My name is Maddie, and I experience an eating disorder. My illness has affected my education, life and relationships with people in the past, but I’m finally beginning to accept myself for who I am. My greatest source of support is probably my friends, boyfriend and family, as well as the nurses and nursing assistants who have inspired me so much in the past. My greatest hope for the future is that everyone suffering from mental illness is given the support they need to recover, and lead the happy lives that they deserve. I’m taking 5 on Time to Talk Day because I want people who are suffering to know that life does get better: you just have to separate yourself from the illness and keep on listening …

This blog talks about issues that may be triggering to some readers This is the story of the last few years of my life – it’s about times when I’ve been unwell, but still felt able to talk about my mental health issues. When I started university in 2011 I began to seek help for a few aspects of my health and well-being that had been bothering me – I found out that I have dyslexia, that I may have ADD, and that I experience anxiety and depression. Searching back through my life during therapy sessions at university helped me to look at the root causes of my mental health issues; my granddad passed away in 2010 and this left a hole in my life. It turned out there …

What I want is to live in a world where people can feel comfortable to sit at work and say things along the lines of, “I’m feeling really anxious today” to their close colleagues (with whom they are comfortable sharing family, relationship and who knows what else) – and no-one will think they’re weird; for feeling that way nor for sharing the information.  I think it should be socially acceptable for anyone, when asked by a friend or close acquaintance “how are you?” to answer not just with either “I’m fine thanks” or “well I’ve got a bit of a cold/the kids have got me worn out/I’ve got loads on at work”; but also with “I’m feeling quite down” or maybe even “actually I’m …

Warning, this blog contains some content about eating disorders that may be triggering to some readers I used to believe all the stigma, all the rumours, lies and misunderstandings surrounding eating disorders.  I’d stare at the waif-like girls and joke, what she needs is a good meal. I even thought purging was plain wrong and something I’d never do myself. Or at least I did, until it happened to me. I used to believe that eating disorders were a choice For most of my life I’d lived relatively eating disorder free. By relatively I mean there had been no obvious disordered behaviours I was aware of. In November last year that all changed when, at the age of 31, I was diagnosed with an eating disorder. Anorexia …

I am all about authenticity. I can’t stand hypocrisy. Yet I feel quite hypocritical when it comes to one topic: mental health. I’m always retweeting tweets about ending stigma, but I still stigmatise myself. This is probably just because of what I learnt and observed as I grew up, but now I’m aware that there is no reason to continue to stigmatise myself for something that is not my fault. That’s something that I am still trying to accept. I’m done lying about my mental health Anyway, what I’m trying to say is I am done lying: I have mental health problems. Most people say “I suffer from” and I should probably say that because I really am suffering. But if I’m being honest with myself I …

I think the hardest thing with a mental illness is the fact that you don’t ‘look’ ill. If I have a cold or an injury, I will quite happily moan about my cold for days! Yet, I will barely be able to look someone in the eye and say ‘I have an eating disorder.’ I suppose it’s the fear of people’s reactions. Last summer I spent 2 months as a day patient in an eating disorder unit. Not many people know that, because I felt too ashamed and embarrassed to tell anyone. I was a 30 year old woman, married and with a baby – how on earth could I have an eating disorder? How on earth could I tell people about it? In the end other people …

At The Emily Program we know recovery is possible, often from personal experience. We enjoy hearing former clients, community members, and even our peers talk about their journey to recovery from an eating disorder. Gathering together as a community provides another level of support. It provides a forum that is safe, inspiring, and powerful.This month we will hold Recovery Night in St. Paul, MN and Seattle, WA. You can check our website for all dates and locations of future Recovery Nights.In St. Paul, MN:Tuesday, April 12 at 6:30 p.m. at 2265 Como Avenue, St. Paul, MN Meet Jenny: Jenny will share how her running career intersected with her development of anorexia, and how The Emily Program helped guide her on the path to recovery. Jenny also…

Today’s yoga blog focuses on variations of a common pose taught in yoga: Downward-Facing Dog. Downward Dog is one of those poses many feel a love/hate relationship toward. I know the first time I did a Downward-Facing Dog and I heard the yoga instructor say “this is a resting pose” I almost laughed out loud!To me, it felt like anything but restful. It can be uncomfortable at first, to say the least. One way to curb the discomfort, but still receive the calming, grounding, and stretching benefits is by adapting the pose to meet your body’s needs. Meeting your body where it is and not where you think it should be can allow for building stability in the body and flexibility of the…

by Kitty Westin A reluctant advocate I never wanted to be an advocate. I did not train or study or seek out “master” advocates to mentor me. I did not go to school or attend workshops or listen to webinars about becoming an advocate. I had no intention of starting a movement, being drafted into an army of eating disorder activists or becoming the thorn in the side of insurance companies. However, on February 17, 2000, the day my beloved daughter Anna Westin died of an eating disorder, I was launched into a life that I could not have imagined. The day Anna died of anorexia was the day that my life changed forever and the day I found my purpose.Anna was a spirited, fully alive, amazingly talented…

by Kitty Westin May your voice never die Before I go into detail about the Anna Westin Act I thought it would be interesting for readers to learn how the “dream” of eating disorder legislation became a reality.Legislation was made possible through The Eating Disorders Coalition (EDC), an organization based in Washington D.C. that is on a mission to advance the recognition of eating disorders as a public health priority throughout the United States. The EDC was formed 16 years ago by a group of six organizations as a way to bring eating disorder issues to the attention of policy makers in our nation’s capitol. I am an original member, past president and current board member of the EDC. We are now a group with nearly…

by Maia Polson To those of us with eating disorders, the concept of loving our bodies is completely foreign. We all engage in some form of over and under-eating, abusive self-talk, and a denial of our body’s real needs. These behaviors seem so habitual that it’s hard to imagine doing it any other way, let alone practicing love. I personally assumed that recovery could get my body healthy, but would still feel miserable about it. I knew the crazy body-love that all these recovered people talked about wasn’t for me.Yet here I am today, able to say that I honestly love my body. I love it every day, all the time. Allow me to explain…Changing my relationship with my body was a…

This is one person’s story; everyone will have unique experiences on their own path to recovery and beyond. Some stories may mention eating disorder thoughts, behaviors or symptom use. Please use your own discretion. And speak with your therapist when needed. by Liz Rognes, a former Emily Program client in recovery. She is a teacher, writer, and musician who lives in Spokane, WA. Recently, I took my nearly two-year-old son for a walk in the neighborhood. It’s part of our routine to be outside together after I get home from work. But he has now entered the stage where he refuses to sit in his stroller; he wants to be on his feet, choosing his own pace, walking just like Mama. So, on this particular…