Giving Ourselves Grace
By Judy Krasna, F.E.A.S.T. Executive Director Unfortunately, children don’t come with a parenting manual. I think we all learn by trial and error, using our intuition to guide us along the way. There are always trials and there are always errors. It’s part and parcel of parenting. When the stakes are low and we make […]
Learning to Pivot
By Judy Krasna, Executive Director If you are a Friends fan like I am, the word “pivot” will conjure an image of Ross yelling at Chandler and Rachel to “PIVOT” as they try to navigate a large couch around a bend in the staircase. Beyond that, the word “pivot” is a critical one when you […]
But where are the normal ones?
By Laura Collins Lyster-Mensh, F.E.A.S.T. Founder and Advisor The conversation has haunted me for over a decade. I don’t remember the location, or which conference it was, but I remember the dad’s face and his question: “Where are the recovered ones? The normal ones?” I remember earnestly listing recovered people for him — a worried […]
Recovery Lessons
By Catherine Brown As cohost of the Eating Disorders: Navigating Recovery Podcast, I have had the incredible opportunity to delve into deep, raw, vulnerable conversations with people in the eating disorder community, including clinicians as well as people who have found recovery. Our guests come on the podcast because they want to share their experience […]
DBT Distress Tolerance Skills of Half-Smiling and Willing Hands
Self Care: Men of F.E.A.S.T.
Warm Socks: Reflections on Recovery for Parents
By Amy E Cunningham Eight years ago, I faced the most challenging experience in parenting in my then 25 years of parenting. My youngest daughter, Emma, aged 12, was diagnosed with restrictive anorexia in 2013. She was disappearing before my eyes, with personality changes so dramatic it was hard to believe that she was the […]
Raising Eating Disorder Awareness: Start With Your Doctor
By Amy E Cunningham Eight years ago, I faced the most challenging experience in parenting in my then 25 years of parenting. My youngest daughter, Emma, aged 12, was diagnosed with restrictive anorexia in 2013. She was disappearing before my eyes, with personality changes so dramatic it was hard to believe that she was the […]
Why Parent Advocacy is So Important in the Fight Against Eating Disorders
By Amy E Cunningham Eight years ago, I faced the most challenging experience in parenting in my then 25 years of parenting. My youngest daughter, Emma, aged 12, was diagnosed with restrictive anorexia in 2013. She was disappearing before my eyes, with personality changes so dramatic it was hard to believe that she was the […]
How I Recovered While Receiving Virtual Treatment
By Sterling Renzoni (He/Him)Mental Health Warrior and Writer 2020 was a challenging year for all of us. As someone with an eating disorder, I found every year spent sick challenging; 2020 at first was no different. Near the end of 2019, I was discharged from my longest admission at SickKids hospital to treat my Anorexia. I […]
Netflix, Connection, and Self-Care
By Judy Krasna, F.E.A.S.T. Blogs Editor and Volunteer The day that I gave birth to my triplet daughters was one of the scariest days of my life. I went into labor 10 weeks early, at 30 weeks of pregnancy, and I was being prepped for a C-Section. I had been given a drug which was […]
Keeping a Diary to Help Yourself
By June Alexander, member of the F.E.A.S.T. Advisory Panel Life balance can get out of kilter when caring for a loved one with an eating disorder. Add COVID-19 to the mix and the chances of this happening can skyrocket. Often when we arecaring for others, especially someone we love, we put our own self-care and […]
Place The Oxygen Mask On Yourself First
by: Mary O’Brien “Hello everyone. This is your captain speaking. We are coming into severe weather with lots of turbulence. It is unclear how long this will last and are working with the experts to determine the safest path forward. We advise you to buckle up and put away all personal belongings. We have lowered the oxygen masks […]