For those struggling with disordered eating, birthdays can be deeply distressing times. Melissa Kaufman powerfully details how one birthday proved to be life-altering as she challenged her eating disorder’s loud voice and enjoyed a delicious treat with her mother and sister. That day, she boldly determined to savor the gift of life and found unbridled freedom, joy, and connection.

Healing from an eating disorder often elicits complex emotions of confusion, frustration, and self-doubt; distressing thoughts about “not being sick enough” or “not recovering the ‘right’ way” are unfortunately all-too-common. HEALers Circle member Katy Gaston shares the incredible insights she’s derived from her own recovery journey and her abundant clinical experience, assuaging these concerns and reminding us that healing is never black-and-white.

A beautiful and heart-wrenching look at one woman’s struggle with her body and her eating disorder. As a first-generation Jamaican woman who has recovered from an eating disorder, Alyssa Mullings has crafted a wonderfully layered narrative about a young girl who joins an online chat group that supports people engaging with their eating disorders. Watch the video and read our Q&A with Alyssa afterwards!