Welcome

**Content warning: This is one person’s story; everyone will have unique experiences in recovery and beyond. Some stories may mention eating disorder thoughts, behaviors, and symptoms. Please use your discretion when reading and speak with your support system as needed.

Guest blogger Claire Klaisner, 18 years old, was diagnosed with an eating disorder at age 12. Passionate about spreading eating disorder awareness, Claire started a blog (http://www.forevergoingforward.wordpress.com) that chronicles her journey with the disease and regularly post videos on her pro-recovery YouTube channel.

Treatment—it was something that completely consumed my life after being diagnosed with anorexia nervosa at the age of twelve. After my diagnosis, my life instantly became filled with frightening emergency room visits, traumatizing inpatient admissions, and emotional appointments with therapists, dietitians, and physicians. But despite years of intense nutritional rehabilitation and cognitive therapy, my eating disorder refused to free me from its grasp.  

Recent events can feel overwhelming.

Our brains and bodies respond automatically to a perceived threat, mobilizing energy to try and fight off the threat or to run away. Some of us will be able to use this energy to find a way to take action in response to these tragedies, and others of us may not. We may feel overwhelmed or we may instead disconnect or feel immobilized. Whatever our response, we need not judge it. Instead, the following steps may support us in moving safely through our automatic responses:

Article: Eating Disorder Pathology in Elite Adolescent Athletes. International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 49, issue 6, p. 553-562. Giel, Hermann-Werner, Mayer, Diehl, Schneider, Thiel, & Zipfel. (2016). Access the article here.

This study examined eating disorder pathology in a large group (n=1138) of elite adolescent athletes.  

The researchers assessed body weight, weight control behaviors, and body acceptance. They also screened overall for core eating disorder symptoms as well as for depression and anxiety.  

**Content warning: This is one person’s story; everyone will have unique experiences in recovery and beyond. Some stories may mention eating disorder thoughts, behaviors, and symptoms. Please use your discretion when reading and speak with your support system as needed.

By Clare Louise Harmon. Clare is the author of The Thingbody (Instar Books, 2015) and If Wishes Were Horses the Poor Would Ride (Finishing Line Press, 2016). She currently lives in New Orleans with her rescue dog, Tink.

It’s been a minute since I’ve written for The Emily Program so allow me a sentence or two to introduce myself. Hi, I’m Clare. I’m a poet (largely) and playwright (trying to be) and make my daily bread as a grant writer in New Orleans. I spent a year at The Emily Program in IOP, IDP, and various groups before I moved to Louisiana in 2013. I am 30 years old and hold an MFA in Creative Writing; I am a rape survivor, fiercely dedicated to my recovery, and excited to share my story. Hi. Nice to meet you.

The last time we “met” we explored the definitions of mindfulness and mindful eating. You may have even noticed an increase in your level of awareness during the selection, preparation, and consumption of your meals. How was it to notice your breath, possibly inviting in a deeper one? Was bringing awareness to your feet touching the ground accessible to you? What happened?

Eating disorders affect approximately 30 million people in the United States and have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. With the majority of that population using social media daily, it’s not hard to see why the use of social media can prompt or exacerbate disordered eating. With celebrities like Kim K. promoting thinspiration to “health” blogs pushing fitspiration, researchers sought to answer the question, “Does constant exposure to body image posts have a positive effect on fitness, nutrition, and making healthy choices?”

At The Emily Program, we passionately strive to increase eating disorder awareness, provide personalized care, and support lifetime recovery. If you’ve ever wondered how you can support our mission, there are plenty of ways to get involved! Here are a few ideas:

**Content warning: This is one person’s story; everyone will have unique experiences in recovery and beyond. Some stories may mention eating disorder thoughts, behaviors, and symptoms. Please use your discretion when reading and speak with your support system as needed.

by Maia Polson, a woman in recovery

The word “normal” is one that holds a lot of power in our society. It seems to be the thing to strive for and run from at the same time. If you stray a bit too much from the mainstream, you become a misfit—abnormal, strange, the odd woman out. But try too hard to fit in and achieve normalcy, and you walk a fine line between the acceptable “normal” and the socially feared realm of mediocrity. We are constantly getting messages from society, our peers, and the media, about what kind of normal is the most acceptable at any one time. It can be easy to forget that the true definition is different for each of us and can only be determined by ourselves.