Eating Disorders, Trauma, and PTSD

Getting to the Root Cause to Treat Eating Disorders Eating disorders are rarely solely related to abnormal or disturbed eating habits. In fact, eating disorders are rarely even about food. As an integrative medicine practitioner with over thirty years of experience in treating eating disorders, knowing the root cause of eating disorders like bulimia, binge […]

Your Cause Shouldn’t Be Concerned With My Body

How often do advertisements and social media posts generate discussion not about the cause of the post or advertisement, but because of the way the message was delivered? Over the weekend, Moby, an American DJ and well known vegan activist, posted an image of two men grilling an assortment of meats with the caption, “I […]

Hillary Clinton Accepts NEDA’s Lifetime Achievement Award

NEDA was honored to recognize Hillary Clinton with the Lifetime Achievement Award at our 2017 Annual Gala in New York. Clinton was the very first United States senator to introduce bipartisan federal legislation to provide information and education on the prevention and treatment of eating disorders. Throughout her career, she has tackled the systemic issues […]

My Dad, My Recovery Hero

I consider myself extremely blessed to have a good relationship with my father. After my parents’ divorce, physical distance has become more common, but if anything, I’m lucky to have grown closer to him. As a result of the separation, my dad was out of the house before I first entered treatment for my anorexia, […]

To the Men Who Supported Us in Eating Disorder Recovery

Eating disorder recovery can be a battle. You need to be well-armed with courage, heart, patience and a strong army of supporters. In honor of Father’s Day, we asked our NEDA community members to share how the men in their lives (fathers, brothers, stepdads, grandfathers, etc.) stood by their side in recovery. Here’s what they […]

You Never Gave Up On Me, Dad

Dad, I remember when I was five years old. You took me to my elementary school parking lot on a sunny, warm evening to teach me how to ride a bike. I remember us staying in that wide, open parking lot until I was riding circles around you. The picture we have from that day, […]

Allow Yourself to Be Vulnerable: On Reconnecting With My Daughter

With Father’s Day approaching, I can think of no better gift than a conversation with my daughter, Anne. This wasn’t always the case. Not long ago, my conversations with Anne were punctuated by my own frustration and fear. I didn’t understand Anne or her eating disorder. Fearful that I would say something that would upset […]

How I Learned to Challenge My Anorexic Rules and Rituals

I was 30 years old when I started restricting. It wasn’t a choice or an attempt to lose weight. I had just found out my husband was having an affair. When I confronted him, he left to live 450 miles away and I became a single mum to our two girls, aged 2 and 4. […]

Challenging Disordered Norms in Running Culture

I remember the magic of my first cross-country season back in 7th grade. I remember how running felt more like playing. How I literally laughed as I ran, because I was having so much fun. How races were adventures between me and my teammates. I remember so clearly, because this free-spirited joy in running now […]

To the Friends Who Kept Fighting for Us

A best friend is always there for you. They will make you laugh until you cry, support you through late nights of studying and working, motivate you to not give up, and they’ll come running to your side no matter the time of day. They allow you to let your true colors shine with no […]