But here’s the thing: they are two completely different lifestyles. Both people are in different phases of their lives with perhaps significant differences in resources and personalities (and lots of other things) and are not in a place to compare one another. This is the comparison trap that oftentimes it has an unintended impact on one’s relationship with food and self-esteem.

Do labels like "disordered eating" and "eating disorder" truly serve us, or do they limit our understanding of individuals and their unique journeys with food? These labels are often misunderstood, which makes it feel like such a hard concept for our peers to grasp. As an outsider, who is curious about your own relationship with food or wants to support someone navigating theirs, knowing the difference in these labels can be beneficial.

Here’s the thing, eating disorders don’t have a look. It’s a myth that eating disorders are typically portrayed by a “skinny” individual. But the reality is far from that stereotype. Eating disorders can affect anyone, regardless of their outward appearance. They don't discriminate based on size, shape, or weight.

The unconditional love we have for our families can be incredibly healing, especially for those who have struggled with eating disorders. Parenthood, with its inherent love and acceptance, can serve as a powerful motivator for recovery. Yet, as much as we cherish these moments, we also recognize the challenges they bring, particularly for individuals with eating disorders.

We should be exploring questions around the perception that excessive weight is a health problem, the dangers of intentional weight loss, and the conversations that uncover this controversial topic.

Just last year, The American Academy of Pediatrics put out (terrible) guidelines, that in a nutshell, give the “go-ahead” to evaluate children for weight loss medication and/or surgery. Weight loss surgery is completely irreversible. So why is it being recommended? There are many challenges that individuals will face when deciding to undergo weight loss surgery. Not only the painful physical challenges but the mental and emotional ones as well.

Everyone seems to have an opinion, you've probably encountered unsolicited advice and opinions from well-meaning (or not-so-well-meaning) friends or family. But here's the thing – You are not on a mission to help them see the world the way that you do. You are not on a mission to help them understand intuitive eating and eating disorder recovery.

When we view mental illnesses as medical illnesses, we are going to miss the nuance that is associated with emotions and psychology. There is no official proven line of treatment (I mean meds here) for eating disorders. But typically the individual also has some version of insert mental illness here and meds could be really helpful.

Someone who is more prone to feeling intolerable emotions is generally more prone to lean into any sort of eating disorder behaviors, substance abuse, or unhealthy coping mechanisms. The feelings they feel are so big and so intolerable, no wonder they’ll want relief from the pain.

So I think the biggest question here is: if you are a person who is highly sensitive, how do you deal with intense emotions?

But the question is, why is this a controversial topic? MAID is not a new construct. It has been utilized around the world with different controversies for many years as a way of ethically, compassionately, and humanely allowing people to have a dignified way of dying. In modern-day science or modern psychology, we don’t have a way to alleviate the suffering of someone who is battling a severe mental health condition. While I acknowledge that different medications serve their purposes, the question remains: why is there a difference between “mental illnesses” and “physical illnesses”? Is there even a difference?

Ever wondered why some dreams stick around while others vanish like morning mist? Jennifer shares that dreams we remember are like neon signs from our unconscious, emphasizing an underlying conflict. It turns out, that the more significant the conflict, the greater the unconscious's push to deliver the message through vivid dreams.

While diagnostic criteria, such as those outlined in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), exist for binge eating disorders, it's crucial to prioritize the individual's subjective experience. There is a limitation when it comes to these medicalized classifications and it’s important to recognize the subjective nature of these issues.