A Journey Through Eating Disorders Support & Recovery

One in seven. One in five. 41.9 million. Males who experience an eating disorder by age 40. Females who experience an eating disorder by age 40. Estimated number of unrepresented global eating disorder cases in 2019. (1, 2) The toll these disorders take on human life is staggering, not just in sheer numbers but in cases that so often impact…

I remember the first time the word fat was used as an insult to me — kindergarten. Recklessly thrown at me for just existing as a 5-year-old in a large body, the word fat became the thing I feared most. I began to see my body only as something to shrink. My love for cheese and apples turned into apples…

Monte Nido Strives for NOT ONE MORE Silent Struggle In our support of NOT ONE MORE Weekend this year, we continue our work breaking down stigmas so that those who may be suffering from an eating disorder feel safe enough and empowered to ask for help. We strive for a world where there is “Not One More Silent Struggle.” In…

Eating disorders affect over eight million people. Eating disorders can be debilitating and are potentially deadly. Many of those suffering with an eating disorder will seek out care from general practitioners and specialists to manage medical complications but may not receive treatment for their eating disorder directly. Most providers receive little to no education on eating disorders and don’t have…

In my work with individuals with eating disorders I commonly find that fear keeps them trapped in their illness. Often I find it is not that they want their eating disorder, as much as it is that they are fearful of the unknowns of life without it. Common “what ifs” that trap these beautiful souls in the confines of their…

What I Would’ve Told my Teenage Self I celebrated my 38th birthday this week…inching closely to the big 4 – 0. Some of my friends and family talk about aging in the wrong way like it’s a bad thing. But I liken it more to this famous David Bowie quote, “Aging is an extraordinary process where you become the person…

To me, NOT ONE MORE means not another precious moment spent enslaved to rules that do nothing but erode self-trust and drain the color from life. It means putting an end to the vortex of a disorder that monopolizes your brain space leaving only exhaustion and debilitating shame. NOT ONE MORE means reclaiming that brain space so people can remember…

Eating disorders are cruel illnesses. They hide in the shadows of shame and secrecy, demanding all the attention they can get. They manipulate those suffering into isolating themselves from those they love most. Eating disorders can make people cancel dinner plans with friends because of anxiety about eating in public. They can convince an individual to tell lies about whether…

28.8 million Americans will have an eating disorder in their lifetime. 28.8 million. A number so large, it’s hard to comprehend. Like other facts and figures missing context, it risks washing over us, the gust too big and too abstract to grasp. To put it into perspective, if we were to call each person by name, assuming we could name…

Diagnosing an eating disorder comes with an intense, complicated, and often tragic history. (We touch on it a bit in our history of diet culture if you’re curious.) In the last couple of centuries, modern medicine has necessitated a structured approach to medical diagnoses so treatment can have a scientific approach. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)…