What I Know To Be True About Myself
Don Blackwell — who is well-known in the eating disorder community and who is affectionately called “Twitter Dad” by more than one of us — gave us all a homework assignment a few nights ago. Take out a piece of paper and at the top of it write, “What I Know To Be True About Myself.” Then list all of the positive attributes (non-physical) of your authentic self. There is a wisdom to this practice that goes beyond simply being your own cheerleader. It is meant to serve you in moments when your very self is at stake. You may in a situation where another person is...
Read More“Just Eat” Documentary Takes on National Injustice
Eating disorders are deadly illnesses. Whether it’s the physical complications that kill you — cardiac arrest, organ failure, or otherwise — or it’s suicide prompted by the extreme mood disturbances, eating disorders, if left untreated, do not end well. In fact, they have the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses. And yet, in addition to being the deadliest, they are the most overlooked, underfunded, and misunderstood. We in the eating disorder community are very familiar with these incongruities. Now, the public will also get an inside look at the things we suffer day...
Read MoreMoney, Power, and Eating Disorder Justice
I’m a bit late in writing this, as it has been an up-and-down sort of week. Better late than never, right? Last Wednesday I had the totally awesome experience of joining members of the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) for Mental Health Matters Day in Albany. We met with legislators and their staff to advocate on behalf of important eating disorder issues, especially matters of justice and accessing treatment. Specifically, we were asking 1) to help close the gap between so-called mental health parity justice and what insurers REALLY end up covering for mental health (i.e., not...
Read MoreBefore and After Photos: To Post or Not To Post?
I stumbled upon a before and after picture this morning while mindlessly browsing Facebook. I couldn’t look away. The girl (who I know from treatment) was severely underweight in the photo. I was simultaneously horrified and captivated. For a moment, I was transported back into the eating disorder mindset. I remembered the “good” feeling of seeing the number on the scale drop. I remembered how “accomplished” I felt watching myself shrink. Eventually, I was able to talk myself down from it. I reminded myself that although losing weight did make me feel “good” and “accomplished,” the good...
Read MoreNational Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2015: Wrapping Up
Saturday marked the close of National Eating Disorder Awareness week. As I wrote in my first post, I spent last year’s Awareness Week in a residential treatment facility. Throughout the week we did various activities to mark the occasion (not that we needed any additional awareness about what eating disorders are). (Tangent — I have an amusing image in my mind of our art projects ending up on display somewhere, with someone enthusiastically telling onlookers, “Here you’ll see the therapeutic work of actual eating disorder patients. Notice the dark colors they paint with, as well as the...
Read More
I'm a writer, a mental health activist, and a 20-something in recovery from an eating disorder. This blog chronicles my journey through the middle ground toward full recovery.
