Recovery is deeply personal and support can look different for everyone. This page is a collection of tools, information, and organizations intended to make healing feel a little less overwhelming.
(Please note that this website is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment).
Finding Professional Support
Recovery often involves emotional, nutritional, and medical support. Seeking help is not a weakness, it is an act of care toward yourself. Below are some options of professional support open to anyone pursuing empowerment.
Therapists
Therapists can provide emotional support, coping strategies, and guidance throughout recovery. Different forms of therapy may vary for individuals and finding the right fit can take time. Some examples of therapies are listed below.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Works on thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are connected.
- Body Image Counseling: Changes the way you mentally think and feel about your body in a positive growth mindset direction.
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Teaches skills to manage intense emotions and cope with challenging situations.
- Family Based Therapy (FBT): Designed for children, teens, and young adults to help recover from eating disorders, keeps parents and family in the loop of this “gold standard” treatment.
Helpful Directories
Nutritionists/Registered Dietitians
Nutritionists give expert-based counseling to reinforce healthy eating habits and to reintroduce positive eating behaviors to someone’s diet and lifestyle. These are personalized to an individual’s need.
Helpful Directories
Support Groups
Support groups are discussions with multiple people about eating disorders and treatment plans. Individual’s can engage and find similar feelings between each other. This open communication is a good step to positive wellness and can be accessed by anyone affected by eating disorders.
- Peer Support Groups: Groups where people discuss openly about eating disorders and uplift each other through shared experiences.
- Therapy-Led Support Groups: Guided by a licensed therapist who helps members talk about recovery in a safe space.
- Family Support Groups: Made for parents and other loved ones to learn how to support someone with an eating disorder.
- Online Support Groups: Virtual groups where people can connect anywhere for support.
Helpful Directories
National Alliance for Eating Disorders Programs
Primary Care Physicians
Primary care physicians can diagnose eating disorders, monitor health factors such as physical vitals and can prescribe medications if necessary. Physicians can also act as a listening ear to any struggles.
Helpful Directories
Creating a Support System
A great resource can be from the people you bring closest to you. Although it can be challenging to come forward and talk openly about an eating disorder to your family, friends, and other relatives… surrounding yourself with trusted people can play a role in creating a safe and encouraging environment.
What Support Can Look Like:
- Listening without judgment
- Frequent emotional check-ins
- Avoiding comments about food or appearance that can be triggering
- Attending appointments with a trusted individual
- Celebrating small victories in the process of recovery
- Reminding that recovery isn’t perfect, there are highs and lows
Setting Boundaries
During recovery, it is important to know what fills and what tips your bucket emotionally. Creating boundaries with people, conversation topics, and social media can reinforce recovery in positive ways.
Examples of Boundaries
- Blocking certain content/creators that post WIEIAD’s and body checks
- Limiting conversations about sensitive topics
- Asking friends and family to avoid comments about weight or appearance near you.
A Note for Teenagers from a Teenager
If you are struggling to come forward about an eating disorder and tell your parents or ask for help, you are not alone. When I was 14-15 years old and dealing with anorexia nervosa, I was terrified out of my mind to open up because I was afraid the people I love would panic or see me differently. It can feel overwhelming to ask for help, but, reaching out to someone you trust can be the start of a healing journey. You deserve care and recovery, even if the first step feels scary.
Healthy Coping Mechanisms
Everyone has a certain activity or doing that makes them happy. During recovery, it is vital to experience things that make you smile and build you up one by one. Here are some examples of wellness activities that can act as coping mechanisms to progress your recovery from an eating disorder further.
- Stretching/yoga
- Watching your favorite show
- Cleaning/organizing
- Buying/smelling flowers
- Taking time to help out the community/volunteer
- Go for a nice sunset walk
- Journaling
- Listening to music
- Getting a latte from your favorite coffee place
Day by day, little by little, incorporating healthy coping mechanisms into your routine can strengthen your recovery and well-being. Healing is not about perfection; it’s about finding moments of comfort and peace along the way.
Human After All Recovery Blog 