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Why I Smash Stigma

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I started believing that I was broken and unworthy as an infant. I wasn't thin enough, I wasn't smart enough, I wasn't attractive enough, I just wasn't enough, period. I developed a full-blown eating disorder when I was 14 years old. For…
Yom Kippur

Why I WON’T Be Fasting This Yom Kippur

Editor's Note: The decision to fast or not is a personal decision between individuals, their medical providers, and spiritual leaders. NEDA recognizes the complexity of this decision and encourages those who celebrate to observe the holiday…
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Getting a Healthy Body Starts with Healthier Thoughts

This blog post is sponsored by The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt.Much of the mainstream messaging around health promotion isn’t nearly as healthy as it claims to be.  Weight loss diets, fitness programs and detox programs…
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My Core Value: Community

One of my professors, on the first day of class, pulled up on the projector a list of 50 words. Authenticity; Justice; Integrity; Inner Harmony; Productivity; Independence; Love; Family. Core values. Values that highlight what we stand for,…
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Families Are the Humans Who Find You When You Need Them Most.

I was 22 when I was a diagnosed with an eating disorder, although my eating disorder tendencies began long before then. Like many other courageous individuals, I sought treatment, even though I was in complete denial. Unlike many others, I did…
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I’m Grateful for My Awareness

Awareness hurts, but it saved my life. Awareness is far more difficult than being ambivalent or ignorant, but it is absolutely necessary for recovery.A couple weeks ago, I had an enlightening conversation with my therapist. I was talking to…
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Dear Me: Your Light Never Takes the Same Shape Twice

Thank you to Eating Recovery Center for sponsoring this blog post in conjunction with Eating Recovery Day on May 7, 2019. Dear Me– I know, it’s been a while since we’ve talked. I mean, really talked. Not just “What do you want…
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Is the Mind Something Separate from the Body?

Hi, everyone! My name is Ali, and I’ve been a fat activist for quite a while now. So, what am I doing here, on an eating disorder organization’s blog, talking about fat people stuff?Well, I think of fat people stuff and eating disorder stuff…
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Following Jewish Dietary Law in Recovery

This week, during Shabbat morning worship, Jews around the world will read the foundational laws of kashrut (Jewish dietary law) from the Torah. These laws are extensive and specific because they describe the species of land, air, and sea animals…
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A Letter to My Teenage Self: What I Wish I Knew About Loving My Body

Dear Teenage Jessica, Look in the mirror. No, really look. Now, say “I love you.” You don’t necessarily have to mean it, but say it out loud. Do you see that curl in your hair? Run your hand through it. You won’t always have that…