Perfection Does Not Exist

So many people, eating disordered or not, are just so engrossed with the topic of perfection and imperfection. It can really become an obsession, whether it’s body image related, beauty related, achievement related, or beyond. There are so many things you can find to become obsessed about where flaws are concerned… but it takes away [...]

Does my child have an eating disorder? What role does denial play in accepting the fact?

Eating Disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Yet, regularly those of us working to bring health and hope to families impacted by these deadly illnesses hear statements like these from parents and doctors: “She/he is at a ‘normal’ weight so we don’t need to pull her/him out of college.” “He/she HAS [...]

Cheering on Your Own Greatness

So many people hate themselves. So many people spend hours picking at themselves, looking for things that aren’t up to par, things that are “wrong” or “bad.” It’s a sad way to live, but what’s sadder is that it’s so common. You’ve probably heard the saying “You are your own worst critic” before, but let [...]

Know Suicide Risk Factors and Warning Signs

Thoughts about dying by suicide are not uncommon among people struggling with EDs, which makes understanding the thoughts important. Research indicates that many people who die by suicide communicate their intent, in some manner, to an average of five people before they commit suicide. This means there may be five opportunities for people to thwart [...]

Eating Disorders Can Flourish on College Campuses

Many young adults head off to college with dreams of academic success, thriving friendship and excitement.  While college life can provide all of these things, it can also deliver feelings of isolation, loneliness, stress, homesickness and more.  Individuals struggling with an existing eating disorder or susceptible to developing an eating disorder can struggle to adapt [...]

Progression of Positive Affirmations

Today, I’d like to tell you a story. It’s about why I believe wholeheartedly in the power of positive affirmations. About 8 years ago, University of Delaware, my undergraduate alma mater, held a Love Your Body week. I know many of you are familiar with this. One of the items that was being handed out [...]

Eating Disorder Parity: What people don’t get about Binge Eating Disorder and the “war on obesity”

With the 2013 revision of the DSM right around the corner there will be a need to rethink, both at the professional and public level, how we conceive of the “war on obesity” and the way in which both health care providers and lay people talk about food and weight. As some of you may [...]

Family Based Therapy for Adolescents with Anorexia

  Jack and Susannah Pierce (names changed) are caring, supportive parents. They have been on a rollercoaster since their daughter Wendi, now 15, was diagnosed with anorexia almost a year ago. “It was a vicious cycle,” says Jack. “She was hospitalized twice due to very low weight. As soon as she was discharged from the [...]

Why Can’t People Just Read My Mind?

  So…you get upset because you think no one understands you.  You think everyone should know by now that you won’t eat XYZ or that you are “triggered” when others say this or that. “Why can’t everyone remember my rules?” That’s easy to answer.  Because not everyone has an eating disorder so they don’t think [...]

Genetic Risk Factors in Eating Disorders

In this article, I want to lay out what has been learned about the genetic predisposition for eating disorders and how this can help identify who may be at risk for developing an eating disorder.  The first part of the article explains the background and basic science behind our current understanding of the genetic tendencies [...]

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