Resources for People Dealing with Food or Eating Related Mental Health Symptoms

This collection of resources is for people who are dealing with food-related or eating-related mental health symptoms, put together by people who have had such experiences.

* We know that some people have been diagnosed with an eating disorder, with disordered eating, or with another mental health condition and may or may not identify with those labels, and that some people have not been diagnosed but are struggling with food or eating – this resource collection is for anyone who feels they could use more support!

updated September 2024

Look for more resources? Reach out to our Compass Helpline! The Compass Helpline is available Monday through Friday, 10 am to 6 pm. Call us at 617-704-6264, email us at compass@namimass.org, or schedule a call with us.

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Support Groups

Find support within these spaces:

  • Eating Disorder Peer Support Groups
    https://anad.org/get-help/about-our-support-groups/
    Hosted by ANAD, these support groups provide a free, virtual space where people can come together and find community in recovery. This community fills a gap in care, providing an accessible space for those who are struggling.
  • Eating Disorder Support Groups
    https://centerfordiscovery.com/groups/
    Free online support groups for anyone who has been impacted by an eating disorder. Groups are intended to provide peer support and are not a substitute for treatment. Hosted by Center for Discovery.

Online Communities

These online communities are a good source for asynchronous support:

  • Recovery Cafe
    https://disboard.org/server/534111406128365592
    We’re a small tight knit community working towards education about body positivity and eating disorders and to support those who are currently recovering from eating disorders. We welcome anyone that has any eating disorder, not just specific ones. You don’t have to be recovering currently to participate in our server (but we do require that you aren’t toxic to the people who are recovering).
  • Eating Disorders Anonymous
    https://www.reddit.com/r/EDAnonymous/
    A public subreddit for discussing the struggles of having an eating disorder. Much like an Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous group, we offer emotional support and harm reduction but no encouragement of furthering ED behaviors.

Body Neutrality & Body Positivity Resources

Check out these resources;

  • The Body Is Not An Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love
    https://www.sonyareneetaylor.com/books/the-body-is-not-an-apology-the-power-of-radical-self-love-h2x6p
    The Body Is Not an Apology offers radical self-love as the balm to heal the wounds inflicted by these violent systems. As we awaken to our own indoctrinated body shame, we feel inspired to awaken others and to interrupt the systems that perpetuate body shame and oppression against all bodies. When we act from this truth on a global scale, we usher in the transformative opportunity of radical self-love, which is the opportunity for a more just, equitable, and compassionate world – for us all.
  • Body Positive: A Guide to Loving Your Body
    https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/15383
    Body Positive is a resource for young adult women who desire to redefine and understand true beauty. Focusing on correct body image, self-improvement, thinspiration, mental health, bullying, sexual harassment, and more, this book is packed with introspective questions and inspiring, un-retouched photographs that display the bodies of real, everyday women.
  • Body Positivity Workbook
    https://www.etsy.com/listing/1121368345/body-positivity-workbook-printable-body
    Build a positive body image and body image awareness to feel more confident. This workbook includes in-depth self-awareness questions, activities to build positive body image, confidence boosting exercises, and more.
  • You Are Enough – Love the Skin you’re in and Embrace your Awesomeness
    https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/11461
    Inside this book are the tools that you need to stop waging war on your body, including activities and practices to help you on your journey to unapologetic body acceptance.
  • Beyond Beautiful: A practical guide to being happy, confident and you in a looks-obsessed world
    https://anuschkarees.com/beyond-beautiful
    Empowering, insightful, and psychology-driven, Beyond Beautiful is filled with proven, no-BS strategies for proactive self-care. This handbook takes a deep-dive into all of the factors that make it hard to feel good about yourself, and offers answers to questions, like “Why do I hate the way I look in pictures?“ and “ How exactly does this “self-love” thing work?”
  • The Body Gratitude Deck of Cards: Affirmations to Accept and Celebrate Your Incredible Body
    https://www.mobythegreat.com/books/jessica-sanders/the-body-gratitude-deck-of-cards-affirmations-to-accept-and/9781922417695
    An illustrated deck of cards to help you celebrate all the ways your body is amazing.

Other Resources

Check out these additional resources: