Stories of Hope Round-Up
Our Stories of Hope are meant to explore the many different paths and journeys in the road to recovery. Each person has a different experience to share, creating insights and experiences for others to feel inspired from. The Stories of Hope…
10 Ways to Add Sparkle to your Fourth of July
A celebration of independence from ED! Here are ten tips to make sure the Fourth of July is a step forward in your recovery. CHOOSE A BUDDY.Support. Support. Support. Find a friend or family member you can trust in for the day to help…
A Mother’s Day Message
This Mother’s Day, we want to thank all the wonderful mothers (and mother figures) for their unconditional love and support when caring for a loved one with an eating disorder.I want to give a special shout out to my own mother, Debbie, who…
What Would You Tell Your Younger Self?
If you could go back and talk to yourself at the beginning of your recovery journey, what would your wiser self say to your younger self?Looking back, I have so much compassion for the young woman who was brave enough to seek out recovery from…
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
When I was in the midst of my eating disorder I was terrified of the dark. I did anything I could to escape from darkness--those uncomfortable feelings of anxiety, deep depression and loneliness. I know what it feels like to live in darkness…
Learning to Feel: A Therapeutic Approach to Eating Disorders
In November, I turned 30 years old, which meant that I could no longer say that I had done gymnastics for the majority of my life. 15 years in the sport, 15 years out of it. I had a great gymnastics career… state titles, national championships,…
How Instagram Changed My Recovery
For years, my body didn’t belong to me. It was my disorder’s. Signed and paid for with my own self-hatred; countless hours at the gym on almost zero food; a scrap of paper I kept in my calendar to proudly mark the number of calories I’d…
Why Early Intervention for Eating Disorders is Essential
Treatment works best when delivered early. Research on treatments for eating disorders, as well as most mental health problems in general, indicates that early identification and treatment improves the speed of recovery, reduces symptoms…
Recipe for Recovery
When I think about what it takes to recover from an eating disorder, it is really many things working together … it is not just getting treatment, being motivated, or having a good support system. Recovery is a recipe, and community support…
Sweet Girls
While volunteering at a Los Angeles animal shelter, I met a brindle, ten-month-old pit bull named Sunny. She was very undernourished, and her tail looked like it had been chopped in half and then stomped on in three places. Yet despite her dire…