Milestones Associated with the Early Phases of Recovery from an Eating Disorder

Woman with arms up Contributor: Courtney Howard, B.A., Executive Assistant at Eating Disorder Hope and Addiction Hope You will encounter many milestones as you begin to navigate your new life in eating disorder recovery. This will undoubtedly be a difficult time filled with potential triggers, but also empowering and even fun to experience life without the confines of an [...]
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Treatment Options for Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID)

Woman struggling with body image and thinking about a Day in Eating Disorder Treatment On the surface, ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) can appear to be many things and is often oversimplified as “picky eating”. However, individuals who suffer with ARFID struggle with an inability to consume adequate caloric intake to sustain nourishment that is needed for proper growth or maintenance. ARFID pertains to specific subtypes of feeding disorders [...]
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Food Addiction Versus Binge Eating: What is the Difference?

Woman sitting With the amount of misinformation circulating in the media and the frequent attempts to “self-diagnosis” by searching signs and symptoms that might be experienced, it is no wonder that there exists an extreme amount of confusion when it comes to eating disorders. This, unfortunately, contributes to the many stereotypes believed about these diseases and related [...]
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Inside the Summer Olympics: A Cyclist’s Battle with Anorexia

Olympic Rings Contributor: Courtney Howard, B.A., Executive Assistant at Eating Disorder Hope and Addiction Hope The 2016 Rio Olympics are in full swing. While this is certainly a time to celebrate elite athletes from all over the world, it is also an opportunity to address the high prevalence of eating disorders among this population. Mara Abbott, a [...]
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Finding New Meaning and Purpose in Life After a Long Term Eating Disorder

teenager relapsing into Bulimia and standing on a hill Contributor: Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC, Director of Content and Social Media at Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope As painful as eating disorders are, they often serve a purpose for those who struggle with these psychiatric illnesses. Many individuals who have suffered with an eating disorder become dependent on the abnormal eating behaviors as a maladaptive [...]
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Current Research on Feeding Disorders

Girl Feeding Swans Contributor: Crystal Karges, MS, RDN, IBCLC, Director of Content and Social Media at Eating Disorder Hope/Addiction Hope Feeding disorders are eating related challenges specific to children, from infancy through early childhood, which are characterized by a refusal to consume certain food groups. Feeding disorders can be classified by one of the following subtypes: Post-traumatic feeding [...]
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International Interview Series: Dr. Jeremy Alford of Indonesia & the Middle East

Dr Jeremy Alford Headshot  What inspired you to become involved in eating disorders throughout Indonesia and the Middle East?   When I left the UK for Lebanon in 2003, I knew that resources in mental health were under developed. My immediate intention was to bring a more innovative and evidence based therapy approach to the country. After setting up [...]
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Finding Hobbies You Enjoy as a Healthy Coping Mechanism in College

College students coping Contributor: Courtney Howard, B.A., Executive Assistant at Eating Disorder Hope and Addiction Hope College is a time to explore your interests, meet new people, and take on new hobbies. Finding the right hobbies that boost your mental health can make a huge difference in your college experience. These activities can also be effective coping mechanisms [...]
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College and Getting Back on Track After Relapse

College students Contributor: Courtney Howard, B.A., Executive Assistant at Eating Disorder Hope and Addiction Hope College students are at high risk for the development of eating disorders due to the many potential triggers they face, including increased stress, depression, and various social pressures. This also means that individuals in recovery are at high risk for relapse. Past [...]
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Animals & Their Impact on Eating Disorder Recovery

Emotional Support Animals and eating disorder recovery Contributor: Courtney Howard, B.A., Executive Assistant at Eating Disorder Hope and Addiction Hope Animals are often capable of providing unconditional love in a unique and beautiful way. This makes spending time with animals a valuable coping tool for individuals in eating disorder recovery. The physical health benefits of spending time with animals have been actively [...]
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