Welcome to the blog space of the Looking Glass community, where we post our own and others’ reflections and perspectives on eating disorder issues, programs and resources, journeys of recovery, and community news and events.
I struggled with an eating disorder for twenty years. Literally two decades of my life were darkened by this disease and by my eventual descent into alcoholism as a way to “cope". Today, 15 year later, I am the Executive Director of the Looking Glass Foundation, and am privy to countless conversations about eating disorders, about other people’s struggle to recover...
Details“A Father’s Story” By Scott Hardy I am the proud father of three wonderful, young women between the ages of 19 and 24 years old. Raising three daughters has been both rewarding and challenging. You do your best as a parent to learn and prepare yourself to help them through the world. But what I…
DetailsLooking Glass Residence (formerly Woodstone) now in Vancouver Cover Story: We've Moved! Published: December 25, 2014 2:15 PM We've moved to Vancouver, and our doors are open with more beds then ever before. The Woodstone Residence provides a treatment program for youth and young adults ages 17 to 24 with eating disorders. The Woodstone's multidisciplinary program provides…
DetailsHome for the Holidays by Alison E. As the holidays approach, I often think back to what it used to be like - how my favourite season became marred by the angst, pain, and sometimes crippling fear fomented by anorexia. If it hadn't been for the incredible patience and support of those who cared for…
DetailsFor so many years, I struggled in silence. I refused to admit to myself and to others that I had a problem that I couldn’t fix on my own. I knew for a long time that I should have gotten help for my eating disorder a lot sooner than I did. What held me back?…
DetailsThis Is What We Learned by Alison E. Experience has shown that in many cases, recovery (especially in its early stages) can be hardest when you are caring for close family members. It seems the enmeshment between parent and child is too great, the emotional investment too profound, their relationship too jarred by the mental…
DetailsPeople say that when you leave residential treatment for an eating disorder, the journey of recovery is not over. And, in fact, the journey is actually just beginning.
Now, don’t let that scare you. Of course we’d like to hear that all the hard work is behind us and that now we can really start living our lives, but let me stop you right there. Life is a journey and even while you’re in recovery, you’re still living your life. This is your life. You can exist or live. You can survive or thrive. And recovery is all about learning to live and thrive again...
DetailsA Brave New World by Whitney As a young woman living existing with bulimia, I held onto a lot of fear and shame about my eating disorder. I had been struggling with my weight, self-esteem, and mental health issues for over twelve years but my fears and concerns kept holding me back from getting the…
DetailsHelp That Lasts by Alison E. One of the most important lessons I've learned in recovery is that no one can recover from an eating disorder alone. I would know; I’m an anorexia survivor. Without hospitalization, residential care, the support of health practitioners, and other resources in the community, I would not be in the…
DetailsWhat a Thing to Choose by Jenna S. The days seemed long. Hours dragged on and on. Tears always felt as if their presence was welcomed and it was as if there was a fog over my eyes, keeping me from seeing clearly. School was impossible, friends were shoved aside. I trusted very few people.…
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