Gender Dysphoria vs. Body Dysmorphia: Why the Difference Matters
During Pride Month, we’re reminded how often language has been used to erase or distort identity. Terms like gender dysphoria and body dysmorphia are often confused—or at times used interchangeably—even by well-meaning people. But the difference between them isn’t just clinical. It’s cultural and personal, and it matters deeply. Body dysmorphia is a psychiatric diagnosis….
Who Gets to Heal? Barriers to Eating Disorder Treatment in Military and Veteran Populations
Eating disorders are among the deadliest psychiatric conditions, and among the most misunderstood. Within military and veteran communities, the risks are heightened by a complex mix of culture, trauma, and access barriers. Yet treatment remains difficult to obtain, and too often, it arrives too late. Military life imposes intense demands on the body and mind….
How to Support a Loved One With an Eating Disorder: Four Conversations That Can Make a Difference
It’s not easy to watch someone you care about struggle with an eating disorder. You might feel unsure of what to say, afraid of saying the wrong thing, or worried that your concern will push them further away. They may be working toward recovery, avoiding the subject entirely, or somewhere in between. What matters most…
Understanding Orthorexia: Rewarded, Restrictive, and Overlooked
Orthorexia nervosa isn’t listed in the DSM, but it has become a highly discussed and increasingly scrutinized pattern of disordered eating. At its core, orthorexia is marked by an intense focus on eating only foods deemed “clean,” “pure,” or “healthy,” often at the expense of flexibility, connection, or overall well-being. The signs of orthorexia can…
Understanding ARFID: Causes, Symptoms, and When to Seek Help
When most people think of eating disorders, they often picture someone overly concerned with their body image—restricting calories, skipping meals, and obsessing over weight. But what if we told you that not all eating disorders revolve around body image? In fact, there’s an entire diagnosis that has little to do with appearance at all: Avoidant/Restrictive…
What Is Eating Disorder Recovery, Really?
Recovery is one of the most used and most misunderstood words in the eating disorder world. For some, it’s a destination. For others, it’s a daily practice. Either way, it’s rarely linear, and it doesn’t always look the way people expect it to. You don’t need to “look” sick to need support, and you don’t…
TikTok, GLP-1s, and the Return of the Thin Ideal: Eating Disorders and Social Media Revisited
In 2025, the pressure to be thin isn’t just back—it’s repackaged, rebranded, and algorithmically amplified. On social media, we’re watching a familiar aesthetic re-emerge, embedded in appearance-focused content and often disguised as health or lifestyle advice. Add to that the rise of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy—marketed and memed into the mainstream—and it’s hard…
Eating Disorder Awareness Month | Build a Recovery Network
Eating Disorder Awareness Month Blog – Week 4: Building Your Recovery Network: Support Systems in Treatment and Beyond Welcome to the fourth installment in our blog series honoring Eating Disorder Awareness Month. In this article, we will discuss building an eating disorder support system, and how having a nurturing eating disorder recovery network is instrumental…
Eating Disorder Awareness Month Blog | The Comprehensive Treatment Approach
Welcome to the third installment of our blog series honoring Eating Disorder Awareness Month. In this post, we will discuss holistic eating disorder treatment methods and how specialized eating disorder therapy combining evidence-based eating disorder treatment and a whole-person wellness approach yields significant, long-term benefits. “Recovery from disordered eating is about accepting the wholeness of…
Eating Disorder Awareness Month | Breaking Barriers
Eating Disorder Awareness Month Blog – Week 2: Breaking Barriers: Addressing Common Concerns About Eating Disorder Treatment Welcome to the second post in our February blog series honoring Eating Disorder Awareness Month. In this entry, we discuss eating disorder treatment concerns and how to respect your reservations about starting eating disorder treatment. “Recovery from disordered…