Eating Disorders: A “Relatable” Mental Illness

People sometimes think they understand eating disorders because they can “relate.” They can relate to feeling unattractive, or not liking their body, or wanting to meet societal beauty standards. They too have skipped a meal, or forced themselves to exercise, or haven’t liked what they see in the mirror. And that’s what an eating disorder is, right?

Thinking the above keeps people from seeing what an eating disorder actually is: a severe and life-threatening mental illness.

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The Cliff

Jutting out from a dark abyss was a cliff so tall I felt like nothing beside it. I didn’t know how I’d gotten there, all I knew was that the only way out of this painful, suffocating place was up.

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Coping with Loss Post-Recovery

Grief is an overwhelmingly difficult emotion at any point in life, and can be particularly destructive to a person’s mental health when they’re struggling with a mental illness. While my experience with loss is post-ED recovery, I’m here to talk about how I coped, with the hope that it can help someone wherever they are on their recovery journey.

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Eating Disorders Anonymous Helped Me Recover

When I arrived as a freshman on my college campus, I immediately searched for support. Continue reading “Eating Disorders Anonymous Helped Me Recover” →

Mini-EDs

Part of what made recovery so difficult was how eating disordered behavior was, and still is, reinforced by mainstream culture.

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Recovered: What Does That Mean?

How do you know when you’re recovered?

As with all things recovery, there is no checklist. What’s a big deal for one person’s recovery might not be all that important for someone else’s. But, here are the some of the reasons I consider myself recovered:

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