Celebrate National Book Month with Books About Eating Disorder Recovery
October is National Book Month, which celebrates the importance of reading, writing, and literature. It is also a time to recognize books that can help us grow. Eating disorders thrive in secrecy and are isolating in nature.
By: Dawn Lundin
An important concept that can strengthen your recovery is connection, which can be found through shared experiences and conversation. Many books provide facts as important resources about eating disorders, lived experiences as memoirs, and thought-shifting activities through workbooks.
Keep reading for a list of recommended books to read, reread, or share with those in recovery, family members, and treatment providers. If you are recovering from an eating disorder and unsure if you should read a particular title in this list, please contact your treatment team for guidance.
Books to Learn About Eating Disorders Or Support Someone
If you want to learn more about your eating disorder or support a struggling loved one, consider 8 Keys to Recovery From an Eating Disorder by Carolyn Costin & Gwen Schubert Grabb. It provides a unique perspective of lived experience, writing prompts, and evidence-based approaches to recovery. Another great resource is Sick Enough by Jennifer Gaudiani. It provides a thorough overview of medical complications caused by eating disorders using patient-centered language and case studies.
Books To Learn From Athletes With Lived Experience
If you want to hear from others with lived experience with an eating disorder as an athlete, consider Brave Enough by Jessie Diggins. Jessie is an Olympic gold medalist in Nordic skiing and has lived experience with an eating disorder. Another book written by someone with lived experience is Running In Silence by Rachael Stein. Rachael is a former collegiate runner who shares her struggles with perfectionism with food and sport.
Books About Body Acceptance
If you want to learn more about body acceptance, consider The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor. It encourages the reader to rethink the shame and oppression of all bodies. It provides a road map to pursue radical self-love and to celebrate everybody. Another book addressing feelings about our bodies is More Than a Body by Lindsay & Lexie Kit, which provides an action plan for connecting with yourself and using feelings of body shame to fuel personal growth. Another book about approaching self-esteem and body image is Body Neutrality by Eleanor Clark. It focuses on acceptance and liberation by encouraging a shift toward seeing your body as a vessel. It includes activities and examples of body neutrality from the author.
No matter where you are on your path to healing your relationship with food and your body, reading books can be a great way to learn and expand your perspectives on recovery. Remember to check in with your treatment team about books that may be potentially triggering or disruptive to your recovery journey.
At BALANCE eating disorder treatment center™, our compassionate, highly skilled team of clinicians is trained in diagnosing and treating the spectrum of eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, compulsive overeating, and other disordered eating behaviors and body image issues. We have multiple free handbooks to learn more about different eating disorders available for download here.
Our admissions team would happily answer any questions about you or a loved one receiving eating disorder treatment for anorexia or another eating disorder. Book a free consultation call with our admissions team below, or read more about our philosophy here.
This post was written by BALANCE Blog Contributor, Dawn Lundin (she/her).
Dawn Lundin, MS, RD is a registered dietitian and owner of Restore Ease Dietetics which is a virtual nutrition private practice that focuses on mental health + sports nutrition. She primarily with adolescents and young adults with eating disorders. She believes in meeting clients where they are at which provides a unique client-focused approach to recovery. She lives in Marquette, Michigan with her husband and three sons. As a family, they love to travel and spend time outdoors. She also enjoys mountain biking, running, cross-country skiing, being on or in the water, and knitting.
References
Book. Jessie Diggins. https://jessiediggins.com/book/. Accessed October 5, 2023.
Eating Disorder Book Recommendations. National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. https://anad.org/get-informed/book-recommendations/. Accessed October 9, 2023.
National Book Month. National Today.
https://nationaltoday.com/national-book-month/#:~:text=National%20Book%20Month%20is%20 held,announces%20the%20year%27s%2015%20finalists.. Accessed October 9, 2023.
Our Book. More than a Body. https://www.morethanabody.org/more-than-a-body-book/. Accessed October 5, 2023.
Recommended Media. Kayla Jessop Nutrition.
https://www.kaylajessopnutrition.com/recommended-media. Accessed October 9, 2023.
Shop. Sonya Renee Taylor.
https://www.sonyareneetaylor.com/books/the-body-is-not-an-apology-the-power-of-radical-self-lo ve-h2x6p?. Accessed October 5, 2023.