Eating Disorder Recovery Book Recommendations
What with all the information flooding the internet, it can be hard to find eating disorder recovery based reads, am I right? This post is for all the lovely humans who have asked me for recs: be it my clients, their families, or the curious passerby who has an interest in knowing more about eating disorders in general, how to implement healing into your day to day life, or to just feel validated in your lived experience. As an eating disorder therapist in California, I feel like I’ve come across my fair share of reads, and below are three I think you’d like.
I also have tons more resources to share that will be in a separate blog post that I will eventually link here, so stay tuned!
Eating Disorder Recovery Book Recommendations
These may not be as riveting (or spicy) as the recommends you get from #BookTok or #Bookstagram but are very much engaging and worth the read. As a fellow Kindle Unlimited lover, I can understand your trepidation, but trust me here when I say none of these reads will be dry. All of these recommendations will have links if you’d like to learn more about their authors or where to buy them. Before you ask, no I am not affiliated nor sponsored with any of these people/ organizations, I am just looking to share knowledge.
Additionally, many of these books can be borrowed from your local library if you are looking for a free option but still want the material. I freaking love libraries. And without further ado, let’s get onto the eating disorder recovery book recommendations.
“You Just Need to Loose Weight” and 19 Other Myths About Fat People by Aubrey Gordon
I’m just going to come right out and say it: we live in an anti-fat bias culture. As an eating disorder therapist who has lived my whole life in the Los Angeles area, let alone an eating disorder therapist in California, I have worked with plenty of people who live in fat or larger bodies, who are wounded by the medical community, as well as the general public. The spaces they need are ones where they can heal from being historically gaslight into thinking the prejudices against them are “all in your head.” Aubrey does an incredible job of outlining the most common myths from physical health to moral coding and breaks down how these falsehoods present in day to day life as well as why they are incorrect and harmful to our entire community, not just those in fat bodies. If you’re interested in snagging a copy or looking to learn more about @yrfatfriend, feel free to click here.
The Inside Scoop on Eating Disorder Recovery by Colleen Reichmann and Jennifer Rollin
When I’m recommending a book for recovery, I really am looking for something that speaks to the everyday reader. Not something that is going to put you to sleep. This book is great in that it reads like a personal story, due in large part to both authors speaking to their own eating disorder recovery. So instead of feeling like you’re attending a lecture, you get to sit back and experience real lived memories and how these moments can apply to your own recovery. Plus, they give some super cool journal prompts to help continue processing some of the ideas explored within. Like what you’ve heard so far? Click here to learn more about this book/ workbook, and you can find Dr. Colleen Reichmann’s and Jennifer Rollin’s IG linked.
The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self Love by Sonya Renee Taylor
Sonya Renee Taylor, a black, queer, fat woman, has created a incredible book that touches on so many aspects of the body positivity movement, intersectionality, and how Radical Self Love is how we can find sustainable peace with our bodies and overall selves. While Aubrey Gordon’s book above has a beautiful discourse regarding fat liberation, Sonya Renee Taylor speaks volumes on how our relationships with our bodies impact and affect our relationships with others and ourselves. That we have the ability to challenge the “default” (i.e. thin, white, abled bodied, etc) body type and reject the rules of rigidity that keeps us from healing or having a satisfying connection with our bodies, as well as how systems of oppression lead to disconnect and disgust with our bodies. You can find more about Sonya and her book here.
I Feel Ready to Read and Recover, What’s Next?
I hope this helps you find a book that speaks to your needs, or gives you a good starting point. If you’re feeling like you’d enjoy a therapist who understands your eating disorder and loves to read lots of suspense or fantasy books, feel free to call or text me at (805) 292-0836 to schedule a free 15 min consultation, or click here to send me a message. I look forward to meeting you!
