Life Without Ed

An excellent resource for anyone struggling to recover from life with an eating disorder.

Living with an eating disorder is tough (to put it lightly) and we just don't have enough resources to aid in recovery without sinking in tons of money that we don’t have.  Enter Life Without Ed.  Author Jenni Schaefer talks about using an approach that personifies her eating disorder, naming him Ed, and then separating her thoughts from his.  That might not make a lot of sense now, but after reading the book and trying it for myself, it helped me, too. 

The book gives tons of examples of conversations she’s had with Ed and talks about the destructive things he convinces her to do.  Along for the ride are Ms. Perfectionist, Jenni’s personified painful struggle to be thin and perfect, and Counter Ed, Ed’s sneaky brother who will do anything to convince Jenni to return to Ed’s grasp. The book offers a candid look through her journey of both victories and losses, including her multiple relapses, an honestly refreshing take on recovery.  Plus, sometimes it helps just to know that other people are going through these things as well.  Ultimately, I’m glad I read this book, and I think you will be, too.