Anyone read "Life Without Ed" by Jenni Shaefer?

Just saw it online and it looks pretty good. Is it worth buying?

YES YES YES.

I am reading it now and it is absolutely terrific. I was recommended it by a few other people, it is extremely helpful and insightful!

can you guys tell us a little more about what it's about? (that stuff REALLY gets me feeling motivated!) thanks!

The book is about the author's "divorce" from "ED." She divorces her eating disorder, in a sense. Comparing it to an abusive marriage, but how the wife is scared to leave because her husband is the only person that's always been there for her. It focuses on seperating yourself from your eating disorder. The book is divided into really short chapters, about a page or two long each, which i find really nice because it makes it easy to read, and it makes good points in each of the chapters. It basically is about identity, and how you are not your eating disorder. It's a very good read.

I also liked Learning to Be Me (about the author's 23 year battle with bulimia), Second Star to the Right (about anorexia), and Stick Figure (about anorexia). I've found them all really helpful and interesting. One book about recovery that I would really really really recommend is Eating in the Light of the Moon. It uses metaphors and short stories about random things, and compares them to your eating disorder. It really makes you think of your ED in different ways.

Do you guys have any other books that you would recommend?

Please read and follow the posting rules.

Good morning Ladies,
It's me BKFREE, from the Fight Club. As I mentioned last weekend, I have been in a treatment center for my Anorexia/Bulemia/Bipolar Disorder for the last 3 months. I am home for a weekend pass.
My therapist gave me Life Without Ed to read, and it is an amazing concept. Learning to separate our true selves from our eating disorders is a major turning point in recovery. I reccomend the book to all. I haven't finshed it, but I did write my declaration of independence from ED. I don't have it here, but next week or when I am home for good, if any one is interested in reading it, I'd be glad to post it, along with some other really great exercises (written) that I did that were helpful.

On another note, I am really struggling with being home this weekend, and I don't want to revert back to restricting or bingeing, so any support you guys have to offer would be great.

How is everybody doing?????I would love an update.

Love,

BKFREE

hey bk, great to see you again! i actually just ordered that book online and i'm really excited for it to come in. reading that kind of stuff adds another dimension to the therapy i'm already getting, you know? so it helped you? i hope it can help me too. :)

i would LOVE to read your "declaration of independence" from ED and any other written exercises you've done. are they something i could try too? i'm feeling pretty "stagnated" in recovery right now and i think i need some new techniques to change things up a little. i want to get better SO badly and i just feel like nothing's progressing right now, you know? so i'd love to hear about anything that helped you move along or feel better or whatever . . . whenever you've got time, post away!

i know the weekend is over now, but i hope you got through it okay. regardless of what happened, it's a good "test," you know? a good way to see where the everyday triggers lie and the struggles you will have to face once you're home for good. hopefully, you came through with shining stars! or at least a better understanding of specific things you need to work on! :) anyway, it's good to hear from you and good to hear that recovery seems to be going pretty well. looking forward to your next post!

Thanks for the book suggestions!
I have just ordered Eating in the light of the moon. I saw it received terrific reviews on amazon. Now I just need to decide how I'm going to go about reading it...I mean i live with my bf and he doesnt know about my ED, so that's gonna be tricky!

maybe you should tell him? secrets will only keep you sick. even if you arent ready to get better, just being honest with him will help you so much emotionally. you shouldnt be ashamed of your eating disorder.

Okay so here's my Declaration of Independence from ED. I did it a little bit different. Hope you like it:

Dear ED, (actually, To ED,)
I need to let you know some things about me.
I AM A DIVA!
DIVAS DO NOT BINGE
DIVAS DO NOT PURGE
DIVAS EAT WHAT THEY LIKE, BUT ALSO EAT HEALTHY TOO! THEY STOP WHEN THEY HAVE HAD ENOUGH.
DIVAS DO NOT MIND IF THEY FEEL A LITTLE FULL AND IF IT MEANS THEIR BELLIES GET A LITTLE BIGGER, SO BE IT. THEY RELAX THEIR TUMMY MUSCLES, LET THEM HANG OUT, SO THEY CAN PROPERLY DIGEST THEIR NUTRIENTS.
DIVAS COME IN ALL SIZES AND SHAPES, BUT NO DIVAS FALL BELOW A HEALTHY BMI.
DIVAS DON'T MIND BEING ALONE WITH THEIR THOUGHTS.
DIVAS HAVE WONDERFUL FRIENDSHIPS WITH OTHER DIVAS.

ED,
YOU ARE NO LONGER INVITED TO MY OUTINGS, MY PASSES, MY ACTIONS AND ESPECIALLY MY THOUGHTS. AND...IF YOU SHOULD TRY TO SHOW UP ANYWAY, i WILL TAKE MY PROVERBIAL HIGH HEEL, STEEL TOED,SNAKESKIN AND RHINESTONE BOOT AND SHOVE IT SO FAR UP YOUR A**, THAT STEEL WILL COME OUT OF YOUR NOSTRILS.
AND...I WILL SPEAK ON BEHALF OF ALL THE OTHER DIVAS, DIVAS IN TRAINING, AND DIVAS THAT DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT A DIVA IS, YOUR PRESCENCE IS NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE IN OUR BODIES, OUR MINDS, OUR HOMES, THIS PLANET, THIS UNIVERSE, AND ANY UNKNOWN UNIVERSES THAT MAY EXIST.

I HAVE BEEN INOCCULATED FROM YOU,

BARRIE THE DIVA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wrote this as an inpatient. We did lots of Diva work. I encourage all of you to read the book, I AM DIVA. It kicked ***.


Love,
bkfree (Barrie)