An Autistic Person’s Perspective on Building a Healthy Body Image After Trauma
Body Image, Special Topics, TraumaIn the beginning of April, I participated in a NEDA chat about eating disorders, body image issues, and how they affect me as an autistic woman. After the chat, I had so many thoughts swirling around in my brain. The questions and answers brought…
I Have an Eating Disorder Because I’m Autistic
Special TopicsPeople often say that an eating disorder is about control and not about weight. They say it is about anxiety, not body image. I don’t know what my eating disorder is about. It’s about so many things and nothing at the same time. I do not…
13 Ways Professionals in the Eating Disorders Field Can Better Support Autistic People
Special TopicsWhile autistic self-advocates have created significant change, stigma and misinformation around autism and eating disorders still exist. With that in mind, the National Eating Disorders Association hosted an Autism Acceptance Month #NEDAchat,…
5 Eating Disorder Recovery Tips for Autistic People
Recovery, Special TopicsWhen I was younger, I knew I was different from other people. I never understood why, and this led me to try to amend myself to “fit in.” I mirrored appropriate reactions and behaviors and ended up trying to “look like” everybody else.…
Diversity Matters: A Look at 2017 Fashion Campaigns
News & Culture, Special TopicsA recurring theme of this season’s fashion shows and reviews has been the inclusion of “plus-size” models like Ashley Graham and Candice Huffine, who walked Michael Kors and Prabal Gurung respectively. Inasmuch as it signifies a positive…
The Stigma Surrounding Men with Eating Disorders
Men, Special TopicsThere are a variety of myths surrounding eating disorders—myths that can make people unaware of the seriousness of the disease or even prevent people from reaching out for help.
Many people think that only women are affected by eating disorders,…
It’s 2017 and Disabled People Continue to Live on the Margins of Society
Special TopicsMany people don’t realize that living as a disabled person can be especially difficult, not because of the disability itself, but because abled individuals discriminate against us. Although I often like to forget I have cerebral palsy and…
The Uniquely Dangerous Eating Disorder Symptom in Type 1 Diabetes
Special TopicsContent note: Please note that this blog discusses one perspective and doesn't capture all eating disorder representations. Eating disorders in type 1 diabetes (T1DM) are rarely understood or recognized outside the T1DM patient and medical…
Better Place
LGBTQIA+, Special Topics“Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairytale.”
Our fairytale started in October 2014, when we least expected it. We were introduced through a mutual friend over a year before, and had quickly become…
Bullying, Disability, and Eating Disorders
Bullying, Special TopicsI was born 3 months pre-mature, weighing 1 pound, 9 ounces. As a result of being born pre-maturely, I have mild cerebral palsy that affects how I walk. Growing up with a physical disability was very difficult; every day at school I was verbally…