Advocating for eating disorder awareness: Shining a light on mental health

Eating Disorder Awareness Week is one of the crucial times to shed light on an issue that is often filled with stigma, isolation, and silence. This event happens annually at the end of February. It holds an opportunity for all to come together to raise awareness, educate, hold space, and advocate for those who struggle with eating disorders. However, one does not have to wait for the opportunity to shed light and spread awareness for a cause. Eating disorders can be a complex diagnosis that can affect anyone, no matter their size, race, gender, sexuality, or age. From anorexia nervosa to bulimia or Eating disorder unspecified (EDNOS), these illnesses can have serious physical, emotional, and psychological consequences, making it difficult to treat without a team, but also can leave the individual in a dire state if untreated. As mental health counselors, we have many roles within our field. One of these significant roles is advocacy, which challenges misconceptions, promotes early interventions, and fosters an understanding of eating disorders. Here are some ways individuals and communities can advocate during Eating Disorder Awareness Week.

1. Education helps with misconceptions

Education is one of the most significant tools we have as therapists. The more information we have, the more we can clarify and spread accurate information to struggling families and friends. Do you know that many individuals believe that once you get an eating disorder, you will never get better? This is one of the very myths causing difficulties within the counseling, leaving individuals struggling with eating disorders to fight silently without the proper support. Sharing statistics, recovery journeys, and educational resources through social media, community events  and educational resources can help dispel the myths, help the individual and their family, and increase society's understanding.

2. Be aware of how we discuss body image within the therapy room

Advocating for body positivity and self-acceptance is crucial in helping our clients understand themselves better by challenging unrealistic beauty standards. We must promote diversity within our media and encourage healthy relationships with food and exercise based on nourishment and self-care.

3. Accessing help

Asking for help is the start to someone's journey; however, with an eating disorder, it can be a challenge to find appropriate care. Did you know that only 1 in 5 individuals with an eating disorder will seek treatment from someone who specializes in eating disorders? By advocating for improved access to eating disorder treatment and support services, including affordable specialized care, we can continue to help provide coverage for these mental health services as well as more research on eating disorders. It is also vital to share available resources, including self-help books and groups like Eating Disorder Anonymous, that can provide extra support to clients who need it.

4. Everyone deserves recovery!

No matter your race, religion, ethnicity, gender, or sexual identity, everyone deserves care. Within the field, we have to recognize the intersectionality of eating disorders with other social and identity factors. It's essential to question the client how all their identities see their difficulty. While also advocating for inclusivity and culturally competent approaches to prevention, treatment, and support.

5. Advocacy without time

Advocacy can take a lot of work and time, which many clinicians struggle with; however, everyone can make a difference with even a minute of spare time. For example, email your legislature regarding the Improving Mental Health and Wellness in Schools Act (S. 754/H.R.1331). Within the education system, children and adolescents learn about caring for their physical health while missing a critical factor in their well-being! This bill was created to help our youth by adding mental health to the educational material in school, helping with prevention, education, and early intervention. Schools will also have mental health professionals and dieticians as part of their multidisciplinary team to create wellness policies. This is pivotal since, within the past ten years, youth have reported a 50% increase in negative mental health outcomes with a rate of 247 billion dollars on pediatric mental health treatment.

(To learn more about this bill or others coming up, please go to www.eating disorders coalition.org)

By all coming together to advocate for eating disorder awareness, we can all challenge stigma, promote understanding, and support individuals toward healing. Let's use Eating Disorder Awareness Week as a catalyst for change and a reminder that every voice matters in the fight against eating disorders. Together, we can create a world where everyone feels seen, supported, and empowered to prioritize mental health and wellbeing.