Eating Disorders Anonymous: The Story of How We Recovered from Our Eating Disorders

Useful for non profit organization

This book has been amazing for me and my recovery! When EDA started, I understand, they used Alcoholics Anonymous big book changing the terms to eating disorder from alcoholic. What works so well with this book is it follows the principals set down in AA, but we learn balance in EDA rather than abstinence. This book literally is changing in my life. I suffer from binge eating disorder and I have not binged since I started this program! I never ever thought that I could get set free and yet I am! The book is set up much like Alcoholics Anonymous big book. People's stories in the book helped me by making me realize I am not alone in this disorder. I cannot recommend anything better if you are dealing with any type of eating disorder. It works for binge eating disorder, anorexia, bulimia, and any combination of the three. I am learning that my obsession about weight and a number on the scale is part of my disorder. I am much more than a number! No obsessing about diet and food can solve my problem. My problem is in how I think! Lori D.

Compact and attractive smallish vilume

I credit this book with saving my life. It was a wonderful relief to read about people who struggle with the same problems as I do, and how they found hope and help through following the simple 12-Step program as adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous. I can honestly say that the only criticism I could possibly find about this book is that I wish there were more stories written by atheists and agnostics.

I love the content of this book. However, after less than 8 weeks the pages are falling out and it’s really annoying. I wouldLove a replacement book.

This book will help you feel like you are no longer alone with your ED. There are so many stories that hit home and help you know there is hope. What I love is that this is a book full of tools for freedom and recovery.

For many years, I have been working on recovery through an abstinence-based program, and though the 12 steps have helped me grow up — and move beyond the most dramatic aspects of my eating disorder — I have continued to struggle with compulsive eating when my feelings overwhelmed me. The EDA Big Book is helping me understand and work with my reactions in different ways. Powerful insights. But this little book is so poorly printed, often with pale print, and some pages so washed out that they are unreadable.

Great message - Similar to AA in 90% fashion - Definitely progressive - & that 10% difference, means all the world to someone with ED

I actually got sent two too many and didn’t realize they were still in the box!?

Really useable information and insights into disordered eating patterns and the Eating Disorders Anonymous (EDA) 12 step approach to moving beyond them. Reads very well. Easy read. Very compassionate and non blaming approach that may help a person move from self hate and criticism towards self love and a different way of thinking and acting. Not an easy task to make the suggested changes, but the guide does give clear examples of how to put the ‘theory’ into practice in the real world. It emphasises the broad range of support mechanisms and techniques available to the user of the guide and emphasises that the person is not making the journey alone. It gives well explained examples of how a person may choose to work their progress through the 12 steps and gives fabulous, if a bit harrowing at times, real life stories of previous members of EDA and how they have survived through their earlier life experiences, and despite the worst of previous experiences, how they worked through this programme to make the most remarkable life changes, and how they came to find personal peace and joy in their life. As mentioned earlier, no one in the book suggests the work is easy, and it requires daily ongoing emotional work and getting to know oneself and facing those issues we may have earlier avoided, but the results are truly amazing in the personal stories of the life changes people have made.I found the book very inspiring. Like anything that involves challenging personal work, this programme will fit with some people if it’s the right time in their life to work on making changes.I particularly liked that the program appears to incorporate (perhaps indirectly) the most recent research that I’m aware of regarding disordered eating, despite it very much being ‘run by’ non professionalsI additionally enjoyed reading about EDA’s approach to making the programme available to all, whatever the persons background and spiritual and religious beliefs. I think it deals very well with the criticisms often cited re other 12 step programmes’ about the term ‘God’ being used in the wording of the 12 steps and that it is a ‘religious’ programme. The book explains how a person from any or no religious background may benefit from the EDA 12 step programme and that the 12 steps’ (as adapted from the original Alcoholics Anonymous 12 steps) Wording can be adapted to fit with the persons personal belief system.This is a great read for anyone interested in moving from a ‘self interest‘ (I’m the centre of the universe belief system) position to one of true self love and of truly giving to, or being of service, to others in the world, and in the most helpful way for the individual. Even if you have no specific interest in disordered eating patterns or in 12 step programmes, I found there was a lot to learn, and great life insights, for the general reader.This is my personal opinion and understanding of the book and not the views of EDA, AA, Or any other 12 step programme.

This is a great alternative to the AA big book for those in EDA. It is written in a modern way and there is no need to substitute AA words for EDA ones. The book is set out in the same format making it easy to use both in conjunction with each other

Incredible book. If you have attended 12-step meetings for compulsive eating or food addiction (OA, COE, FAA, etc), but have come away triggered by things such as "abstinence from certain foods", "food plans", day/month/year "anniversaries", then this is the program for you. I wouldn't give up my recovery in OA for anything, but I definitely wish OA adapted more eating disorder recovery concepts as EDA has done.

Great