Men Get Eating Disorders Too: why the conversation about eating disorders has to be more inclusive

28/04/201828/04/2018 ~ Talking Eds ~ 2 Comments

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.

It’s all in the mind: take control of how you see yourself

15/04/2018 ~ Talking Eds ~ 1 Comment

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.

The Elephant in the Room: What the struggle with body image tells us about the psychology of eating disorders, and their real causes

15/04/201815/04/2018 ~ Talking Eds ~ 1 Comment

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.

Why we shouldn’t use ‘my’ to talk about mental illness

02/04/201802/04/2018 ~ Talking Eds ~ 2 Comments

When talking about mental illness (especially eating disorders), we often use the word 'my'. But could this be doing more harm than good?

Accommodating ED: are you letting the eating disorder in?

20/03/201820/03/2018 ~ Talking Eds ~ 3 Comments

In this article, I hope I can make clear what it means to accommodate and enable an eating disorder, and how individuals with a disorder and their carers can become aware of these behaviours, their consequences and how to stop them.

Don’t tell me I look well. But say it anyway

09/03/201809/03/2018 ~ Talking Eds ~ 1 Comment

The reaction of people with an eating disorder to comments on appearance reveals a lot about the psychology of eating disorders

Eating Disorder Awareness Week (4): Now you know what to look for, what should you do?

02/03/201809/03/2018 ~ Talking Eds ~ 2 Comments

In the last blog post, I tried to describe what it feels like to have an eating disorder, and set out the symptoms for the diffferent categories of the illness, not just anorexia. According to BEAT, 1.25 million peopole are living with an eating disorder, but that statistic may be an underestimation due to the … Continue reading Eating Disorder Awareness Week (4): Now you know what to look for, what should you do?