Advice For Recovering From Eating Disorders: Recovery Resources And Treatment Options

Recognizing that you or someone you love has an eating disorder can be frightening, as these mental illnesses can have severe health consequences. Although recovery is possible, many people don’t know what forms of treatment and interpersonal support are most effective. That’s why many professional organizations, nonprofit groups, and government bodies have created a variety of tools and informational resources to support people with eating disorders in their journey to wellness.

Some of the materials listed below provide general information about eating disorders, while others address specific questions, such as what forms of therapy are effective. There are resources meant for people living with eating disorders and others intended to help friends and family understand how to offer support during recovery. Becoming informed about these mental illnesses and how they’re treated can be a helpful first step toward wellness.

General eating disorder information resources

Misunderstandings and half-truths about eating disorders are pervasive in contemporary culture, and some can hamper efforts at recovery. Here are a few sources for evidence-based insights into eating disorders:

What Are Eating Disorders?

This guide from the American Psychiatric Association offers a concise but accurate overview of eating disorders from a mental health standpoint.

Academy for Eating Disorders (AED)

Created to assist mental health and medical professionals who treat eating disorders, this organization also offers accessible resources like a series of videos on what to expect from eating disorder treatment.

National Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders (NCEED)

This professional organization maintains an extensive database of resources for individuals and families affected by eating disorders. 

Resources on anorexia nervosa

Anorexia nervosa (AN), often simply called anorexia, is regarded by many experts as the most life-threatening form of mental illness. If you’re looking for specific, in-depth information on this condition, you may want to consider the following sources:

What is Anorexia? Symptoms, Complications and Causes

This guide from the nonprofit Eating Disorder Hope offers a detailed look at many different aspects of anorexia, including its characteristic symptoms and subtypes. 

What is Anorexia Nervosa?

Created by the National Alliance for Eating Disorders, this resource is a brief summary of the warning signs and health risks of anorexia.

Resou rces on bulimia nervosa

Bulimia nervosa (BN), or bulimia, is marked by a combination of compulsive overeating (binge eating) and attempts to compensate (purging). Potentially useful resources on bulimia include:

Bulimia Nervosa — National Eating Disorders Association

The National Eating Disorders Alliance, or NEDA, provides a variety of informational guides to eating disorders, including a detailed look at bulimia. 

The Bulimia Project

Although this organization includes some guides to other disorders, such as anorexia, its bulimia-specific resources can be particularly helpful.

Diabulimia Helpline

This help center is dedicated to assisting people with a rare and dangerous form of diabetes-related bulimia, which involves limiting or restricting prescribed insulin in an attempt to lose weight. 

Resources on binge eating disorder

Despite being the most common eating disorder in the United States, binge eating disorder (BED) is less well-known than anorexia or bulimia. The following resources can help individuals better understand this condition:

What is Binge Eating Disorder? Symptoms, Risks, & Causes

Eating Disorder Hope maintains this well-researched guide to the ins and outs of binge eating disorder.

Binge eating disorder (BED) — National Eating Disorders Collaboration

Presented by the NEDC, an initiative of the Australian government, this page serves as a straightforward guide to recognizing BED and understanding its health impacts.

Resources to help you find treatment for eating disorders

Treatment for eating disorders is often multifaceted, but most mental health experts strongly recommend incorporating some form of evidence-based behavioral psychotherapy. Here are some resources that may help you locate qualified providers or treatment centers:

• ANAD Treatment Directory: This free directory from the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders includes a wide variety of mental health professionals, dietitians, and treatment facilities specializing in eating disorder care.
• International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals Member Search: The IAEDP is a professional network of treatment providers with a focus on eating disorders.
• Eating Disorder Treatment Near Me — Eating Disorder Hope: Eating Disorder Hope’s treatment locator page includes recommendations of top treatment centers and listings of treatment professionals by state. 
• Dietitian Central: Nutrition counseling can be a vital part of an eating disorder treatment plan, and this database can help you locate a qualified professional.
• EDReferral: This site offers another searchable, location-based list of eating disorder care options. 
• National Alliance for Eating Disorders Treatment Center & Practitioner Directory: Users can search this directory based on many different criteria, including proficiencies with specific patient categories, such as athletes or LGBTQ+ individuals.

While these resources can be helpful, they can’t guarantee that any given treatment option will be a good match for your needs. You’ll likely want to do some follow-up research after identifying a care provider or facility that seems promising.

Evidence suggests that particular eating disorders may be more effectively treated by certain treatment approaches than by others. Keeping the following evidence-based recommendations in mind may help you narrow your search:

Effective treatments for anorexia nervosa

For those who prefer individual therapy, behavioral treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or acceptance-based therapies may be the most effective options. 

Effective treatments for bulimia nervosa

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is currently considered the  for (missing content) bulimia. In this treatment method, the therapist typically helps the client recognize and modify the distorted mental habits driving their disorder. 

Interpersonal therapy (IPT) may also be a helpful method, targeting feelings of isolation, grief, rejection, and damaging societal pressures. There’s also some evidence supporting the use of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), a treatment combining radical self-acceptance with practices designed to boost emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills. 

Effective treatments for binge eating disorder

Clinical guidelines for treating binge eating disorder (BED) indicate that several kinds of psychotherapy can be effective. CBT is the most commonly recommended method, but other methods supported by evidence include:

• Interpersonal psychotherapy
• Cognitive-behavioral self-help treatment
• Integrative-cognitive therapy

Recovery resources for families affected by eating disorders

In addition to their potentially devastating impacts on individuals, eating disorders can place significant psychological strain on a person’s loved ones. Seeing someone you care for experiencing the effects of an eating disorder can be deeply painful. The following resources may be helpful to families affected by these conditions:

Families Empowered And Supporting Treatment for Eating Disorders (FEAST)

FEAST is an international network of parents whose children have been impacted by eating disorders. In addition to providing supportive forums for discussion and improvement, this group offers education on topics like nutrition, key skills for caregivers, and what to expect in recovery.

Grace Holland Cozine Resource Center (Loved Ones)

This resource center from the National Eating Disorders Association contains information on a wealth of subjects, such as how to encourage family members to seek help and how to provide assistance during recovery.

Helping Someone with an Eating Disorder

Eating Disorder Hope shares this comprehensive guide to recognizing the warning signs of an eating disorder in someone close to you and having a productive discussion about getting them help.

Families and Supports — NEDC

You can access a diverse array of educational resources through this page from the National Eating Disorders Collaboration, from interactive tools on assessing eating behaviors to guidelines on progressing through recovery. Note that some of the information on locating treatment may not be relevant to those outside of Australia.

Resources to help you navigate recovery

Locating an effective treatment program is only the first step in overcoming an eating disorder. The resource listed below may provide encouragement and guidance during the often-challenging process of getting well.

Body positivity resources to challenge eating disorder beliefs

Unhealthy perceptions and attitudes toward the body are typically significant features of many eating disorders. Below are some tools to help people with these conditions cultivate a more positive self-image:

• About-Face: An advocacy organization and resource center dedicated to fighting harmful media messages about appearance and attractiveness.
• Be Body Positive: Resources on building a healthy body image from the UK’s National Health Service.
• Weight & Body Image Disorders: Causes, Symptoms & Signs: Eating Disorder Hope’s education and awareness section on body image issues.
• Butterfly Foundation: An Australian nonprofit offering assistance with eating disorders and body image challenges. 

Guides to recovering from eating disorders

Moving past an eating disorder can be a long and sometimes confusing journey. The following resources can provide strategies and inspiration to help you along the way:

• Recovery Warriors: An online support and education community for eating disorder recovery.
• The Joy Project: Articles, tools, and support groups to assist with healthy eating.
• Project HEAL: Help and advice for navigating the financial aspects of eating disorder treatment.

Support groups for eating disorders

The ability to talk with others who can relate to your experience can be a powerful source of emotional support. Here are a few organizations hosting eating disorder support groups:

• National Alliance for Eating Disorders: Virtual and in-person support groups led by therapists.
• National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders: Peer support for individuals with eating disorders and their families.
• Around the Dinner Table: A virtual forum for parents and caregivers.

Digital mental health care for eating disorders

In addition to the above options to find treatment, you could also seek psychotherapy for an eating disorder online. Many people struggling to fit therapy into their schedule find this a more convenient option since they don’t have to commute to an office. With online therapy, you typically don’t have to be limited to a Monday – Friday schedule, and you can communicate with a licensed therapist via audio, video, or live chat.

Mounting evidence suggests that online psychotherapy can be an effective tool for eating disorder recovery. For example, a 2023 meta-analysis on the use of Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy reported that this method “appears to be efficacious for the prevention, treatment and relapse prevention of eating disorders.” You may need to supplement online therapy with in-person visits to a physician who can monitor your physical health.