There is no ‘quick fix’
There’s no easy solution to an eating disorder, and the road to recovery can be exhausting. Prepare for it like you would any journey: build a good team, educate yourself, ask for help when you need it, and always remember that recovery IS possible.
Learn, read, research and educate
We are blown away by the creativity and enthusiasm of everyone who participated in the 2015 NEDAwareness Week! It's amazing to see pictures from all of the events and individual actions people took part in across the country. In this Storify, we tried to collect as many #NEDAwareness images as possible. If we missed yours, please send it to [email protected]!
During NEDAwareness Week, we asked parents to share messages of hope and encouragement about supporting your child through the process of recovery from an eating disorder by using the hashtag #NEDAwareness so parents everywhere can benefit from the words of wisdom!
What has helped you most? What advice would you share with a parent who’s child is currently struggling? What was the best advice you ever heard when you were going through a tough time as a care taker? Do you have a favorite quote or mantra that has been helpful for you?
Our daughter was in high school when, in what seemed like out of nowhere, an eating disorder crept into her life and slowly took over. Gradually it strengthened its insidious hold on her and as it did, it pushed happiness away and her joyful spirit was replaced with emptiness and sadness. It stole our daughter away from us for three-and-a-half years and in so doing, it smothered our family as we grappled with the seriousness of what was happening to her.
Eating disorders can be terrifying, confusing, and, perhaps worst of all, lonely.
First comes the diagnosis, and probably some scary news from the doctor. In our case it was Anorexia Nervosa. Nothing about dealing with it is remotely intuitive. But, with the help of a good medical team, we turned the corner.
NEDAwareness Week 2015 was a huge success! In addition to events across the country, we had buildings and landmarks across the nation light up in recognition of this week. These buildings are not only a light at the end of the tunnel that is an eating disorder for many people, but also an enlightening of the world of the truth about eating disorders. The theme this year, I Had No Idea, is a way for us to all speak about Eating Disorders without fear of not understanding---it is a week dedicated to learning and spreading our knowledge.
This twitter chat focused on young people making change in their communities: spreading awareness, advocating to fight eating disorders, and promoting body positivity. Participants on the chat also explored media activism and self-care.
Missed the February 25, 2015 Twitter Chat about youth activism? Check out the transcript below:
Disordered eating and dangerous weight-loss behaviors have unfortunately become normalized in our culture. Dieting, “clean eating” and compulsive exercise are often precursors to full-blown eating disorders. This discussion will shed light on how our understanding of "health" has gotten so warped and what we can do to reclaim a more balanced perspective. Stacey Rosenfeld, Ph.D., CGP, @drstaceyla; Cristin Runfola, PhD, @crunfola; Jenni Schaefer, Author and NEDA Ambassador, @JenniSchaefer were featured in this important discussion.
February 22-28, 2015 is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Nationwide, advocates are paving the way for eating disorders awareness and assistance. In the United States, over 20 million women and 10 million men will suffer from an eating disorder at some time in their life. With these incredible numbers, it is encouraging to know that federal, state and local officials are working hard to gain eating disorders recognition.
Anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating disorder affect up to 5% of young women, are associated with high use of medical resources, but often go unrecognized in medical settings. Men with eating disorders are even more likely to elude detection. All physicians should be alert to signs and symptoms of these relatively common behavioral disorders. Most cases respond to specialist treatment, although rates of medical morbidity, functional impairment and mortality are high, especially for anorexia nervosa, which has the highest mortality of any psychiatric condition.
