Coping with eating disorders is proving difficult during the pandemic.
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is working on new ways to connect, which can be a key piece of recovery. Addiction thrives in isolation.
"I'm honestly not sure how long I'm going to be riding the recovery relapse line, because right now that's kind of where I am," said Missa Finkle, who’s recovering from bulimia and anorexia.
Irregular eating is often a coping mechanism for other mental health issues.
"And then you add to that the stress, anxiety, the collective trauma we're all going through right now, and that's really a recipe for disordered eating behaviors," said Claire Mysko, CEO of NEDA.
NEDA says while social media can be a way to reach out, it may also be an added strain. Jokes about how much weight you may gain during quarantine or pushing exercise can all act as triggers.
"I think people are so used to that default of commiserating over fear of weight gain that we don't think about how harmful that can be," said Mysko.
NEDA is launching more virtual resources, like daily videos.
Their helpline
is also up and running. You can contact it by chat or phone.
