A Journey Through Eating Disorders Support & Recovery

In the United States, turning “21” represents growing up, coming of age, and taking ownership of your identity as you embark on the next chapter of your life. We could not think of a more symbolic time than today, The Alliance’s 21st anniversary, to re-introduce ourselves to our community under our new name: National Alliance for Eating Disorders. Embracing our…

Growth in the fire “This will make you better.” Every time I asked why-- Why me? Why did I develop an eating disorder? Why did I relapse? -- these were the words I heard. But these were never the words I wanted to hear. When life seemed too hard to make it another moment, I didn’t want to be a…

I ran into the word resiliency while I was on social media. It was a reminder of something I wanted to embody. I thought maybe this could be my word for the year. It sounded hearty and tough. It showed a lot of grit. Last year and throughout this year, I have held onto the word hope. It has become…

Many eating disorders, such as Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa, are well-known even among non-medical professionals and oftentimes easy to point out. This is largely thanks to ongoing media attention and education efforts, but one eating disorder remains relatively unknown: ARFID. Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), which in the past was referred to as Selective Eating Disorder (SED), was finally…

“What do you need?” On the days I find myself on the therapy couch overwhelmed, overworked, anxious, and spinning, my therapist comes back to this key question. Most of the time I want to throw my arms up and say, “You’re the therapist, I don’t know…tell me, tell me what I need!” But the reality is I have these answers…

The past year has permanently changed my life, and not just for reasons relating to the pandemic. In May of 2020, I was diagnosed with an eating disorder and began an intensive outpatient treatment program (IOP). I was terrified. Being completely new to the world of eating disorders, I had no idea what recovery meant-- or if it was even…

Body image issues are often the most difficult aspect of eating disorder recovery to overcome. Dialogue around eating disorders and body image is usually centered around narratives of white, thin, able-bodied, heterosexual, and cisgender women. However, these conversations leave out the experiences of transgender and non-binary folks who often experience eating disorders and body image distress at disproportionately higher rates…

The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness’ Founder + CEO, Johanna Kandel, recently sat down with Renowned Singer, Actress, and Activist, Demi Lovato, and Activist and Founder of I Weigh, Jameela Jamil. Demi, Jameela, and Johanna have all been outspoken about their experiences with eating disorders and various other mental health issues. From chatting about the dangers of diet culture to…

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…