Recovering from an Eating Disorder in College: A Survival Guide

“Hey, look at that tree, Annie. That’s just like you. Your roots go down so deep, and one day you will be like that tree—reaching out, expanding, flourishing so that you can help others.” As I am about to begin my senior year, I am reminded of these comments my mother made to me as […]

3 Ways to Create a Healthy Dorm Environment

So, you want to live with six girls? Fabulous. They will be the most caring, compassionate, and intelligent people you have ever encountered—but when you put so many people in an enclosed space, issues tend to manifest. College is a vulnerable time for young men and women in regards to developing disordered eating. Living in […]

6 Tips for Creating a Successful Petition on Campus

If you notice something on your school’s campus that you strongly disagree with, you may feel moved to do something about it. One way to fight for change is by creating a petition against a program or policy. But where do you even start? Here are some helpful steps for working on a petition that […]

How Activism Helped Me Recover

Last February, I finally told my family about my six-year struggle with an eating disorder, and I decided to pursue treatment. It was terrifying but I knew I needed it. Even though it was my choice, I was really freaked out. I had never talked about my eating disorder with anyone before, and in the […]

Not All Black Girls Know How to Eat

Stephanie Covington Armstrong doesn’t fit the stereotype of someone with an eating disorder. And that’s exactly why she wrote her book, Not All Black Girls Know How to Eat: A Story of Bulimia. Armstrong is sharing her story in an effort to expand the public’s perceptions of who struggles with eating disorders and poor body […]

Embrace Being Different: An Interview with Olympian + Author Jessica Smith

Jessica Smith, an Olympian, a motivational speaker, and a social media figurehead, has a long list of impressive accomplishments that trail her name. The newest one? Children’s book author. One would never guess that someone like Jessica, with a grand history of success, would have faced so many obstacles in her path. Born missing her […]

Stigma Towards Recovered Eating Disorder Professionals

It is widely recognized that there is stigma towards mental health (vs. physical health) problems. The perception is that many people with psychological disorders somehow “choose” to have them, that it’s their “fault” for being “weak,” that they could just “pull themselves up by the bootstraps” and “snap out of it” if they wanted to, […]

Why I Chose to Study Abroad in Recovery

“I think there’s something seriously wrong with me,” I tell my twin brother after our morning junior high school choir practice. I sit on the ground in the hallway, my head in my hands, gulping down air and gasping as I can’t breathe. Waves of nausea wash over me. I shiver and tremble violently. “I […]

How to Cope with School When Struggling with an Eating Disorder

For me, navigating school while suffering from an eating disorder was very hard. No one is watching you, and with a perfection-oriented environment it’s so easy for your eating disorder to creep in and take over. But you can quiet the voice and take control. Every time I went back into school I never was […]

Becoming a Champion

Blood, sweat, and tears. That’s what it takes to become a champion, right? And then what? After you push yourself until you drop, after you win, after you abuse your body and mind to get to that one place you are so determined to get to, then what? Will happiness appear? The mentality surrounding most […]