, complex illnesses that affect millions of people. These conditions are not choices or phases but rather…

The turn of the calendar often invites high expectations: a fresh start, ambitious goals, public declarations. For many people, this…

Anyone who tuned into Oprah Winfrey’s 2024 TV special, “Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution,” likely walked away with…

Holidays can feel warm and celebratory for many—yet for people with eating disorders, Thanksgiving often brings intense stress, shame, and…

Eating disorders are often thought of in terms of discernible symptoms like eating behaviors and relationships to food and body.…

When we think of the military, images of discipline, strength, and resilience often come to mind. Service members are trained…

Domestic Violence Awareness Month is an important moment to examine how trauma — including intimate partner violence (IPV) — shapes…

Dear Alliance Community, Today, the National Alliance for Eating Disorders turns 25. 25 years?! Even as I sit here to…

Each year on World Mental Health Day, the world unites to raise mental health awareness, reduce stigma, and advocate for…

What exactly is expressive arts therapy? At its core, expressive arts therapy involves the use of creative art forms like…

Working in an eating disorder treatment center is a unique and meaningful path for therapists. It's a setting where clinical…

On TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, one of the most viral trends is the #WhatIEatInADay video. These clips—sometimes short reels, sometimes…

In today’s digital world, fitness trackers have become increasingly popular tools for individuals looking to monitor their physical health. These…

Food restriction related to eating disorders like, anorexia nervosa and ARFID, can lead to malnutrition. Malnutrition can cause serious, whole-body…

Society’s obsession with body shape, size, and “ideal” appearances is everywhere we look—from fitness influencers on social media to ads…

Endocrine Abnormalities of Anorexia Nervosa Anorexia nervosa and its associated malnutrition and overexercise can cause a range of endocrinological abnormalities.…

It happens every year as spring turns to summer, as predictable as seasonal allergies: advertisers, marketers, and influencers will start…

Each year on June 2, communities across the globe unite for World Eating Disorders Action DayTM (WEDAD), a collective effort…

The internet is the modern-day wild, wild west. Within just a few minutes of scrolling on TikTok, you’ll come across…

CW: Trauma, Abuse, Sexual Violence   April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This month, and every month, we honor the…

Eating disorders (EDs) are mental illnesses in which someone struggles with their relationship to food and behaviors around eating. They…

Eating disorders are complex medical conditions with a wide variety of influencing factors. A growing body of research is finding…

New Year’s often comes with the pressures of perfectionism, unattainable resolutions, and external expectations. Although separating ourselves from this approach…

How to Use Labs to Detect and Treat Refeeding Syndrome The use of labs in the identification and treatment of…

Exercise and movement can be an important aspect for maintaining our wellbeing. Just as nourishing our bodies with food, wearing…

Eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors are dangerous conditions, and they’re on the rise. (1) A number of factors contribute…

Recovery from diabulimia (ED-DMT1) is possible with proper, compassionate support. Individuals struggling with diabulimia need to know that diabetes management…

Weight stigma affects all of us, including young children who can experience this in the form of name-calling, cyberbullying, and…

Stereotypes based on weight, shape, and size run rampant in our modern society and help inform weight stigma, a dangerous…

Our society continues to perpetuate the myth that eating disorders are an issue primarily affecting young, thin white women. While…

For those who struggle with an eating disorder, many daily activities and routines can be difficult, no matter where a…

Dr. Mike Swinyard was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes nearly 50 years ago. He was told that after 10 to…

How we talk about food and bodies with our children can have a significant impact on their self-perception and relationship…

Gastroparesis is a stomach condition that is highly prevalent within the eating disorder community. The term “gastroparesis” directly translates to…

Life is full of ups and downs. But if a single, recurring, or even abstract situation becomes overwhelming or too…

*CW* Mentions of eating disorder behaviors. Millions of people are hiding an eating disorder every day. Despite affecting nearly 29…

Eating disorders impact the lives of millions of people. Conditions like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, OSFED, and binge eating disorder…

These days, when someone mentions the benefits of sports or athletics, the conversation almost always hits the same few points:…

Eating disorders are serious but treatable conditions that can be experienced by anyone at any point in their life. Some…

As the Collaborative of Eating Disorders (CEDO), we are extremely concerned about the lack of consideration for eating disorders in…

At The Alliance, one of our core missions is to provide education on topics surrounding eating disorders (EDs). We find…

The beginning of a new year often stirs a range of emotions. While many embark on setting resolutions, it's crucial…

"You don't have to learn how to love yourself. You just have to remember there was nothing wrong with you…

Cultural Values and Their Effects on Body Positivity In Hispanic and Latin communities, heritage is celebrated through many facets of…

CW: Mentions of Suicide Pretty much anyone who knows me also knows that I've recovered from an eating disorder. As…

Despite all the messaging that tells us otherwise, health looks different in everybody. Unfortunately, diet culture has strong-armed society into…

Eating disorder awareness is one of the key pieces to preventing eating disorders and connecting those suffering with support. Though…

As the Collaborative of Eating Disorders Organizations (CEDO), we strongly oppose the new clinical guidelines introduced by the American Academy…

Nutrition and dieting are often confused in our culture, each reduced to an “eat this, not that” mentality that sees…

Making the decision to go to college after high school is stressful enough let alone when one is struggling with…

A quick google search gets you these definitions and list of synonyms for control and choice: CONTROL – the power…

As the season changes to fall, our attention is drawn toward the upcoming holidays. Often marketed as the “most wonderful…

You cannot think your way into an eating disorder, nor can you think your way out of it. The progression…

Sorority girls and frat boys. The words often evoke a visceral reaction. Whether it’s the media, those not involved in…

At the humane society where I worked in my 20s, I met a German Shepherd named Kayla who struggled with…

Although it can happen, most mental health disorders don’t happen by themselves. There are usually one or more other disorders…

Eating disorders are complex illnesses. Diverse and multifaceted, they are associated with biological, psychological, and social factors that themselves are…

Disclaimer: Discussing movement in eating disorder recovery can be difficult because there is so much nuance in one’s relationship with…

It is part of being an activist or an advocate, that you tend to focus on the problems that still…

The prevalence of eating disorders, like Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa, is on the rise, and they are not discriminating…

Swimsuit season. Beach body. Bikini ready. The terms are thrown around casually every summer. In regular conversation, on social media,…

Cultural and family values impact the relationships we have with food and with our bodies. Specifically, within Latinx cultures, food…

It’s Pride Month and at Walden Behavioral Care, our pride is in our ability to connect from one heart to…

For many, summertime means vacations, long, warm days, and a much-appreciated break from school or work. It is a season…

The COVID-19 pandemic added stress to our lives, which affects not only our mental health, but physical health and emotional…

Disappointment is a part of the recovery process. In fact, it is a BIG part of it. How to handle…

Pregnancy brings new demands and changes to a person’s body – it’s necessary to get the right amount of caloric…

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has recently released “Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) Interventions for Adult Overweight and Obesity Treatment:…

by: Laurie Yurchuck, Administrative + Technology Coordinator --- I used to think that healing was a race. I thought that…

Do you consider climate change a risk to your mental health? For me, a Broadcast Meteorologist and Climate Journalist, the…

Athletes are well attuned to the conversations in sport surrounding weight and performance. Whether you’re an athlete, coach, healthcare professional,…

The holiday season is around the corner and it can be a difficult time to navigate when you have an…

Many see Thanksgiving as a way of connecting with family by coming together and enjoying a traditional Thanksgiving meal. However,…

Oh, the holidays – a time that means so much to so many. Twinkling lights, bustling bodies, gift-wrapping galore, and…

Body image issues are often the most difficult aspect of eating disorder recovery to overcome. Dialogue around eating disorders and…

As of mid-April 2021, more than 23 million vaccines have been administered in California and the state’s Covid-19 positivity rate…

For the past five years, I called New York City home, a home I worked hard to build for myself.…

“Tell the story of the mountain you climbed. Your words could become a page in someone else’s survival guide”- Morgan…

“Feed them and they will come.” This is the mantra of many churches and religious organizations. Growing up, a church…

Transitions can be incredibly challenging, especially while in recovery. Change tends to go hand in hand with discomfort, disruption of…

I suffered from the afflictions of an eating disorder for three years. I wanted to take the time to get…

Reasons alum, Rachel S., shares how becoming a mom changed her, and ultimately inspired her to seek the treatment she…

I was 20 years old when I found out I was Autistic. At that point, I was already four years…

My name is Leah Wypych and I am the Chair of the Board of Directors for The Alliance for Eating…

When I started my military career, the thought of me developing an eating disorder was improbable and impossible. Less than…

For many who struggle with an eating disorder, the state officials’ mandate of practicing social distancing can feel like a…

As we all continue to limit social interactions with those outside of our immediate household, LGBTQ+ youth in recovery face…

The COVID-19 pandemic has created stress on our internal infrastructure, disrupting our food systems. Every time I go to the…

When shelter in place became official, so did my status as a dog owner. Not exactly what I was expecting…

Spring has sprung! Sort of, anyway. After the longest winters of the longest winters with a side-order of quarantine, many…

Are we going to make it through this time? Of course we are. We have already survived so much and…

Dear Athletes Endeavoring to Navigate this Current Global Crisis, To the competitors that were at the height of their careers,…

It seems safe to say that this past month has rocked our world. We worry for the health and safety…

My smartwatch keeps telling me my heart rate is elevated these days. It also keeps alerting me about a new…

As we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and begin to define our “new normal”, it’s important to acknowledge the impact these…

We are in a situation that most of us have never experienced. Amidst strict CDC recommendations to help contain the…

If you’ve been working on recovery from your eating disorder, you are probably well aware of the importance of staying…

I’ve loved ballet for as long as I can remember. As a toddler, I would use the safety rail on…

When times get hard, especially like the trying times we're going through now, it can be easy to allow anxiety…

New year, new you? NOPE! It is the time of year when the airwaves are filled with messages of resolutions…

As we celebrate the holidays, we are reunited with many family members and loved ones. We know from experience as…

I’m sure we’ve all heard the song, it’s the most wonderful time of the year. No matter what holiday(s) you…

Let’s keep it real, everyone wants to look good in whatever they’re wearing. Growing up, for others, affording a pair…

Experiencing a significant loss such as losing a loved one, a pet, a relationship, or a job can bring on…