Having underwent inpatient treatment while in recovery from an eating disorder, Tori understands firsthand the importance of community-based, group support for catalyzing HEALing. That’s why she founded Sesh, a mental health platform that renders group support more accessible than ever. Project HEAL is proud to partner with Sesh, and we completely agree that cultivating safe, equitable spaces for storytelling and recovery is absolutely paramount.

Many people are growing increasingly cognizant of how the “thin ideal” permeates every facet of society. HEALers Circle member Allyson Ford reminds us that intersectional systems of oppression inject many other “ideals” in our individual and collective psyches as well; thus, our bodies are inherently political. While body positivity is not truly possible without liberation for all bodies, we can work on body neutrality, and as an eating disorder therapist and survivor, Allyson provides invaluable wisdom regarding this.

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.

Project HEAL Ambassador Regina Colie sits down and interviews three NYC-based therapists who specialize in eating disorders. They highlight everything from the anti-Black roots of fatphobia & the perils of social media to the limits of preaching “self-love” & the significance of curiosity in recovery. We truly appreciate the insights and experience they bring!

Due the virulent anti-fatness that permeates society, we tend to praise restrictive eating disorder behaviors that result in weight loss while vilifying binge-eating and weight gain. Project HEAL Ambassador Lexie Manion relays how she was consequently deemed “gross” and “unworthy” when struggling with a debilitating eating disorder. Through the fat liberation movement, she was able to find a supportive community that catalyzed a transformation in her understanding of weight and “health”. We are reminded that all individuals with eating disorders deserve unwavering compassion and equitable, life-saving care.

Oftentimes, we think of recovery as culminating in a golden moment where we’re suddenly liberated from the chains of our eating disorder and everything is forevermore good and well. In this piece, Naomi Devlin reminds us that this couldn’t be further from the truth—HEALing is messy and confusing, and that’s totally okay. We can be struggling AND worthy at the same time, and embracing our human “imperfection” is incredibly freeing.

Neutrality is often upheld as a key tenet in clinical spaces. Yet as Rachel Wang illustrates in this piece, the pernicious dogma to “stay out of politics” causes tremendous harm to folks who fall outside the dominant eating disorder narrative. After all, one’s identity and culture are inextricable from their relationship with food. Rachel thus underscores the importance of anti-racism and cultural humility for providers and reminds us of our collective duty to dismantle the treatment barriers faced by Asian Americans.

In this deeply impactful piece, Sydney Johnson highlights the link between obsessive-compulsive disorder and eating disorders, instigating a conversation sorely needed in recovery spaces. We are furthermore taken on her courageous journey to find her most authentic, liberated self—the self that makes lifelong memories and empowers others to wholeheartedly embrace themselves.

Rarely do we explore the intersection of pregnancy, parenting, and eating disorders, yet Amber probes this oft-neglected junction through powerful storytelling. In this piece, she relays how she navigated eating disorder treatment as an expectant mother and relentlessly strove for freedom — freedom from her disorder AND freedom to live her own life. She continues to approach this journey with valor, vulnerability, and compassion, leaving us deeply inspired.

What does it mean to be a BIPOC with an eating disorder? How does a BIPOC navigate the tricky waters of receiving an eating disorder diagnosis and subsequent treatment? In this brave story, we are reminded that all individuals have the capacity to develop an eating disorder; we are held accountable to the fact that we need to do better to support BIPOC with eating disorders.

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!

Project HEAL Ambassador Ayanna opens up about her recovery journey. Ayanna is a recovery warrior and working hard every day to maintain her recovery. Her bravery in writing about why she chooses recovery every day can move us all towards a space of healing.

Project HEAL is hosting a Pride Week on Instagram Live! We’ll be joined by 8 magical individuals for 7 incredible conversations amplifying the LGBTQ+ voices in the eating disorder community. Each Live is a fundraiser for our LGBTQ+ Treatment Equity Project. We hope you’ll tune in!

Nica Selvaggio is a Chicago-born non-binary and queer human who finds healing writing about the things that often go unspoken. Trauma. Grief. Sexuality. Addiction. Adoption. Eating Disorders. Race. Gender. Identity. Power. Nica’s deepest hope in sharing their writing is to create safe spaces to explore the darkness that resides within us all, thereby igniting the light found in connectedness.

In this blog post, our new Development & Marketing Manager writes about how their experience of healing from their eating disorder mirrors the core values of the LGBTQ+ Pride movement.