Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is more common than you think. Learn about its signs, treatment, and how to seek help for recovery. Download our FREE Binge Eating Disorder Recovery Handbook.
For those of you who are Halloween fanatics, it is spooky season! And for those, such as myself, who are scaredey cats, it is pumpkin season! No matter where you fall on the spectrum of Halloween enthusiasm, enjoying October with a recovery-oriented mindset is crucial to help you create memories and experiences.
Eating during lunch at school can add an unwelcome layer of anxiety when recovering from an eating disorder. While the structure and schedule school brings can be relieving, the public setting can also be stressful. There may be triggers at school, but it is possible to focus on your recovery regardless of outside influences.
The population of the United States is approximately 340 million people, and roughly 28.8 million Americans have an eating disorder. This is a staggering number of people, and there are steps we can take to positively impact people with eating disorders. One actionable step we can take is to shift the language we use by eliminating unhelpful phrases and comments from our everyday lives.
Eating disorder recovery is challenging for everyone involved, including parents of those with eating disorders. While working through recovery is more rewarding than staying stuck in an eating disorder, it is important to remember that recovery is not a linear process. This can make supporting your child in recovery feel demanding and exhausting.
A new school year comes with new schedules, classes, activities, and responsibilities like work, raising a family, caring for family members, or extracurricular activities. And as if all that does not sound chaotic enough, for those in eating disorder recovery, we still need to add our recovery and meal plan to the list of priorities.
Maintaining stable relationships with loved ones in recovery can be challenging. People with eating disorders often isolate themselves and act differently than they do when they are not struggling. That does not mean all hope is lost or that you, as part of their support system, should give up or stop doing what is best for them.
Families can play a crucial role in supporting recovery. While eating disorders are by no means a direct reflection of parents' or siblings' approach to food, it is necessary to be self-aware about food or movement. Whether you change rules around eating at the dinner table, how you comment on your own food intake or exercise choices, or even rethink comments about appearance in general, listening to your child and their support team can be incredibly helpful.
Beginning eating disorder recovery can be overwhelming. For many, beginning recovery signals an active choice to relearn the body’s cues, often the first thing to go when developing or maintaining an eating disorder. Because of this tendency to see one’s body as an enemy, learning to love your hunger cues, rest cues, energy cues, and discomfort is exhausting. And while there are many components to recovery, yoga has recently been studied for its focus on being present and listening to your body.
The common stereotype that eating disorders exist only among thin, white young females is false. Anyone can experience disordered eating and eating disorders, no matter their size, race, age, or gender. Anyone struggling with eating disorders is just as deserving of proper diagnosis, care, and recovery.
While it is no secret that eating disorders and food or body distress have an immense negative impact on your physical body, they also significantly impact your brain and thought patterns. In the recovery process, it is essential to take back your thoughts and reestablish a positive self-talk practice.
The picture of a nostalgic, heartwarming holiday season permeates our collective idea of what the winter season ‘should’ be. But, for many people who struggle with food, body distress, and other mental health issues, it can feel more like a nightmare. The winter season can feel isolating and stressful. Changes in routine, pressure from family and friends, school and work commitments, and beyond can feel like the perfect storm of isolating anxiety.
