Expressing My Eating Disorder Struggle Through Art Therapy
RecoveryMy name is Hannah and I am recovering from anorexia nervosa. It's been about six years now and here I am, sharing my story for the first time. My general motto is, “Go big or go home,” which is kind of what I am doing here. There is…
Navigating Binge Eating Disorder Recovery During the Holiday Season
Binge Eating Disorder, RecoveryThe holidays can be a challenging time of year for many people. Some get stressed out because they’re hosting, some are anxious because of the time with family or being around a lot of people. Others may have a really hard time being around…
Graphic Novel “Ink in Water” Portrays Eating Disorder Recovery Through a Punk-Feminist Lens
RecoveryLacy Davis is a writer, podcaster, lifting coach, and gym owner. An unabashed feminist and tattoo enthusiast, Davis wrote Ink in Water: An Illustrated Memoir (Or, How I Kicked Anorexia’s Ass and Embraced Body Positivity) to show that being…
Beyond the Binary: My Experience as a Gender Nonconforming Person in Recovery
LGBTQIA+, Recovery, Special TopicsEating disorders are stereotypically viewed as illnesses that plague young, upper-class, white females. This idea is perpetuated by a variety of factors, including the media, and prevents other people with eating disorders from seeking or receiving…
Navigating Eating Disorder Recovery While Visibly Trans
LGBTQIA+, RecoveryI’ve been in recovery for my eating disorder for eight, going on nine years now.When I typed that sentence while brainstorming for this blog post, I first felt a sense of intense pride in myself and how far I’ve come from the scared, 18-year-old…
7 Ways to Make Recovery Communities More Trans Affirming
LGBTQIA+, Recovery, Special TopicsIt’s Transgender Awareness Week, a time meant to raise visibility and acceptance for transgender and gender non-conforming people. As one of the most marginalized groups in America today, transgender people are often denied access to basic…
To the Coach Who Never Gave Up On Me: Thank You
Athletes, RecoveryThe day I began treatment for my eating disorder was the August before the start of my sophomore year of high school. It was also the day my season of cross country track was scheduled to start. After my pediatrician was unable to sign off on…
Discovering My Inner Beauty in Recovery
RecoveryWhen I think back to my high school years, it was a series of rituals. The same foods, the same habits, the same clothes; everything was a routine because in my mind, that’s when things were in control. The truth is, I was anything BUT in…
Tearing Down the Walls My Eating Disorder Built
RecoveryThree out of my 16 years of life were spent in my eating disorder. It was a silent battle—I appeared as smiley as ever, even through the weeks of being too nauseated to eat, let alone function properly. It wasn’t that I was unloved; I’ve…
Dear Leon: How Can I Find an LGBTQ+ Positive Therapist?
LGBTQIA+, Recovery, Special TopicsLeon Silvers is a psychotherapist, founder, and director of Silvers Psychotherapy, a group therapy practice in NYC. He specializes in working with clients with eating disorders, substance abuse, trauma, and LGBT issues. He has worked in various…