This week is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. The goal is to increase awareness and education about eating disorders.

Eating disorders are serious illnesses. But, sadly, in our society, they’re both belittled and deeply misunderstood. That’s why, today, I’d like to focus on dispelling several common myths about EDs.

Below, two experts from the Eating Recovery Center share the truth behind the misconceptions.

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Misinformation about eating disorders abounds. One of the most common myths is that eating disorders largely affect young, white girls.

But EDs don’t discriminate. They affect people of any age, race, religion size, shape and sex.

Today, I want to focus on an often neglected group: women in middle age. Even when it’s recognized that middle-aged women struggle with eating disorders, the talk almost always turns to cultural pressure. While there is increasing pressure for women to stay young and be slim, eating disorders are more complex than the desire for a certain silhouette.

As I said yesterday, eating disorders are a complex interplay of genetics, biology and environment.

Below, Enola Gorham, LCSW, CEDS, clinical director of adult services at the Eating Recovery Center, shares her insight on eating disorders in middle age. She discusses why more middle-aged women are seeking professional help for eating disorders, why EDs affect them, the unique challenges of treatment and more.

Yesterday marked the beginning of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Since this year’s theme is “Everybody Knows Somebody,” I think it’s important to discuss how you can help someone who might be struggling with an eating disorder.

Below, Bonnie Brennan, MA, LPC, NCC, clinical director of the adult partial hospitalization program at the Eating Recovery Center, reveals some of the signs of eating disorders, how you can talk to someone you think might have an ED and how you can offer support.

Q: What are the signs that someone may have an eating disorder?

A: While specific signs will vary from person to person, some general signs that someone may have an eating disorder include:

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In honor of NEDA Week this week, I’ve already posted about ED myths and recovery (here’s part 1, 2 and 3 of my interview with ED expert Susan Schulherr).

I’ve also discussed how parents can help on Psych Central’s main blog, World of Psychology.

Today, I’m honored to publish a guest post by Elizabeth Short. She’s already shared her story of recovery from a 16-year battle with eating disorders on Weightless (see part 1 and part 2).

She’s also written several beautiful posts for Weightless on recovery tools and healing from within.

Below is no exception. Elizabeth writes honestly and eloquently about the trials and triumphs of eating disorder recovery day to day.

While recovering from an eating disorder is hard, remember that every day is another day you can choose recovery.

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In the last part of our interview, eating disorder expert Susan Schulherr – author of Eating Disorders for Dummies and a valuable blog on ED recovery – talks about how readers can quiet their inner critic.

Plus, she shares her insight on relapses while on the road to eating disorder recovery.

If you didn’t get a chance to check out the other parts of our interview, you can read Susan’s insights on overcoming the challenges of recovery and providing real support to someone who’s struggling with an ED.

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When a loved one is struggling with an eating disorder, it can be tough to know how to help.

In part two of our interview, eating disorder specialist Susan Schulherr shares several ways families and friends can provide support and ways that aren’t just unhelpful but may be harmful to your loved one.

Susan is the author of Eating Disorders for Dummies and writes a must-read blog on ED recovery.

(If you haven’t yet, check out part one on the challenges of ED recovery and what you can do to overcome these obstacles.)

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In honor of NEDA Week, I wanted to talk about the common obstacles on the road to eating disorder recovery and how individuals can overcome these obstacles.

If you’re struggling with an eating disorder, know that you can absolutely recover. It’s normal to experience setbacks and challenges. Everyone does.

But the key is to keep going. Keep choosing recovery. Keep overcoming the obstacles, one step, one day, at a time.

Below, eating disorder specialist Susan Schulherr discusses several common challenges in ED recovery and offers strategies that can help.

Susan has a private practice in NYC and has written the book Eating Disorders for Dummies. She also writes an incredibly valuable blog with tips for ED recovery. Be sure to check it out!

Stay tuned for part two tomorrow!

Instead of our usual body-image boosters post on Monday, I wanted to kick-start NEDA Week. Actually, it officially started yesterday (be sure to check out Shannon’s post at Mentoring & Recovery on what you can do!).

If you’re not familiar with NEDA Week, it’s an entire week every February dedicated to eating disorder awareness, sponsored by the National Eating Disorders Association.

One of the best ways to spread awareness, I think, is to talk about accurate information. Because there’s tons of misinformation out there about eating disorders.

So below I wanted to dispel several common myths about eating disorders – with the help of some amazing women who’ve recovered from eating disorders.

One of the toughest parts of recovery for many people is separating themselves from their eating disorder and, more specifically, hearing their own voice, not the mean, manipulative, vicious, callous voice of ED.

Continuing with this week’s focus on eating disorders, I wanted to post my review of Beating Ana: How to Outsmart Your Eating Disorder & Take Your Life Back by Shannon Cutts, who generously provided me with a free copy. Shannon founded a pro-recovery organization called MentorConnect and travels the country, doing lectures and presentations on eating disorders, recovery and related topics (you can find more info on her website, Key to Life). I highly, highly, highly recommend learning more about MentorConnect and getting involved.