Dr. Lesley Williams is a certified eating disorder specialist, family medicine physician and positive body image advocate. She co-owns Liberation Center, an eating disorder treatment facility, in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Williams is dedicated to ensuring that all women and men that struggle with eating and body image issues receive the help that they need to overcome and live happy, healthy lives. Dr. Williams regularly educates other healthcare professionals about the diversity and dangers of eating disorders.

Becca Gastfriend, better known as beccs, is a singer/songwriter who released her EP, Unfound Beauty, on September 21st. The EP focuses on beccs’ personal experience with an eating disorder and revolves around themes of recovery, self-doubt, and healing. Originally from Boston, beccs is a Brooklyn-based musician who specializes in piano and creates music with an alternative and soulful style. Through her music and jaw-dropping vocals, she encourages her listeners to be vulnerable and self-aware, and helps normalize personal pains and desires.

If you’ve seen mainstream reporting on eating disorders recovery, you’ve probably seen the all-too-common “before and after” pictures. Typically, the images are shown side-by-side in a manner uncomfortably similar to ads for Jenny Craig or Weight Watchers.

During the dark times of my recovery, I wasn’t really thinking about doing crafts. We all know that when we get in so deep into the eating disorder, we can’t see anything but that monster.

Sometimes, between therapy sessions, I would draw out my feelings and show them to my therapist. She liked my creativity. During one session, my therapist asked me to draw a picture of how I saw myself. From there, I started using crafts to help battle eating disordered thoughts. 

Here are five ways that crafts have helped me and continue to help me in my recovery:

"Dear KJ" is a weekly advice column by Dr. Kjerstin "KJ" Gruys, sociologist, author and body image activist. She holds a Ph.D. in sociology with a focus on the politics of appearance and is the author of Mirror Mirror Off the Wall: How I Learned to Love My Body By Not Looking at It for a Year (Avery Press, 2012).

“En la vida hay dos opciones: caminar hacia adelante y crecer, o volver atrás y perder.” -Abraham Maslow 

17 de Septiembre, 2014, fue igual uno de los peores y mejores días de mi vida. Ese Miércoles en la tarde fue el día en que entre a rehabilitación para mi desorden alimentario.

“In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or step back into safety.” -Abraham Maslow

September 17, 2014, was the absolute worst, yet best day of my life. On this Wednesday afternoon, I finally checked into rehab. I was completely mortified as I began signing in. Both my mind and body wanted to run as I watched a complete stranger lock away my phone and search my bags. 

People often judge with their eyes before listening with their ears. This is why I believe invisible disabilities can be overlooked, or discounted. If you cannot see a problem, it is most likely not there, right? If someone has the perfect body, no way can they suffer from self-esteem issues. If someone isn’t incapacitated or screaming, there’s no way they could be in pain.

Our mental health is always with us. Even now, countless individuals around the world on any given day are asking the question: where do we find the information and comfort we need to “fight the battle of our lives” against anxiety, depression, eating disorders and any other mental health disorder? 

Self-love is liberating, but it takes dedication and effort to get to that place. For those recovering from an eating disorder, taking time for self-care is an especially important part of recovery. That’s why we asked three NEDA bloggers for their best tips on how to start your journey to self-love.