Stories of Eating Disorder Recovery: Change Your Social Media Feed, Change Your Life
Blair Thompson, RDN | @recoveryeverydamnday
Have y’all heard of the saying “change your social media, change your life?” I believe I heard that saying from Jes Baker. It’s honestly so true though! I also recommend reading ALL of her books.
Before 2014 I was following a ton of people who pushed an orthorexia mindset around nutrition and movement. I followed people who posted before and after pictures all the time. 2014 was the year that I decided to choose recovery but I didn’t have any social support. None of my friends or family members understood or thought that I needed help.
It was also the year my boyfriend and I went on a break, and that’s when I lost the person who understood and supported me. I literally did not have anyone in my life who supported my recovery.
I spent many nights and days crying...It was the worst year of my life, and it was also the year that I turned 21. YAY! My 21st birthday was horrible, I was so excited and had plans to celebrate my birthday with my boyfriend but unfortunately, we went on a break a week before my birthday.
Before my 21st birthday (April 28th) I decided to create an Instagram account to document my recovery. I unfollowed every social media account that pushed dieting and weight loss. I unfollowed a lot of friends and family members too because they would get mad at me for talking about my eating disorder.
Changing my social media lead me to the body-positive movement in 2014 which lead me to Health at Every Size ® (HAES ® ), the fat-positive movement, and Intuitive Eating (IE). It blew my mind! Talk about a life-changing moment.
If I never changed my social media then I would have never found the movements that helped me recover. My values are aligned with the HAES ® & IE approach, and they were never aligned with my eating disorder or with diet culture. I felt so lost, and incomplete and I felt like I wasn’t truly living my life until I changed my social media which changed my life and saved my life.
Disclaimer: I did receive therapy in 2014 all the way up until 2020. I was also seeing a dietitian for a very long time. Social media does not replace professional help. If you are struggling, seek out professional help from a certified eating disorder therapist and dietitian or a treatment center. Make sure your therapist and dietitian or treatment center are HAES ® & IE aligned.