Blog | Page 76 | National Eating Disorders Association

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:

‘Parent Talk’: Tips on How to Parent a Child Struggling with an Eating Disorder

One of the things I found most difficult during my daughter’s struggle with an eating disorder was how to fulfill my role as a parent even when the experts’ advice ran completely counter to my instincts. I would feel like some of my daughter’s behavior demanded consequences, yet her therapist would tell me to let him handle it, and/or to remember that she was punishing herself in so many ways and didn’t need more punishment. I felt at odds letting her get away with behaviors that I wouldn’t let my other children do without consequences.

Dear KJ: How Can I Overcome My Fear of Eating in Public?

"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).

Friday Links: How Can Modern Technology Stamp Out Negative Body Image?

Happy Friday, everyone! Welcome to another week full of important news headlines.

Monday, October 17th, was declared the first-ever National Body Confidence Day (#PerfectlyMe) by Seventeen magazine as much-needed awareness for early access to mental health resources for school-aged children continues to be on the rise.

Weight Watchers Brings Body-Shaming Into the Bedroom

It’s common knowledge that the diet industry profits off of women’s insecurities. This month, Weight Watchers took the shaming into the bedroom with its WW Black campaign in Australia.

The infamous weight loss company sent out promotional light bulbs with a message reading:

5 Ways to Challenge Body Bullying

Hi everyone – Steph & Tori, NEDA Communications interns here! It’s National Bullying Prevention Month and today, we’d like to discuss bullying and weight-shaming in schools – a huge epidemic in today’s modern society. Bullying about weight and size stirs up negative emotions and can lead students to form a negative body image. Unfortunately, negative body image often plays a major role in triggering disordered eating and full-fledged eating disorders among pre-adolescent and adolescent children.

Dear Chase: Is the ‘Freshman 15’ a Myth?

Chase Bannister is the founder, senior vice president and chief strategy & clinical integrity officer for Veritas Collaborative, a specialty hospital system for the treatment of eating disorders in a gender-diverse and inclusive environment. He is credentialed as a certified eating disorder specialist by the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals and is a licensed clinical social worker.

Friday Links: Stamping Out Stress is Crucial During Midterms Week

This week was bustling with important mental health news. Monday, October 10th, was World Mental Health Day with the global community getting the word out about resources available for those struggling with mental health issues and sharing ways to combat stigma. Also, for those of us taking midterms, it’s a pivotal time for self-care when we feel like we don’t have time for it.

Check out the headlines we dished out below!

British Vogue’s “Real Issue”: Progress or Just Another Check on the To-Do List?

I have a love-hate relationship with “women’s interest” magazines. Part of me loves spending a lazy afternoon flipping through the pages, giving my mind a brief respite from the grind of academia with their stories of fashion, relationships and embarrassing moments. It is escapism; it is self-care. And yet, another part of me wonders, how much of this is real? There are so few pages that deviate from what feel like stock features. Most significantly, I wonder about the women whose pictures fill the pages.

Enfrentando Mis Demonios: La Historia De Recuperación de un Desorden Alimentario

“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.

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