Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2024
March, 2024
This week is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, a week that is near and dear to my heart. As someone who is recovered from her own eating disorder, I view this week as an opportunity to spread awareness and share resources for those who are affected by eating disorders in any way. In this post, I hope to shed some light on the pertinence of eating disorders, as well as provide some guidance for anyone looking for eating disorder support.
The way that the majority of the modern day population still misconstrues what eating disorders are, who they affect, and how they might manifest, is a problem that needs to be addressed. First and foremost, eating disorders are complex mental illnesses that may have physical manifestations— these disorders do not have one specific “look.” To be completely frank (because this situation warrants it—we need to address this issue head-on, and with complete honesty), these disorders are often portrayed only as young, thin, white women who suffer from anorexia. It is absolutely 100% true that young, thin, white women can suffer from anorexia, and my goal is not to invalidate their experiences. My intention is to point out that while this patient population does exist, so do many others, which are seldom recognized. People of ANY gender, ANY age, ANY body type, ANY race/ethnicity, and ANY sexual identity can suffer from an eating disorder, and there are so many more types of eating disorders outside of anorexia— bulimia, binge-eating disorder, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, and pica, to name a few. Eating disorders can present themselves in different ways for different people, and ANYONE who suffers from an eating disorder has a completely valid experience of their own. If you are suffering, you ARE sick enough. Your experience is important, you are seen, and you are not alone.
To that end, I urge anyone experiencing concerns around eating to seek treatment. Eating disorder treatment can come in a variety of forms.
Treatment can look like going to a therapist to talk about your thoughts and feelings, to process them and practice ways to work through and challenge them.
It can look like participating in an intensive outpatient program or a partial hospitalization program, which are both at the outpatient level of care, and meet from 3-7 days per week for ~ 3-6 hours/day (though this can vary). These programs involve supported meals and therapist-led groups designed to combat an individual’s eating disorder using internal tools.
Treatment can look like residential or inpatient/hospital stays, for 24/7 medical and psychological support. These levels of care are for patients who require needs that surpass the support that outpatient treatment can provide, for example, medical stabilization. Residential and inpatient/hospital stays may seem scary, but sometimes, they can make the difference someone needs to find their way to recovery.
Never is any form of receiving eating disorder treatment something to be ashamed of. Never will you be “weak” for reach out for help. You are worthy of recovery and you are worthy of support. Below I’ve provided some resources specific to eating disorders— I hope that they help you with what you might need, whether you are simply seeking more information, or whether you yourself are looking for accessible treatment options.
The National Alliance for Eating Disorders is an incredible resource for the eating disorder community. Not only does it provide education about eating disorders, it also provides free, therapist-led support groups on a weekly basis. You can find those support groups here. Additionally, by reaching out to referrals@allianceforeatingdisorders.com or to 866-662-1235, you can be provided with referrals for eating disorder providers. I utilized this referral service in my own recovery, and can attest to the Alliance’s responsiveness and care.
The Eating Recovery Center also provides free support groups. They have many support group options, for individuals struggling with an eating disorder or supporting someone struggling. Some of their groups include an “LGBTQ+ Eating Disorder & Body Image Support Group,” a “College Student/Early Adult Support Group,” and a “Family & Caregiver Support Group: Child & Adolescent Patients,” among many others.
One more online support group can be found here, through Alsana. This support group meets every other week, and is open to anyone suffering from an eating disorder.
Lastly, the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders has a mentorship program that pairs individuals with a mentor who will support them over the course of 6 months with the goal of working towards recovery. Mentors are eating disorder recovered, which can be immensely helpful for mentees, as they will have someone who fully understands what they are going through. To express interest in this program, visit this site. Note that individuals who apply will need a therapist’s approval.
I hope that this was helpful to someone out there. Recovery IS possible, even if it seems like it isn’t, and there are so many people out there who value and accept you for YOU. Keep on going. <3