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Current Ways to Be Involved in Advocacy in the Eating Disorder Community
Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness [1]. With such a high mortality and prevalence, most people have been impacted by an eating disorder in some way, whether personally or through a loved one. Many of those affected feel the need to do something to fight these illnesses and give back to the community.
Advocacy is one word encompassing behaviors that forward the cause of eating disorder treatment, legislation, awareness, and support. Advocacy itself is defined as “the act or process of supporting a cause [2].” Such a definition is broad because advocacy comes in numerous forms.
Ways to Get Involved
The first step to getting involved in advocacy within the eating disorder community is to contact an organization dedicated to just that.
Organizations, such as the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), Eating Disorders Coalition, Project HEAL, MEDA, and Eating Disorder Hope, are only a few committed to raising awareness of eating disorders and supporting those battling these illnesses.
You don’t have to be a clinician or dietitian to be involved in eating disorder advocacy. In fact, it isn’t even a requirement that you had, or know someone who had, an eating disorder. A desire to help is all that is asked for. These organizations need volunteers with various skills, such as accountants, lawyers, public relations specialists, and more. Contact an organization to find out how you can use your skills and experiences to help.
Forms of Eating Disorder Advocacy
Lobbying involves a group of advocates contacting government representatives and appealing to them about the important role that legislation can play in battling eating disorders. Many reject lobbying, mistakenly thinking they aren’t useful because they have no experience in law or government.
What is unknown is that the true heart of lobbying lies in the experiences of those recovered. Many advocates bring a much-needed face to the cause by sharing their own recovery journeys.
If you feel that lobbying is too much, ease into advocacy through the use of social media. Begin following advocacy organizations and reading their articles and posts. As you begin to learn more, you can share, or write, posts and articles yourself. In this manner, you create opportunities for others to discuss and learn.
Additionally, many people suffer from eating disorders in silence. Sharing your experience and knowledge surrounding them may give them the point-of-contact they need to begin discussing their own problems or concerns.
Starting a Conversation
Simply talking in-person about the issue of eating disorders is another option. Similar to using social media, this opens up the conversation for people you know to ask questions, learn more, and gain support. Speaking in person can be more impactful and lead to more authentic discussions.
Whether you jump into the deep-end with lobbying or begin by slowly bringing up the topic of eating disorders more often at work or with friends, every type of advocacy is valuable. Share your journey, your experiences, and your knowledge in a way that feels true to you.
About the Author: Margot Rittenhouse is a therapist who is passionate about providing mental health support to all in need and has worked with clients with substance abuse issues, eating disorders, domestic violence victims and offenders, and severely mentally ill youth. As a freelance writer for Eating Disorder and Addiction Hope and a mentor with MentorConnect, Margot is a passionate eating disorder advocate, committed to de-stigmatizing these illnesses while showing support for those struggling through mentoring, writing, and volunteering. Margot has a Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Johns Hopkins University.
References:
[1]: Akey, J. E., Rintamaki, L. S., Kane, T. L. (2013). Health belief model deterrents of social support seeking among people coping with eating disorders. Journal of Affective Disorders, 145:2, 246-252.[2]: Advocacy (2017). Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/advocacy
The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.
We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.
Published May 21, 2017.
Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on May 21, 2017.
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com
The EatingDisorderHope.com editorial team comprises experienced writers, editors, and medical reviewers specializing in eating disorders, treatment, and mental and behavioral health.
