Maintaining Recovery from Eating Disorders: Avoiding Relapse and Recovering Life

by Naomi Feigenbaum

After achieving a level of recovery from an eating disorder, it is vital to ensure the right practical and emotional supports are in place to maintain that recovery indefinitely. In this important book, Naomi Feigenbaum confronts the often neglected subject of how to take the essential steps towards a healthy and happy life after recovering from an eating disorder. This inspirational companion offers a wide range of healthy coping skills that are supported by expert advice from treatment professionals. Issues explored range from the practical aspects of recovery such as how to confront triggers and work with a treatment team, to the emotional hurdles that include accepting one's body, coping with trauma and sustaining meaningful relationships. A number of real people in recovery are introduced, proving that every experience is unique and the key to maintaining a healthy life is finding a path that works for the individual. This guide will help to signpost that path and inspire those in recovery with the confidence to take responsibility for their choices and ultimately their lives. Written with the aim of helping those in recovery discover their own unique insights and passions and awaken a desire to enjoy life to the fullest, this positive and life-affirming book will be an invaluable aid for anyone in recovery from an eating disorder, their family, friends, and the healthcare professionals who work with them.

Genres: Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Elodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really helpful book with strategies for navigating the recovery from eating disorders and looking at various triggers. The case studies were useful and bought it to life. It is written with those overcoming eating disorders at the heart of it but is also a useful resource for anyone supporting someone too.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Navigating the twisty road of eating disorder recovery**

The path of eating disorder recovery is anything but straight-forward and predictable. There are countless bumps, obstacles, and potholes, and even the expected can feel unexpected and ground-shaking. Naomi Feigenbaum's _Maintaining Recovery from Eating Disorders_ provides valuable guidelines, insight, and optimism for navigating this twisty path of eating disorder recovery.

Naomi's book is both personal and professional. She shares her own experiences from eating disorder recovery, while also imparting the guidelines and suggestions from the treatment professionals she has met along the way. Additionally, she includes stories from others in all stages of eating disorder recovery to help paint a realistic and relatable picture of recovery.

Unlike many other eating disorder books, the focus of this book is not on minimizing eating disorder symptoms, but on maximizing life. She encourages readers to:
"Recover your life and achieve your dreams because, in essence, recovery is not about the illness that *was,* it's about the life that *is.*" (p. 232)

Although the book is conversational and easy-to-read, it delivers an impressive depth and breath of content for navigating the common challenges found on the road of eating disorder recovery:
Introduction: The Journey Beyond Eating Disorders
Chapter 1: Making a Smooth Transition
Chapter 2: Building and Using a Treatment Team
Chapter 3: Celebrating Your True Self
Chapter 4: Confronting Triggers
Chapter 5: Treating Food as Medicine
Chapter 6: Accepting Your Body
Chapter 7: Getting Creative
Chapter 8: Connecting Spiritually
Chapter 9: Coping with Trauma and Loss
Chapter 10: Developing Healthy Relationships
Chapter 11: Preparing for the Journey Ahead

Her book is filled with realistic and encouraging perspectives on recovery, such as:
"There will be struggles in recovery. Sometimes little struggles and sometimes big struggles. A slip doesn't equal a relapse. When you slip or struggle the best thing is to just get up and keep going. Do the next right thing. There is no use giving up or catastrophizing or throwing a big pity party. Take a moment to refocus your energy and move on." (p. 232)

As an eating disorder therapist, I would feel confident recommending this book to my clients and to those who are supporting them on their road to recovery.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that this book was written specifically for those who are in recovery from an eating disorder. Girls looking for reassurance that the body burns more calories than they think, that carbs are OK, etc - girls who may be just entering recovery or have not reached that point - will not get that out of this book. But girls who are fighting the battle of recovery WILL get hope, inspiration, and understanding from the book's author (who has recovered from an ED herself), Naomi. I cannot tell you how many times I wanted to mark certain quotes/passages so that I could reflect more on them later or share them with others. Some of the chapters did not resonate as much as others (such as the one about coping with other traumas while in recovery), but I think that's just because they aren't relevant to me at this time. Most of this book was really fantastic though, I felt like Naomi was reading my mind at times. I definitely think any girl in recovery from an ED should read this book.

[Meg Bee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'll fully admit that this book is not for me, as it seems to focus on people who have been through inpatient treatment programs (which I have not). While I thought perhaps I could relate it to my more unconventional approach to recovery, I discovered after reading a few chapters that I personally could not. I couldn't relate to what was being said, and moreover I didn't even really want to finish reading the thing. It didn't seem to offer anything new or groundbreaking for me, and I would not recommend this book to people.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

currently in recovery, this book helped me so much

[Katrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book would recommend to someone who wants to recover.

[Mary Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I check this out from the library whenever I need a motivation boost. Sweet, positive, helpful.