Do Whatever It Takes: An Eating Disorder Recovery Poem

My inspiration for this poem came from a variety of sources. First and foremost, to educate others on how eating habits and body image perspectives can start from a very young age. Most people tend to forget that the mind is constantly shaping and changing itself year after year. Yes, this even means it’s developing […]

The Link Between Anorexia and Autism

Not long ago, I was sitting in a hospital room by myself wondering how I had once again let myself end up in the situation I was in. It definitely wasn’t my first “rodeo” with anorexia nervosa. You see, I knew what was going to happen. I knew where restriction led me, yet somehow my […]

5 Reasons to Cook in Recovery

Whether the kitchen is familiar territory or unmarked terrain, this space may be a minefield for someone in recovery from an eating disorder. While cooking may be challenging, the results go far beyond the dinner plate; empower your recovery and make some yummy food on the way with these five restorative reasons to cook through […]

Eating Disorders Have No Size

I was first diagnosed with an eating disorder in 2013 when I was 19, but my deadly eating disorder and terrifying habits had begun long before then. They started when I was 14 and progressed for five years until I was so deep in my eating disorder that I didn’t know how to get out. […]

Here’s Why You Should Think Twice About That “Innocent” Comment About My Body

I study languages. I grew up speaking English and Korean at home, and now I’m fluent in Modern Standard Arabic with the ultimate goal of teaching Arabic to native English speakers. World peace requires a bridge between languages to be formed so that people can understand each other. There is, however, one language I do […]

What Therapy Taught Me About Disordered Eating

When I came forward for help with my eating disorder, I was given incredible support from concerned friends and family, as well as a dedicated team of professionals on my college campus ready to set me on a path towards recovery. It felt as though all these hands were being extended out to hold me […]

What Exactly is ARFID?

When my daughter was a toddler, she was what we considered a “picky eater.” As she got older and her picky eating habits got more severe, we began to seriously worry. She didn’t just clamp her mouth shut or shake her head “no” when new foods were set out for dinner. She would gag or […]

This No Name-Calling Week, Take a Stand Against Bullying

This week marks GLSEN’s No Name-Calling Week, a week organized by educators and students to put a stop to name-calling and bullying in schools. Being teased or bullied about weight is emerging as a risk factor in many eating disorders. Additionally, LGBTQ+ individuals are at higher risk of eating disorders due to stigma, discrimination, and […]

The #MeToo Movement Gives Me Hope for a World Without Abuse

The year 2017 has been an uphill battle for women, and a year of liberation. Numerous people have asked me how I feel about the #MeToo movement being a person who could say, “me too.” In 2015, I released my first book, CONTROLLED, a memoir which details my own sexual assault and its aftermath. Through […]

LGBTQ+ Youth Deserve a Voice in the Fight Against Eating Disorders

At NEDA, we know that eating disorders don’t discriminate against gender, sexuality, class, race, or physical ability. We also know how important it is to hear from a variety of individuals in the eating disorder and recovery community, which is why we have partnered with The Trevor Project on a survey designed to give a […]