Going through an intense or difficult life experience, like eating disorder recovery, can bring about a lot of intense emotions. Especially if you are working through your recovery journey in an outpatient setting, it can also feel isolating.

This is why eating disorder support groups are an amazing resource and a powerful tool in your recovery kit.

If you’re looking for more emotional support in recovery or to help your loved one, here’s what to know about peer support and eating disorders.

What Are Eating Disorder Support Groups?

Eating disorder support groups are a resource offered to individuals in eating disorder recovery and to their families. You may also hear these referred to as “group therapy” for eating disorders.

For individuals in recovery, these groups are a safe space for them to connect with others who are on a similar journey. It’s a place to share challenges and relate to one another. From learning what mindful movement looks like to navigating the daily ups and downs of recovery, these groups are a great place to openly discuss all recovery-related topics.

There are also lots of groups for families, friends, and others supporting a loved one through a recovery journey. They are a great space to learn how to better walk alongside a loved one and be the best source of strength during this challenging time.

Eating disorder recovery groups will be led by a facilitator who is well-versed in recovery, helping guide the conversation and ensure it remains recovery-focused. A facilitator may be a dietitian, therapist, or another expert.

Groups may be held in-person, or online. Some groups are paid and may be covered by insurance, while others are completely free.

How Support Groups Help in Eating Disorder Recovery

There are some truly powerful benefits of support groups in eating disorder recovery. It can be helpful to connect with others who have experienced many of the same things and to gain more resources and recovery tools for eating disorders. 

One study found that professionally-led support groups felt less isolated and more hopeful and motivated in their recovery journey.¹ Other research highlighted that participants in both in-person and online support groups felt less isolation and hopelessness surrounding their eating disorder.²

An analysis of studies found links with support groups, reduced behaviors, and recovery improvements. Some findings suggested “small” remission rates, although the authors noted that more research is needed to confirm the findings.³

Another small study of patients with binge eating disorder (BED) found that those who participated in online support groups saw “significant improvements” in anxiety, binge eating episodes, depression, emotion regulation, self-esteem, well-being, and more.⁴

In a world where our society feels deeply intertwined with diet culture, eating disorder support groups are an amazing way to stay grounded in recovery. It’s also a great way to get first-hand support and learn helpful tips from peers who have experienced many of the same struggles.

What to Expect in a Support Group Setting

Going to your first eating disorder recovery meeting can be nerve-wracking. However, remember that everyone else had a first time too. Everyone is there for judgment-free support!

The meeting may begin with introductions and a sort of “icebreaker” question, like talking about highs and lows of the week, sharing a challenge you’re experiencing, or something more lighthearted like your name and a fact about yourself.

Next, the facilitator will usually give people a chance to share a personal struggle or something they’d like support with. Others in the group will have a chance to respond. They may simply validate that you are not alone in your experience, or they may share a tool that has helped them through a similar struggle. The facilitator may also offer feedback and resources to help navigate that challenge.

Other times, the facilitator may choose a topic to focus on, like “challenge foods” and “fear foods,” navigating through body image struggles, or how to handle diet culture talk in the workplace. Participants will have the opportunity to respond to these subjects and discuss any challenges, helpful tips, or other relatable situations they have found.

While facilitators encourage all individuals to participate, it’s not always required—and sometimes, people may find it most helpful to listen and simply find comfort in the community.

How to Find a Community for Eating Disorder Recovery

Group support for eating disorders is one of many tools that can aid your recovery journey, alongside your care team, recovery-focused books, and more.

The internet is a great place to search for both online and in-person support groups. While some in-person groups may be more difficult to find depending on where you live, there are many accessible online ones available, and many that are completely free!

• National Alliance for Eating Disorders: Dedicated meetings for all kinds of pro-recovery, including communities for LGBTQ+, larger-bodied, and BIOPIC individuals, as well as loved ones of recovering individuals
• National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders: Multiple Support Groups
• National Eating Disorders Association: Various Support Groups

You can also ask members of your care team, including your dietitian, therapist, healthcare provider, or psychiatrist, if they know of any eating disorder support groups in your area or have virtual options they would recommend.

These are just a few of the many places to begin your search for group eating disorder recovery support. Like other eating disorder treatment options, don’t be afraid to try different support groups to find one that you really connect with.

Support Your Recovery Through Community

Overcoming eating disorders can feel like climbing a mountain. However, you don’t have to do it alone.

Imagine how much easier it would be to climb that mountain if you had a group of peers to rely on, helping each other navigate every step of the journey. And leading it all, an expert who had helped hundreds of thousands of others climb that mountain before! Suddenly, that mountain of recovery feels a lot less daunting.

At Life Cycle Nutrition, our registered dietitians are eating disorder experts who are ready to help you make that climb and navigate every step through recovery. If you’re ready to take the next step in your journey, we are ready as part of your community and will walk alongside you through it all.

We offer both individual nutrition counseling and a 6 month guided support group called Road to Recovery.

Click here to learn more about our eating disorder support group- Road to Recovery

Click here to schedule an appointment and empower yourself with a community of experts today.

 

Works Cited

1. Waller, Archana, Chiara Paganini, Katrina Andrews, and Vicki Hutton. 2020. “The experience of adults recovering from an eating disorder in professionally-led support groups.” Qualitative Research Journal, (July). 10.1108/QRJ-07-2020-0088.
2. Mochizuki, Yosuke, Tomoyo Isobe, Yuna Endo, Aina Ilo, Kiyokazu Takebayashi, and Hidenori Yamasue. 2024. “A preliminary study of collaborative group intervention with recovered peer supporters for eating disorders: Analyses including comparisons between in-person and online sessions.” Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports 3, no. 2 (June). https://doi.org/10.1002/pcn5.200.
3. Trombette, Tommaso, Davide Bottaro, Maria N. Paradiso, Fabrizio Santoniccolo, Giovanni A. Daga, and Luca Rollè. 2024. “Psychodynamic Group Therapy for Eating Disorders: A Narrative Review.” Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy 54 (January): 253-264. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-023-09614-6.
4. Pruessner, Luise, Christina Timm, Sven Barnow, Julian A. Rubel, Christopher Lalk, and Steffen Hartmann. 2024. “Effectiveness of a Web-Based Cognitive Behavioral Self-Help Intervention for Binge Eating Disorder.” JAMA Network Open 7, no. 5 (May). doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.11127.