Posts Tagged ‘Eating Disorder Recovery’

So many of us struggle to show ourselves love. Often, we’re too hard on ourselves and don’t realize it until we reach a breaking point. Taking the time to prioritize self-love has striking health benefits, and is an important part of life and recovery. In this blog, learn some of the ways you can practice self-love and give yourself the care you deserve.

What Is Self-Love?                                                

Self-love involves being mindful of your own happiness and wellbeing, as well as taking care of your own needs. Practicing self-love is particularly important during eating disorder recovery. Recovery is challenging, and it’s common to become discouraged and put yourself down. Try not to let those negative self-thoughts overwhelm you. Recovery doesn’t happen overnight. There are many new skills to learn and incorporate into your life. Remind yourself that you’re moving in the right direction, and trust that your hard work and patience will pay off.

You can also rely on support people to help you when you’re saying critical things about yourself. Ask yourself what you need first. Do you need someone to point out when you’re saying self-critical things? Do you need someone to redirect you when you are in a bad headspace? Just like support for recovery, support for self-love comes in different forms. Words of affirmation might work for some, while others may need alone time. Talk with your support people to determine a plan that fits your recovery.

**Content warning: This is one person’s story; everyone will have unique experiences in recovery and beyond. Some stories may mention eating disorder thoughts, behaviors, and symptoms. Please use your discretion when reading and speak with your support system as needed.    

Megan Bazzini is an anorexia survivor. She’s an American graduating from an Italian business school in June 2022. Her country-hopping uni years opened her heart and mind to choosing herself, recovery, and giving back. This is only the beginning of her advocacy for destigmatizing eating disorders. She is seeking literary representation for five novels featuring characters with eating disorders. You can follow her on Twitter (@BazziniBooks) or her portfolio.

Here at The Emily Program, we are recognizing Eating Disorders Awareness Week, an annual campaign to educate the public about the realities of eating disorders, as well as provide hope, support, and visibility to individuals and families affected by these illnesses. 

In honor of this week, we are spotlighting five episodes of Peace Meal that raise awareness and provide education on eating disorders. Peace Meal, a podcast we co-produce with Veritas Collaborative, covers topics related to eating disorders, body image, and how society may influence our thinking. In each episode, our host Dr. Jillian Lampert speaks with experts in the field and those experiencing recovery for themselves. Check out these five episodes to learn the basics of eating disorders and who they affect, why it’s possible to recover, and more. 

The Emily Program recognizes National Eating Disorders Awareness Week each February with education surrounding the illness that affects our clients and their families. Similar to other kinds of awareness campaigns, this national campaign aims to increase public understanding and support for the cause. Eating disorder awareness is especially important, because although they are common mental health conditions, they are often misunderstood.

Nearly 30 million Americans experience an eating disorder in their lifetime. Unfortunately, many of these individuals will not receive treatment due to stigma, misinformation, and treatment access barriers. Making eating disorders visible as a serious illness is essential to improving the detection and intervention of the disorder. In this blog, we discuss the types, causes, signs, and consequences of eating disorders, as well as an overview of the multidisciplinary team that treats them. 

Episode description: 

Erin Werner is a mental health administrator, student, makeup artist, and ordained minister who enjoys being present with her family, cooking, and baking. In this episode of Peace Meal, she shares her eating disorder experience, including the factors that contributed to her illness, her process of seeking help, and the power of mindful self-compassion in her recovery.

Erin recounts her struggle with multiple eating disorders, illnesses that were characterized by bingeing, restricting, and purging throughout her adolescence and into her 20s. She then explains how, with the help of her parents, she started therapy and learned to identify the factors and co-occurring issues that were masking and influencing these conditions. Over time and with professional help, she learned the skill of mindful self-compassion, which was critical to her recovery. She shares how she has developed better coping mechanisms through the practice of self-compassion and overall feels more at peace with herself, her body, and food. In addition to finding a passion for cooking, she can now see food for what it is, fuel for the body. 

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Being an athlete can often come with all kinds of pressure. Pressure to perform the best, pressure to win, and pressure to have your body look a certain way. All of this pressure and emphasis on the body contributes to the disproportionately high rates of eating disorders in athletes. In this blog, we explain the risk factors and warning signs of eating disorders in athletes, as well as the importance of valuing the person over their performance.