Some of those who have gone before have written a letter to you or shared a portion of their journey, which can be accessed here in the Sisterhood of Recovery section. The women who contributed to this project, wanted to ensure that as you looked through and utilised the resources, you weren’t overwhelmed with a feeling of ‘Me versus the ED’ but that through their ‘voices’, you would feel supported; that a sense of ‘sisterhood’ would be transmitted through their words; and that you would sense a whole community standing alongside you, championing you to take hold of life and supporting you as you battle for recovery and those things that matter most to you.
The first page in this section is entitled “Recovery Is…”. It is a collection of humorous, reflective, and personally experienced quotes about recovery from your recovery sisters.
To access stories from others, click on their highlighted name:
♥ Ngareta Day
♥ M (27)
♥ B. Stewart
♥ S. Hastings
♥ Nicola Ironside
♥ Hannah Ryrie
If you would like to contribute your own ‘Recovery Is…’ quotes to this site, or submit you stories of recovery, that which you’ve learned along your journey, poems, artwork, songs, etc please fill in the form at the bottom of this page. Please note that the following guidelines must be adhered to in the submission of your pieces and you must confirm that you have read and contemplated the considerations below:
Sharing your experience with others offers an opportunity to have a profound impact, for you are in a unique position to offer hope and understanding. It is important however, to carefully consider the potential impact of what you choose to share on those who read it, as well as how your self-disclosure may impact your own personal well-being. It is important that what you share does not contradict your best intentions by providing ideas that may contribute to others disordered eating behaviours. Additionally, when someone shares their story, it is not uncommon for them to feel particularly emotional, vulnerable or exposed afterwards. Give some sincere thought to what you are and are not comfortable disclosing, as well as to your motivations for doing so.
In sharing your story, please adhere to the follow guidelines:
DON’T…
- use ANY numbers. This includes anything related to weight, BMI, calories, kilojoules, measurements, clothing size, desired weight, weight-loss goals, incidents of purging or restriction, ingestion of laxatives or diuretics, diet information, types and amounts of food ingested, time spent exercising etc.
- focus on graphic images or physical descriptions of the body at its unhealthiest point. A focus on the physical descriptions of the body is not only dangerous, but can also be misleading. Individuals with eating disorders come in all shapes and sizes – just like in life!
- give any ‘tips’ on how to perpetuate an eating disorder and associated behaviours, ‘brag’ about eating disordered behaviours, or promote any behaviours associated with the maintenance of an eating disorder.
- describe any incidents of self-harm or disordered eating in explicit detail.
- include any photos or images of when you are unwell or that may be triggering to others.
DO…
- focus on the mental and physical consequences of the eating disorder (e.g. disrupted friendships and isolation, fear and depression, fatigue, decreased ability to concentrate, medical complications, etc.) rather than the specific behaviours or number counting that perpetuated the eating disorder.
- highlight that our self-worth cannot be measured by the numbers on a scale or the size of our clothes.
- focus on recovery, what you’ve learned from successes and set-backs as well as sharing coping strategies that have been helpful in moving towards recovery.
- provide encouragement to others and recognise that recovery from eating issues is possible, and that different things work for different people, and can be incremental over time.
Always keep in mind that an effective recovery story helps lead others toward health, hope, and understanding.
