Home Gloria: Finding My Recovery Where Do I Go From Here? I’m standing in the shower, trying to wash off the feeling, but no matter how long I stand under the running water, the feeling doesn’t go away. The hunger, however, lingers, and I cling to it like a lifeline, hoping it will cleanse me of the impurities I feel. Nonetheless, it hollows me from the inside out, grabbing onto me with its claws no matter where I go. Did the trauma come first or did the eating disorder? Did the egg come first or did the chicken? It’s a classic unresolved question, but at this point, I am the unresolved ..read more

Home Chronic Illness, Eating Disorders, and Body Image By Tamie Gangloff, MA, MFT, Hidden River We’re excited to share a post originally published on Hidden River Blog exploring the intersection between chronic illness, eating disorders, and body image.  How do we recover from an eating disorder and trust our body, in a body that is differently abled? Many people develop an eating disorder as a result of body image disturbance and being in a body that “doesn’t work the way it is supposed to.” Chronic medical conditions and trauma associated with complex surgeries can lead to po ..read more

Home The Link Between Eating Disorders and Substance Use By: Natalie Newton, LPC, Director of Clinical Services, Alsana We’re sharing a post originally published on the Alsana Blog exploring the link between eating disorders and substance use.  Eating disorders and substance use disorders are mental illnesses – not moral failings. The co-occurrence of both types of disorders, known as “dual diagnosis” or “co-occurring disorders,” is not uncommon. With early detection, treatment intervention, and ongoing support, recovery is possible. What Are Substance Use Disorders? Substance ..read more

Home Eating Disorder Vs. Me By: Jamie Lewkowitz It was like tug-of-war every day, except eating disorders are far from a game. Back-and-forth my mind would go, from eating disorder thoughts to my healthy-self thoughts, then back to eating disorder thoughts again. Who would ‘win’ that meal, that snack, or that day? Or better yet, who would ‘win’ at the end of it all?  Eating disorders are a serious mental illness. Sadly, someone loses their life to an eating disorder every 52 minutes. That’s more than 10,000 deaths per year in addition to the increased risk of suicide among those ..read more

The post Ally | Surviving To Thriving in Recovery appeared first on ANAD - National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders ..read more

Home Jami | Breaking Free of My Eating Disorder By Jami S. My name is Jami and I have been in recovery from my eating disorder for one and a half years. I live in Dyersville, Iowa (think Field of Dreams) with my husband and four kids.  A year ago, I started to open up about my eating disorder because I was tired of the stigma that comes with eating disorders. I reached out to NAMI Dubuque to see if we could get a support group started to help those who are suffering from eating disorders/disordered eating behaviors.  My dream came true and I currently facilitate a group with ..read more

Home Dear world, GEN Z needs your help By Jennifer Yu, All Bodies Coalition Too often forgotten in the discussion surrounding eating disorders, and unfortunately too often the demographic most impacted by them, GEN Z is struggling now more than ever to find ways to love, honor, and nourish their bodies. Eating disorders thrive with unrealistic expectations Following a decade-long surge of social media and it’s inevitable integration to modern society, GEN Z, of whom have grown up at the hands of apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube, now find it hard to establish a strong sense ..read more

Home Rayna | Overcoming Cultural Stigma By: Rayna We’re grateful to Rayna for sharing her experience of eating disorder recovery while growing up in a middle eastern household! No Confidence and Wanted Change The word taboosh in Lebanese is a word my mom used to call me that means chubby. How could a two-vowel word destroy my life? It was my nickname in my family. My family would call me it as a joke, but to me, every time I heard that word, my heart would sink. It made my self-esteem drop to a low, and I wanted to hide under my bed covers and dissipate from reality. I didn’t want p ..read more

Home My ARFID Recovery Story: I Felt Alone—Until I Found Peer Mentorship By: Kelsey Gilchriest, Equip Peer Mentor Once when I met with a new registered dietitian for the first time, I mentioned my eating disorder. She immediately assumed it was anorexia nervosa. When I began to explain that it wasn’t, she cut me off – “is it bulimia?” Attempting to contain my frustration, I said, “no, I have ARFID.” Her response was, “what’s ARFID?” This wasn’t the first time I’d been asked this question by a medical professional. My eating disorder is far less common than the ones most people grow up ..read more

Home Addie | My Last Imaginary Friend The Descent I was the child who would swim until my hands were raisins, completely blocking out moms screams to put on sunscreen. I didn’t need sunscreen, I was a mermaid! But then I was also a licensed driver—able to travel the world of my patio on a plasma toy car. Some days I was a witch, a good one, that turned backyard pebbles into princes. My imagination granted me the power to never be lonely. I always had a new friend to make and a new life to live.  Like most imaginary friends, mine started to die off as I grew up. Slowly but surely re ..read more