How Instagram Can Help Eating Disorder Recovery
Use Instagram and not sure how it can help eating disorder recovery? Meet @ediestarktherapy—also known as Edie Stark, LCSW, eating disorder therapist in San Diego. Edie is a good friend of mine who works with people 18 years and older. She is very active on Instagram and sees it a platform for supporting eating disorder advocacy and education, as well as promoting social justice. Edie gives some great tips on how to find the best support and avoid the worst triggers on Instagram. Enjoy!
How long have you been a San Diego eating disorder specialist on Instagram?
I actually just had to check this because I just hit my 1000th post! I started in Nov 22nd 2017, so almost three years.
As an eating disorder therapist, what messages do you convey on Instagram?
I am a fat-positive, Health at Every Size, anti-diet clinician. I use my platform to call out diet culture, fatphobia, and education around ED. I also am a social justice advocate and often talk about racism. I like to use a mixture of humor, memes, and scientific research to portray my messages.
How can those messages help individuals in eating disorder recovery?
I think the more information the better. There are so many rad therapists and RD on instagram providing free education. You get to pick who you follow to make sure the information matches your learning style.
Overall, how can Instagram be helpful for people struggling with eating disorders?
I think it can build a sense of community and it's free. Instagram is absolutely not a replacement for eating disorder treatment and should not be looked at that way. It can be a beautiful addition to your treatment team.
What would harmful Instagram messages look like?
There is a whole lot of harmful BS on instagram. You have to be very careful and intentional about who you choose to follow. I always recommend looking at the profiles of the therapist or RD to check for signs of fat positivity, HAES and anti diet. Also checking out their credentials to make sure they are not practicing out of their scope. Another red flag would be anyone saying they treat ED but also provide weight loss tips . . . that is not only unethical but potentially dangerous.
How can people know who to follow that’s helpful instead of harmful?
See above haha, I would add, being mindful of following hashtags because diet culture has co-opted quite a few, and you can then unintentionally see some triggering stuff. I usually recommend just following accounts you have vetted.
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Hey everyone, I really appreciate you reading my blog! Have a wonderful day. :)
Marianne
If you are struggling to find online eating disorder treatment with help with binge eating or other eating disorders in San Diego, schedule a free, 15-minute phone consultation using the online scheduler (just click on the orange button), and I will help you get where you need to be!
You can find more information about me on Instagram @drmariannemiller or on my Facebook page.