Read on Twitter
National Eating Disorders Awareness (NEDA) week is coming. While education and awareness of EDs is important, I beg (I BEG!) every writer, editor, and influencer out there to think twice before publishing an ED recovery story. A thread on why these can be VERY counterproductive.
Eating disorders are sneaky. Some of the people who are most eager to talk about their recoveries are those who are still very early in those recoveries, and who likely still have disordered thought patterns that will be (subtle, but) apparent in their writing.
Eating disorders are competitive. Illustrating how “bad” your eating disorder was (is?) by giving weight or calorie numbers, or by describing compensatory behaviors like exercise, can trigger others recovery or serve as guidebooks for those with active EDs.
Problematic language+thinking is SO common in ED recovery stories. Example: “I had body dysmorphia, I thought I was fat! Now I look back and realize that I wasn't fat at all.” What message does that send to people who ARE fat? It implies that there’s something wrong w them.
There are certainly powerful+responsible ED recovery stories out there. I find that the best ones don't focus on food or numbers at all—rather, they highlight the extreme pain and isolation that eating disorders bring, and offer hope that recovery can mend some of this.
A responsible, helpful ED recovery story probably doesn't focus on one person accepting JUST THEIR body. Yes, this might part of personal recovery, but the bigger picture is accepting ALL BODIES and encouraging a peaceful relationship with food for EVERYONE.
I'm long in recovery from an ED (surprise!), and I've never written about it bc I don't yet know how to do so in a way that's helpful and not triggering. ED recovery stories used to INSPIRE MY ED because they were so focused on thinness, weight, and calories.
I share that to say: I'm not saying that your recovery wasn't hard, or that your story doesn't matter. I know that it was, and that it does! But if and when you choose to share that story, think about how it will affect others who have been through or are going through the same.
If you're writing or editing an eating disorder recovery story next week, pls look at it from every possible angle. Don't mention weight AT ALL. Eating disorders affect people of all weights. Mentioning a "healthy" recovery weight implies that higher weights are unhealthy.
I could go ON, but to sum it all up: ED awareness+education is fantastic, less stigma means better treatment. But personal ED recovery stories can be downright aspirational and lead to the same kind of perfectionism+comparison that's so characteristic of EDs in the first place.
