Monday, October 19, 2015

Eating Disorder (Bulimia, Binge Eating, EDNOS/OSFED) Recovery Resources

This is a list of everyone and everything that aided me in recovery. The first half of the post is simply a hyperlinked list. The second half of the post is the same hyperlinked list, but with added descriptions for each resource so you can get an idea of what each resource is and how it might help you! 
When I entered eating disorder recovery, I realized that there was an astonishing lack of variety in recovery narratives. It seemed like everything I read, listened to, or watched was solely about anorexia recovery and usually consisted of inpatient hospitalization, residential treatment, a struggle to complete a dieticain-perscribed meal plan, and finally, either fully recovery or relapse. I felt very alone in my recovery - I was diagnosed with anorexia because of my low weight, but couldn’t find myself in anyone’s Anorexia Recovery posts.

Two years after I got diagnosed with anorexia, I have BED (binge eating disorder) or non-purging bulimia depending on who you talk to. I've desperately scoured the Internet for any label that “fit”, anyone with thoughts or a story like mine, and any advice that actually worked. Why is it so difficult to find advice, stories, and people that I actually connect with?
  • My initial diagnosis only took into account my weight, not my thoughts. I’ve always had a mindset usually associated with bulimia and orthorexia, but because I was diagnosed as anorexic, my entire treatment team and family believed I was simply in denial of my “anorexia” and thus, didn’t address or even acknowledge my binging. I felt like a square peg in a round hole reading about people's anorexia recovery because I don't struggle with anorexia
  • I’m an ethical vegan who believes that we should all eat more plants and have had orthorexic tendencies, so I never found a dietician who could meet all of my detailed, rigid food rules
  • I’m a diehard feminist who believes in body neutrality and self-love not centered upon appearance, so recovery advice like, “Tell yourself you’re beautiful!” and, “Love your body!” seemed counter-productive and impossible when I couldn't even imagine feeling neutral about my body
This is the result: my recovery masterlist. Everything is hyperlinked, even if it doesn't look like it! Just click on the words ☺️ I'm not sure where the random underlines came from, but I'm working to fix them. Please bear with me!
*** indicates a resource that may be especially triggering