I’ve battled disordered eating, poor self-esteem, and an addictive personality since I was 14. What began as a desire to change my body spiraled into years of restricting, bingeing, and purging—a desperate attempt to quiet feelings of inadequacy and pain. Now, at 26, I’m on a journey to heal the deep roots of these struggles, embracing self-acceptance and finding strength in vulnerability. Through therapy, creative expression, and a commitment to growth, I’ve learned that recovery is possible, even if it’s an ongoing process. This is my story of turning darkness into light.

A growing number of women are seeking support for eating disorders over the age of 40. We spoke to Silver Linings Foundation mentor and board member, Kathryn Quick, about finding support later in life.

Underrepresented, underdiagnosed and undertreated, eating disorders among men often fly under the radar. We talk to recovered binge eater and bulimic Christopher about living with an invisible illness and why he encourages people to define their disorder on their own terms.

The conversation of “recovery” starts almost as soon as an eating disorder has been identified and diagnosed. Whether the person is a child or an adult, family and friends view the person as having “the issue” which must be fixed, cured or removed. Almost always, the person is also surprised to find themselves with a diagnosis and unsure of how to reverse the situation.

Registered social worker, therapist, and Silver Linings founding member, Lakshmi Krishnan, explains the link between calorie counting and anxiety and how to change your narrative with numbers.

Registered social worker, therapist, and Silver Linings founding member, Lakshmi Krishnan, explains where body issues might come from and how to parent through these tough times.

What is it like to be supported by a peer mentor? SLF chatted with a mentee in the program (M.) to get a first-hand account.

For over six years, I’ve lived with anorexia—a reality I kept hidden from most of the world. This is the first time I’m typing those words. In this open letter, I reflect on the struggles, the support I’ve found, and the gratitude I feel for those who’ve stood by me. If you’ve ever felt the weight of silence or the need for understanding, this is for you.

November 2022 marked the the start of the 2nd season of the Peer Support Program at Silver Linings. We are now training the second cohort of peer mentors who will go on to support individuals in recovery. Last year 15 remarkable people from our community stepped up to train as mentors for eating disorder recovery and this year we have 16 new people who want to do the same.  

Sometimes we feel like a war is raging within ourselves. This war, like any other war in the history of humankind and beyond, is a war disseminated by ignorance and fear.

Holidays can often represent a minefield of eating disorder triggers. Invites for gatherings that involve food can be anxiety-producing. For me, a combination of being in recovery and having irritable syndrome can make the holidays an extra anxious time.

This deeply personal story recounts a lifelong struggle with disordered eating, beginning in childhood and spanning years of restrictive dieting, overexercising, and binge-purge cycles. The author reflects on the societal and familial pressures that fueled their battle with body image and shares their journey toward finding balance and healing. Through support, self-discovery, and learning to nourish their body, they’ve made strides in managing disordered eating, though the journey continues. The story offers insight into the complexities of eating disorders and the resilience required to work toward recovery.

It's a reminder for myself, as well as others in recovery, to keep going and to celebrate our progress along the way, and most importantly to be gentle and patient with ourselves when things get hard.

Things began to change and shift more quickly over the next few weeks. Food was left uneaten on dinner plates, found on the floor of the car after a request that she get to school early and eat on the way, found under her bed, throughout the house.

Trusting my body after eating disorder recovery can be a difficult endeavor. Being a control freak, it’s hard for me to fully trust my body. However, recovery requires giving up this control.

Since inception in 2014, our foundation has offered numerous support groups, resources and most recently peer mentoring. We have always maintained that while these programs are an important part of the recovery journey, they are just one piece.

“I am imperfect.”

“I am enough.”

“I AM IMPERFECT. I AM ENOUGH.” As if by shouting the phrase out, it will burn into my psyche and heart and miraculously end the body shame.

Summer is short. Life is short. And newsflash: We have a finite amount of summers during our lifetime. In my own journey, I’ve found healthy distractions to be immensely helpful in turning down the volume of my inner, dysmorphic mean girl during the summer season.

Your weight doesn't define your eating disorder. Your eating disorder is about thoughts and behaviours and the pain that it brings. Your eating disorder is about the struggle in your mind and not what you look like on the outside. You are sick enough.

Caregiving is a full time job and when you add the complexities of an eating disorder, it can be completely overwhelming.