Opening up the Conversation on Eating Disorders
World Mental Health Day brings mental health to the top of the agenda for once: let's make it last and make real changes to how we live so that we can build a mentally healthier society
Given that deceit is a central element of an eating disorder, it is no surprise that truthfulness and honesty are a crucial pillar of recovery. But honesty can be painful, and it can take a long time to rebuild that trust with the people you love.
There is a mental illness epidemic amongst the LGBT community. Nearly half of all men with eating disorders are gay. Something needs to be done, and for that to happen, we need to understand the reasons and expand the conversation.
Perfectionism and the pressures it brings can be a key factor in the development and maintenance of a number of mental illnesses, especially eating disorders. It's time to better understand what it means and to get more realistic. It's a common enough word, a label that most people are proud to own. "I'm a perfectionist, … Continue reading Think Perfection is Something to be Proud of? Think again
I am a male who was diagnosed with anorexia at the age of 20. At first I was ashamed and embarrassed. But I now realise that I had nothing to be ashamed about. I want you to know that it is ok to feel pain, but you do not need to feel shame and guilt - it is ok to ask for help. If you fear you may have an eating disorder or think you know a guy who might, it's time to speak up and ge the help you need and deserve. I did. It was the hardest process I have ever experienced, but it was worth it.
How can people with eating disorders begin to challenge their negative body image? And can the wider population learn something from them? Change how you see, not what you see.
Eating disorders are often reduced to struggles over body image. Those struggles are a symptom of the illness, not the cause, and reveal a lot about the psychology of the illness.
