It is Eating Disorder Awareness Week (February 27-March 3) 2023!
#EDAW #EDAW2023 #NEDA #antidiet #NOTONEMORE, #EatingDisordersAwarenessWeek #ItsTimeforChange #EatingDisordersAwarenessWeek2023
This event, started by NEDA 39 years ago, highlights Strength Through Knowledge & Experience as well as It’s Time for Change. There are a lot of resources, social media events, and local events scheduled, so check out their events! And another great resource Alliance for Eating Disorders @alliancefored
Every eating disorder treatment center, provider, advocate, and size activist is highlighting the importance of getting information out and making our voices heard!
Strength Through Knowledge & Experience
An eating disorder is not something you are meant to handle alone. Even if social connections were not integral to our overall mental health, you would need support to start and stay in recovery.
My clients with eating disorders tend to be some of the most driven, stubborn, and intelligent people I know. These all have pros and cons, of course. But driven, stubborn, and intelligent people tend to be reluctant to ask for help. In ED recovery, this generally means that they go it alone for too long, keep secrets about their ED from the people they love, and avoid any sense of vulnerability even when it hurts them in the long run.
If you know someone like this (or you are someone like this!) who needs help, I encourage you to find a therapist, dietitian, or doctor who specializes in eating disorder recovery and let them help you! It takes more strength to bring up your concerns to your loved ones and ask for help than it does to avoid this issue.
It’s Time for Change
Anyone who has read this blog knows that I am #antidiet and #endweightstigma. We have spent too long thinking that anorexia is the only ED and that dieting is normal (even positive) and need to end that ongoing, dangerous, destructive, and illogical cycle.
I don’t want to get too off topic, but please check out some of the other blogs I have written that speak more to that:
Why Size Doesn’t Matter (part 1) – Fashion Industry v. Size Stigma
Why Size Doesn’t Matter (part 2) – What You Can Do to Combat Size Stigma
Why Size Doesn’t Matter (part 3) – Body Image is Not a Straight Line
Myths About Eating Disorders – Part 1 & Part 2
Shades of Gray – Ethical Eating Disorder Treatment
The single most important thing you can do to increase awareness and end stigma is to talk to other people about eating disorders, weight stigma, mental health, and all of the things that you care about – so if you only do one thing during Eating Disorder Awareness Week, talk to someone! Talk to a loved one, talk to a random person, talk to someone you are worried about, talk to your therapist, whoever! As always, you can also contact me!