In 2004 the book Life Without Ed boosted my efforts in gaining reconnection with ‘me’. I had been ‘lost’ for 44 years with an eating disorder and, within 12 months of reading this book, I was ‘found’. In 2014, author Jenni Schaefer released a 10th Anniversary update, and I was thrilled because this Life Without Ed is an evergreen. I love […]
Dear Diary
Using journaling to recognize self-harming behaviors and reclaim your own voice
by June Alexander Knowledge is power in healing from an eating disorder. But when you do not understand that you are sick, the illness may thrive, isolating instead of connecting you with helpful others. At some innate level, you may know your real ‘healthy-self’ is ‘there’, or you may think this is how life is: […]
Cultivating compassion for oneself through letter-writing: A welcome and helpful strategy for people with eating disorders
by Allison C. Kelly, Ph.D. and Sydney Waring, M.A. Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Canada Many people with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and other eating disorders do not seek formal treatment. Some reasons for not seeking help are external to the individual – for example, a lack of available and accessible treatments – whereas others […]
Is anorexia planning its revenge? The reality of recovery
I’m afraid of ruined teeth, bent back, and not able to have a child by Špela Kranjec I had anorexia nervosa. It’s no longer a secret. Even though I was ashamed and hid my condition for nine years, I can speak openly about it today. I even wrote a book about my experience. Initially because […]
Feed, love and heal – the role for parents when their child develops an eating disorder
What to do When Your Teen Has An Eating Disorder by Lauren Muhlheim (Introduction by June Alexander) I wish my parents had access to Dr Lauren Muhlheim’s new book When Your Teen Has An Eating Disorder when I was a kid. Lauren takes family-based treatment by the hand into the family home, providing guidance and […]
When a food binge can be helpful
“… bringing on, deliberately, what you fear most is an excellent way to increase self-belief” by June Alexander “I’ve been on a binge.” What does a binge mean to you? Is it something you carefully plan and prepare for, or does your bingeing “just happen?” Do you make a list of food that you plan […]
Factors to consider when you feel ready to write your story
by June Alexander The writing of a life story or memoir requires preparation and planning, and benefits will come in the process as well as delivery. Choosing the time to write is the first of many factors, for your impression today may differ tomorrow. This post is especially for people with lived experience of an […]
Getting Better Bite by Bite – in English, German and now Korean
Meeting the need for universal eating disorder recovery guidance by June Alexander My granddaughters, aged eight and six, excitedly helped to unwrap a book that arrived this week. I was already excited, because I could see the book was from Seoul, Korea. The sender, Professor Youl-Ri Kim, has translated the Getting Better Bite by Bite, […]
Secrets are an eating disorder’s best friend
There is no such thing as a good secret by June Alexander How do you cope with secrets in your family and within your own self? When you become aware of a secret, do you set about dismantling it, or do you ignore it, and pretend you “know nothing?” Secrets deeply shaped my early life. […]
Forget the scales, gaining weight as a person is the real marker in eating disorder recovery
‘Gaining weight in my life is giving me life’ By Karyn Braveheart Gaining weight is something l have struggled to do for a very long time. Now, after a lot of hard work and many hospital admissions, I am experiencing the positives in gaining weight. For sure, my everyday fear remains of clothing not fitting […]