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When a loved one has an eating disorder, it can be difficult to know what to say or how to best support them. Especially if you have never known someone with an eating disorder, you can feel uncertain about knowing how not to upset them or worsen their eating disorder. Whether someone is in recovery for an eating disorder, recently shared with you that they might have an eating disorder, or shows concerning signs of disordered eating or an eating disorder, it is important to know how to best convey a message of compassion and understanding.
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Our goal with recognizing mental health is to eradicate the shame & stigma that comes with the notion that mental illnesses are any individual’s fault or shortcoming and focus on how we can support our immediate communities at the micro level and build better systems of support at the macro level.
On this World Mental Health Day, we all need to be seen and understood, not stigmatized or judged.
Perhaps you’re here because you already suspect there’s a problem. Perhaps you’ve simply been stuck in the media wormhole of distressing articles about the growing mental health crisis among teenagers and the negative impact social media is having on their body image. Either way, you’re in the right place.Read on for all the major signs to watch out for when identifying eating disorders in teens, common risk factors, and how parents and guardians can approach recovery.
Speaking to a therapist is one of the most significant steps you can take on the path of eating disorder recovery. Therapy can also be very vulnerable which is why it’s so important to find someone that makes you feel comfortable and can provide consistent, effective long-term care.But what qualities should you be looking for? And what questions can you ask a potential eating disorders therapist to make sure they align with you? We have everything you need to know right here.Therapists and therapeutic approaches for eating disorders can vary greatly. As do each of our specific experiences with eating disorders. You deserve the chance to find support that matches your exact needs so that you can get the most out of it.
Heading back to school is a time of transition that may bring up a variety of feelings, including stress, anxiety, uncertainty, excitement, and dread. For students experiencing eating disorders or disordered eating, this can be an especially challenging period to navigate, and it is completely normal to encounter intense and complex emotions during this time. Understanding and preparing for the unique stressors, changes, and pressures of returning to school is important as we care for our emotional well-being and prioritize our healing (or look to support loved ones who are heading back to school).
Do you find yourself constantly worrying about how “healthy” your food is? Orthorexia, an eating disorder marked by an obsession with healthy eating, can take over your life in ways you might not expect. According to research conducted in the United States, this condition affects about 7% of the general population. It's not just about eating well; it often crosses the line in a way that can affect your physical health, mental well-being, and social life. Here are the five most common signs that you may have orthorexia.
Food has always been central to my family. Coming home from college, I am lucky to be greeted with my dad’s handmade dumplings. The night of a family member’s birthday, we convene at the kitchen table and enjoy a feast of tofu and bok choy (a symbol of prosperity), bean sprouts, fish, and noodles (a symbol of longevity). Thinking of my childhood, I fondly remember the delightfully savory beef noodle soup at a local Chinese restaurant (that unfortunately closed down during the pandemic) that my family would visit to celebrate small milestones in my adolescence—a piano recital, a soccer tournament, the end of a long school year.
Growing up in the 90s, I always wanted to be pretty. But I concluded that I was not. And my mental health suffered for it.
As long as I can remember, the holiday season (Thanksgiving through New Years Day) has always been “awkward” to say the least. But it went from annoyingly tolerable to terrifying when I developed an eating disorder in my early teens.
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