Resources for Those Struggling with Eating Disorders

This week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. 

It is important to be aware of and educated on the different types of eating disorders and what they entail. This way, you can be sensitive to those around you and get help for them or yourself if needed. Eating disorders are serious and can be caused by many different psychological, biological, or social factors. 

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, 28.8 million Americans will have an eating disorder in their lifetime, and only 27% of women receive treatment for it. Children are not exempt from this struggle, as girls start to worry about their weight from ages 6 to 10. Only 20% of adolescents with eating disorders try to find treatment. 

It is possible to recover from an eating disorder. 

There are resources for you, and treatment is available. Take a look at the list below!

Resources

• Book now to talk with a therapist at Novo Life Counseling!

• The Body Image Workbook: An Eight-Step Program for Learning to Like Your Looks by Thomas F. Cash, Ph.D. 

• The Body Image Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help Girls Develop a Healthy Body Image in an Image-Obsessed Work by Julia V. Taylor, MA 

• Read How to Nourish Your Child Through an Eating Disorder: A Simple, Plate-by-Plate Approach to Rebuilding a Healthy Relationship with Food 

• Educate yourself through the informational videos at Duke Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Academy for Eating Disorders. 

• Find specific virtual support groups, a recovery mentor, and a free treatment directory at the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD)

• Eating disorder treatment in Seattle, WA: The Emily Program. Options include partial inpatient treatment, intensive outpatient treatment, nutrition therapy with a dietitian, individual therapy, group therapy, and family therapy. 

• For children: Seattle Children’s offers medical, nutritional, and mental health care for kids and teens with eating disorders 

• Opal: Food+Body Wisdom Treatment in Seattle, WA (ages 18+)

• Find additional resources at the Eating Recovery Center website!

If you are struggling with your body image or an eating disorder, remember:

You are not alone. Your beauty is not defined by your weight. Your eating disorder is not your identity. Your body deserves kindness. There is grace in the process of healing!