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ASilentObserver profile picture
Dear Body: A Letter to Yourself
by ASilentObserver
Last post
 Thursday
...See more Hello everyone, Have you ever paused to take a moment to think about your relationship with your body?  We often have complex feelings about our bodies – sometimes love and appreciation, other times frustration or even dislike.  I guess it is all part of the journey. This exercise is part of Eating Disorder Awareness Week [https://www.7cups.com/forum/groupmod/GroupSupportCommunityEvents_2295/JoinUsforEatingDisordersAwarenessWeekFebruary24thFeb28_347433/].  As we celebrate the EDAW [https://www.7cups.com/forum/groupmod/GroupSupportCommunityEvents_2295/JoinUsforEatingDisordersAwarenessWeekFebruary24thFeb28_347433/], we are inviting you to participate in a meaningful exercise: writing a letter to your body.  It is your safe space to express *any* feelings you have, whether positive, negative, or somewhere in between.  Maybe you want to thank your body for its strength and resilience, or maybe you need to express some frustrations.  You can even share your hopes for your body's future. Please know there are no rules here.  You need to be honest, be vulnerable, and be you.  It is more about connecting with yourself and fostering a more mindful and kind relationship with your body. You can do it two ways:  1. Take a piece of paper and pen and write a letter to yourself. And let us know if you did it here in this thread and how did it make you feel.  2. If you are comfortable sharing your letter with us, you can share it here in this thread and we all can reflect and further discuss it as you feel comfortable.   3. Anyone can do this exercise and not limited to the ones who struggle with ED.  Whether you choose to share it with us or keep it private is entirely up to you.  We are simply here to encourage and support you on this journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Who's ready to write their letter?  Let's begin
ASilentObserver profile picture
Eating Disorder Awareness: Blast from the Past Series
by ASilentObserver
Last post
 February 26th
...See more Hello everyone,  Welcome to our "Blast from the Past" series for the Eating Disorder Awareness Week [https://www.7cups.com/forum/groupmod/GroupSupportCommunityEvents_2295/JoinUsforEatingDisordersAwarenessWeekFebruary24thFeb28_347433/]. We are sharing a list of insightful and thought-provoking discussions and resources from our community archives. These threads offer a unique glimpse into past conversations, shared experiences, and collective wisdom surrounding eating disorders. Check them out and participate to share your thoughts and experiences.  Some threads and discussions related to the Skills  S.M.A.R.T goals [Click here] [https://www.7cups.com/forum/eds/RecoveryMovingOn_1200/SMARTgoals_72205/)] Setting goals is crucial for recovery, but unrealistic goals can hinder progress.  Use the SMART framework to create effective goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.  When setting goals, ask yourself: How specific is it? How will I measure success? Is it achievable? Is it relevant to my situation? Is the timeframe realistic and healthy (especially important for eating disorder recovery, where rapid changes can be harmful)?  Recovery Skill: Self Soothe [Click here] [https://www.7cups.com/forum/eds/RecoveryMovingOn_1200/RecoverySkillSelfSoothe_74064/] Self-soothing involves using your five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste) to create enjoyable experiences that signal to your brain that you're safe and everything is okay.  It helps regulate emotions by signaling safety to the brain. This can reduce stress, anxiety, and other difficult emotions, promoting a sense of calm and well-being. Recovery Skill: Behavior chain analysis [Click here] [https://www.7cups.com/forum/eds/RecoveryMovingOn_1200/RecoverySkillBehaviorchainanalysis_74077/] Behavior chains help us understand our past coping mechanisms and their triggers. By mapping out the sequence of events leading to a "troubled behavior," we can identify points where intervention might be possible, allowing us to change the chain's course before reaching the undesired outcome.  The questions prompt reflection on the chain's practical application, benefits, and challenges in personal use. Wise Mind - Recovery skill [Click here] [https://www.7cups.com/forum/eds/RecoveryMovingOn_1200/WiseMindRecoveryskill_73019/]  The Wise Mind recovery skill, rooted in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), is a powerful tool for individuals with eating disorders (EDs). It helps them find a balance between their emotional and rational minds, enabling them to make healthier choices that support their recovery. Some threads and discussions related to the Tips & Resources Friends & Family - How to Respond [Click here] [https://www.7cups.com/forum/eds/FamilyFriendsofIndividualswithEatingDisorders_2046/FriendsFamilyHowtoRespond_324628/]  Supporting someone with an eating disorder requires careful communication.  It's crucial to validate their struggles and offer encouragement, focusing on their strength and progress rather than food or body image.  Asking them directly how you can best support them is helpful.  Avoid comments about weight, body shape, or food intake (how much or little they eat), as these can be triggering and reinforce disordered behaviors.  Understanding the underlying emotional issues connected to eating disorders is also important.  Sharing personal experiences from those with eating disorders can help loved ones understand what is helpful and hurtful to say. Tips for helping a loved one with an Eating Disorder [Click here] [https://www.7cups.com/forum/eds/FamilyFriendsofIndividualswithEatingDisorders_2046/TipsforhelpingalovedonewithaEatingDisorder_59024/]  This forum post discusses eating disorders, offering warning signs, advice on how to help someone struggling, and what not to do.  It emphasizes the importance of approaching the topic with empathy, avoiding judgment and ultimatums, and focusing on the person's feelings rather than their weight or eating habits.   Recovery Jukebox! [Click here] [https://www.7cups.com/forum/eds/RecoveryMovingOn_1200/RecoveryJukebox_174973/]  It shares a jukebox of recovery-themed songs. Share a song that inspires you, or record yourself singing it on Vocaroo and share the recording. ED Care Package [Click here] [https://www.7cups.com/forum/eds/General_2454/IntroducingEatingDisorderCarePackage_324611/]  It is a "Small Steps and Support Care Package" for individuals recovering from eating disorders. This free, downloadable package offers self-care tips, mindfulness exercises, a relapse prevention plan, and helpful resources.  It is designed as a supportive gesture, not a replacement for professional help, to remind people they're not alone.  Share it with anyone who might benefit! Celebrate the Small Victories [Click here] [https://www.7cups.com/forum/eds/General_2454/EDAWeek6CelebratetheSmallVictories_324608/] It is a space to offer compassion and encouragement to those struggling with eating disorders.  This thread is dedicated to celebrating all victories, big or small, as crucial steps forward in the recovery journey. Explore these threads and join to share your insights, thoughts, and reflections. If you know of any thread or discussions related to Eating Disorder awareness or coping, please do share the link in the comments. 
ASilentObserver profile picture
Introducing... Eating Disorder Care Package
by ASilentObserver
Last post
 February 24th
...See more We are excited to announce a new initiative: Small Steps and Support Care Package for individuals on their journey to recovery from eating disorders. This care package is filled with handpicked information and resources aimed at promoting self-care, mindfulness, and encouragement. They're not a replacement for professional treatment, but a small token of support to let someone know they're not alone and their journey is recognized.  What's included? * Coping Skills  * Relapse Prevention Plan * Steps to take care of yourself * Various resources and links You can view/ download the Eating Disorder Care Package here [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MnhQnwjxpFnJ3aiK0j9d5OAE1eK7epEX/view?usp=drive_link] Feel free to bookmark, or share it with anyone who might need it. Your care and support would make a difference in someone's recovery journey!  @heather225 @KristenHR @dancat1128
practicalblueberry profile picture
Post binge
by practicalblueberry
Last post
 18 hours ago
...See more I binged yesterday and felt such a loss of control. I feel like my current financial stress triggered it. I feel so slow and full today, it makes me feel weird and secretive. I joined this community to hopefully learn some better coping skills for when I relapse. How do you all cope the next day after a binge? I'm trying to be more gentle with myself, but the nature of this condition is so self destructive and takes hold on my thoughts. It's so tough and difficult to stop once I start. Sending everyone hugs who experiences this. 
peepiez profile picture
What do I do?
by peepiez
Last post
 1 day ago
...See more I'm a male 19, I used to Starve Starve myself a few years ago (at 16) because I thought I was fat, I got help with camhs and I started eating more again, much recently tho I just really can't eat, my body doesn't want me too even swallow I'm loosing weight fast and I weigh 7 stone exactly, the lowest I've been it's 7 stone 3 and that was over 3 years ago, idk how to eat without panicking, I want to eat but it just seems impossible like I'm going to be sick, what do I do? I Want to gain weight and I want to be healthy I just don't know how it's possible
discreetPomegranate1970 profile picture
False hope
by discreetPomegranate1970
Last post
 2 days ago
...See more Anyone else know that feeling were they wanna recover but that voice at the back of your head says NO.
neibolt profile picture
rn
by neibolt
Last post
 Saturday
...See more ive never been diagnosed with an eating disorder, and i dont think i have one. yet at least. im getting pretty close and the worst thing is that i almost desperately want ed i just ate a lot, way too much, and i have to admit ive never wanted to use laxatives or try throwing up the food as much as right now, i feel completely disgusting and repulsive
fearlessClementine6325 profile picture
Struggling
by fearlessClementine6325
Last post
 Friday
...See more Hi my name is Katie. How is everyone doing? I’m struggling with a lot but the big things are eating stuff and body image issues. I don’t know what to do. I’m new to posting things too. I don’t know what to do. 
crimsonClementine6684 profile picture
Scared to eat because of physical symptoms of anxiety
by crimsonClementine6684
Last post
 Friday
...See more does anyone here have the same problem as me there are these times when I want to eat something but when I do I get hit with this anxiety and the physical anxiety symptoms are not so fun I hate it and don’t like when my throat swells up to the point where I would avoid eating something even tho I want it but don’t want to go through that anxiety so I would avoid eating in order to avoid those physical anxiety symptoms. if you guys went through this how did you overcome it? would be nice knowing I’m not the only one going through this
Moonstone2174 profile picture
ARFID Awareness
by Moonstone2174
Last post
 Friday
...See more As part of Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW) I wanted to make a post about a lesser known eating disorder called ARFID.  ARFID stands for Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder which is an eating disorder that is characterised by a persistent pattern of avoiding or restricting certain foods leading to nutritional deficiencies or difficulty maintaining a healthy weight.  💜Unlike other EDs, ARFID is not driven by concerns about body image or weight. It is often triggered by food sensitivities like textures, tastes, smells or appearances or the fear or negative consequences of eating or a lack of interest in eating.  💙ARFID is NOT just picky eating. Many children go through phases of fussy eating but ARFID is more than that. The difference between a ‘picky eater’ and a person with ARFID and that a picky eater won’t starve themselves to detriment but a person with ARFID will. ‘They’ll eat when they are hungry’ is not the case for a person with this ED.  💚ARFID is more common in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder. This is due to heightened sensitivities to smells, textures and tastes. Also many autistics have digestive issues and find the physical sensations of eating unpleasant.  💛People with ARFID tend to have a very small amount of ‘safe foods’ which are usually plain, processed foods that are predictable and familiar for example: crackers, crisps, bread, chicken nuggets etc. The ‘beige’ diet. Trying new foods can be highly stressful or avoided altogether.  🧡It can also be more than just the food. Some people with ARFID struggle to eat in front of people or need coping mechanisms to get through meal times because of the anxiety around eating.  💗Some of you might be parents of children showing signs of ARFID but also adults can suffer with ARFID too.  ARFID is a recently accepted diagnosis (2013) and there is limited research and knowledge on this ED even within the ED community. I’d love to hear if anyone else has experiences with ARFID to comment and share what you find helpful to manage. (I have severe emetophobia so please don’t use trigger words in replies.) 
wittyAcai3806 profile picture
Overeating with anxiety (maybe)
by wittyAcai3806
Last post
 Thursday
...See more I always want to eat. Idk if it's the way my body wants to deal with anxiety. I have bad habit of eating at midnight and mostly I eat fast food that time. I really want to change this.
ASilentObserver profile picture
Dear Body: A Letter to Yourself
by ASilentObserver
Last post
 Thursday
...See more Hello everyone, Have you ever paused to take a moment to think about your relationship with your body?  We often have complex feelings about our bodies – sometimes love and appreciation, other times frustration or even dislike.  I guess it is all part of the journey. This exercise is part of Eating Disorder Awareness Week [https://www.7cups.com/forum/groupmod/GroupSupportCommunityEvents_2295/JoinUsforEatingDisordersAwarenessWeekFebruary24thFeb28_347433/].  As we celebrate the EDAW [https://www.7cups.com/forum/groupmod/GroupSupportCommunityEvents_2295/JoinUsforEatingDisordersAwarenessWeekFebruary24thFeb28_347433/], we are inviting you to participate in a meaningful exercise: writing a letter to your body.  It is your safe space to express *any* feelings you have, whether positive, negative, or somewhere in between.  Maybe you want to thank your body for its strength and resilience, or maybe you need to express some frustrations.  You can even share your hopes for your body's future. Please know there are no rules here.  You need to be honest, be vulnerable, and be you.  It is more about connecting with yourself and fostering a more mindful and kind relationship with your body. You can do it two ways:  1. Take a piece of paper and pen and write a letter to yourself. And let us know if you did it here in this thread and how did it make you feel.  2. If you are comfortable sharing your letter with us, you can share it here in this thread and we all can reflect and further discuss it as you feel comfortable.   3. Anyone can do this exercise and not limited to the ones who struggle with ED.  Whether you choose to share it with us or keep it private is entirely up to you.  We are simply here to encourage and support you on this journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Who's ready to write their letter?  Let's begin
crimsonClementine6684 profile picture
Planning what to eat next now is making me anxious
by crimsonClementine6684
Last post
 Tuesday
...See more I’ve been noticing this problem since the beginning of 2024, I decided to just stop planning what to eat next and just eat when i feel like it but at the same time i wanted to go back to planning what i want to eat next again because I remember back then if there was a food or snack i really wanted to eat I would decide to plan to have it soon once i was no longer full and doing this used to not bother me at all. But sadly doing that now makes me anxious like that time I decided to plan to eat some tacos for dinner but then i got overwhelmed because i told myself what if i end up eating cookies and loose interest in the tacos i planned to have. And a other thing that makes me anxious was i did not want to be thinking about what i want to plan to eat next all the time which is why i stopped planning what i want to eat next because it’s really overwhelming me a lot i tried fixing it but sadly nothing wasn’t really working sucks because i want to plan what i want to eat next peacefully again like before and eat a snack i really want but sadly nothing has fixed it or helped me. So for now i will have to stop planning what i really want to eat next and just eat when i feel interested in eating and eat what sounds good to me because it’s the best for me in order to stop that overwhelming feeling and snap out of it . hope someone understands me with this problem anyone going through something like this too?
KindForest2094 profile picture
Training guide (Eating disorders)
by KindForest2094
Last post
 Tuesday
...See more I don't have an eating disorder personally however I took a look at the training thing for it and to me it seems to be overgeneralising. It talks as if the solution to all eating disorders (as in overeating and under-eating) is the same. I've heard that for people with under-eating type eating disorders they shouldn't self-monitor/record but in the training guide it tell everyone to weigh themselves once a week and to record everything they eat which seems a bit counterintuitive for someone under-eating. I'm curious what someone with an eating disorder or more experience with eating disorders thinks since to me it seems like it should treat eating disorders as a more nuanced thing. Have a nice day though : )
summertimeSamness profile picture
Tolerating Distress & Facing Feelings Workbook PDF by the Centre for Clinical Interventions
by summertimeSamness
Last post
 March 2nd
...See more Check out this free online workbook for improving wit!h distress tolerance It is broken down into 4 learning modules or sections that you can print out and complete on your own. Explore the modules below and let us know in a reply how it worked out for you! Module 1: Understanding Distress Intolerance [https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/CCI/Consumer%20Modules/Facing%20Your%20Feelings/Facing%20Your%20Feelings%20-%2001%20-%20Understanding%20Distress%20Intolerance.pdf] Module 2: Accepting Distress [https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/CCI/Consumer%20Modules/Facing%20Your%20Feelings/Facing%20Your%20Feelings%20-%2002%20-%20Accepting%20Distress.pdf] Module 3: Improving Distress [https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/CCI/Consumer%20Modules/Facing%20Your%20Feelings/Facing%20Your%20Feelings%20-%2003%20-%20Improving%20Distress.pdf] Module 4: Tolerating Distress [https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/CCI/Consumer%20Modules/Facing%20Your%20Feelings/Facing%20Your%20Feelings%20-%2004%20-%20Tolerating%20Distress.pdf] Visit the CCI website: https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking-After-Yourself/Tolerating-Distress

Eating Disorder Support

Welcome to Eating Disorder Support! We are welcoming you with open arms and hope to be part of your recovery journey. All are welcome to participate, whether you are a family member watching a loved one struggling or struggling yourself. 


What are the different forum topics for Eating Disorder Support?

Anorexia Nervosa Support: A place for you to discuss issues relating to Anorexia Nervosa. 

Binge Eating Disorder Support: A place for you to discuss issues relating to Binge Eating.

Bulimia Support: A place for you to discuss issues relating to Bulimia.

Discussions & Check-ins: A place for general discussions and regular community check-ins.

General Support: Need any other support that doesn’t fit within another topic? Post it here!

Family and Friends of Individuals with Eating Disorders: Watching a loved on struggle with an Eating Disorder? Discuss it here.

Introductions, Fun & Games: A place to introduce yourself and take part in a variety of fun, games and icebreakers.

Recovery & Moving On: Recovering from an Eating Disorder? Share your story here!


How can I help?

You can help us by simply responding to threads and sharing your story (if you're comfortable). Check-in with us, join a discussion, or start one! Alternatively, you can join us as a Forum Leader. Check out this thread for more information.


Helpful Threads

Taglist: Do you want to stay up to date with our community? Then join our tag list to be notified whenever there is a new discussion or update within the community!


Eating Disorder FAQ

Q: Are there any sub-community-specific guidelines that we need to adhere to?

A: You can find Sub-community-specific guidelines below, which you should follow in addition to the general forum guidelines.


Help! I still have a question! 

If you need help, feel free to contact a community leader or post here, and someone will contact you!


Hướng dẫn cộng đồng

The following are some guidelines specific to the Eating Disorder Sub-Community that we request you to follow along with the general Forum Guidelines. The purpose of these guidelines is to ensure a safe and supportive space for everyone, within this sub-community.

  • Refrain from mentioning specific weights or calorie counts to avoid triggering others.
  • Remember this is a support community - we should all be supportive of each other’s stories and struggles.
  • Everyone’s struggles are different; please avoid encouraging anyone to lose or gain weight.
  • Avoid overly graphic content and mark potentially sensitive posts with a ‘Trigger Warning’ at the top line of the post.
  • Pro-eating disorder content will not be tolerated.
Read the 7 Cups Guidelines
Community Leaders
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Nova32 profile picture
@Nova32