Resources for People Dealing with Food or Eating Related Mental Health Symptoms * - a Mini Collection

This is a mini collection of resources 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!

Contact us for more support options.

Self help resources…

100 pages of self-reflection questions, resources, and information to help you work on your relationship with food and your body. Topics included trauma and triggers, food and identity, weight stigma and fatphobia, self-advocacy and medical providers, medical diets, medications, and food allergies, body awareness, and pleasure and satisfaction. Buy it here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheQueerCounselor.

Made to be folded up and put in your wallet, this is a little pocket zine intended to fight restriction urges–the psychological compulsion not to eat. It is a quick and dirty resource for when you’re having trouble getting food into your face. Buy it here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/193938820/eat-this-sandwich-an-eating-disorder.

Gulp is a zine showcasing the unheard stories – through art, poetry and writing – of LGBTQIA+ people with eating disorders or complex relationships with food and/or their bodies. Read it here: https://s30454.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/Gulp-a-zine-telling-the-stories-o-LGBTQIA-people-with-eating-disorders-pdf.pdf.

Positive affirmation prints for eating disorder recovery. These act as perfect daily reminders for your bedroom wall, or wherever you need them most. Buy them here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1167565651/eating-disorder-recovery-affirmation.

Blog focusing on body image, disordered eating, and health. Read it here: https://recoverywarriors.com/blog/.

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. Learn more: https://anad.org/get-help/about-our-support-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. Learn more: https://centerfordiscovery.com/groups/.

We are a peer group for women experiencing disordered eating (including restricting, bingeing, purging, over-exercise, etc.). We approach recovery from a nonjudgmental, body-positive perspective. Learn more: https://www.cambridgewomenscenter.org/groups.

Online support communities…

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 Check it out: https://www.reddit.com/r/EDAnonymous/.

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). Check it out: https://disboard.org/server/534111406128365592.

Body neutrality and body positivity resources…

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. Learn more here: https://thebodyisnotanapology.com/shop/books/hard-copy-the-body-is-not-an-apology-the-power-of-radical-self-love/.

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. Buy it here: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/15383.

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. Buy it here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1121368345/body-positivity-workbook-printable-body.

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. Learn more here: https://www.harrirose.com/you-are-enough-book.

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?” Learn more: https://anuschkarees.com/beyond-beautiful.

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TitleLooking for more resources?

Contact the NAMI Mass Compass Helpline. Compass is available Monday through Friday, 10 am – 6 pm. Call us at 617-704-6264 or email us at compass@namimass.org.

Learn more about the NAMI Mass Compass Helpline.