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Johanna S. Kandel

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Life Beyond Your Eating Disorder: Reclaim Yourself, Regain Your Health, Recover for Good Paperback – August 24, 2010

by Johanna S. Kandel (Author)

4.5 62 ratings

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There is life beyond your eating disorder—and you deserve to enjoy every minute of it.

Johanna S. Kandel, founder and executive director of The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness, struggled with her eating disorder for ten years before finally getting help. Now fully recovered, Kandel knows firsthand how difficult the healing process can be. Through her work with The Alliance—leading support groups, speaking nationwide and collaborating with professionals in the field—she's developed a set of practical tools to address the everyday challenges of recovery.

Print length

240 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Harlequin
Publication date

August 24, 2010
Dimensions

6 x 0.66 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

0373892268
ISBN-13

978-0373892266
See all details

Jenni Schaefer
1,444
Paperback
161 offers from $1.86

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Kandel, founder and director of The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness, brings her own successful recovery from anorexia and bulimia to this readable text whose message is that full recovery is possible. Noting that no recovery is “perfect,” the author, who stresses that she is not a health professional, seeks to free others from identifying with the disorder and risking becoming it. Kandel seeks to empower readers by sharing her own past—how her youthful perfectionism and aspirations to become a ballerina fueled her need to control and numb her emotions, which stoked her disorder—as well as the stories of others. She also offers practical advice, using boxed and large-type inserts to emphasize main points: “My eating disorder gave me carte blanche not to have to do things that scared me: I didn’t have to feel . . . Basically, it protected me . . . from life.” With a list of resources, Kandel’s experience and accessible self-help approach should help many find and remain on the path to wellness. --Whitney Scott

About the Author

Johanna S. Kandel, Founder and Executive Director of The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness, graduated Magna Cum Laude from The University of Central Florida. After a ten-year battle with various eating disorders, she founded The Alliance in October, 2000. Kandel has mentored many women during their treatment, helped spread information on eating disorders and advocated for eating disorder legislation on a state and national level.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

I'm not a psychiatrist; I'm not a psychologist or a therapist or a nutritionist or a doctor of any kind. But I have been an anorexic, an exercise bulimic and a binge eater, and if either you or someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, I can honestly say that I know what you're going through— maybe not the day-to-day details, but certainly the physical and emotional landscape of your struggle.

Perhaps one of the most important and startling things I learned both during my ten-year battle with an eating disorder and during my recovery is just how much ignorance, misinformation, fear and stigma are still attached to eating disorders even in the midst of the so-called information age. The entire time I was struggling and during my recovery process, I never knew anyone who had successfully recovered from an eating disorder. Truthfully, I didn't know if recovery was even possible. All I knew was that I was sick and tired of being sick and tired, so I decided to seek help.

As I began my own journey to recovery, I vowed to myself that if I were given a second chance at life, I would do everything in my power to dispel some of that darkness and bring eating disorders awareness and information into the light. I strongly believe that no one should have to struggle with or recover from an eating disorder alone.

Eighteen years ago, when I first began to develop my eating disorder, I had no idea how many people had the same terrible disease. I honestly believed I was one of the very few. But here are the facts: according to the Eating Disorders Coalition, today, in the United States alone, approximately 10 million women and 1 million men are struggling with anorexia or bulimia, and 25 million people are battling binge eating disorder. Eating disorders do not discriminate; they affect men and women, young and old, and people of all economic levels. You need to know that anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate—estimated to be up to 20 percent—of any psychiatric illness. And only one in ten people with an eating disorder receives any kind of treatment. Those figures make me sad and are, quite simply, unacceptable.

As I began to recover and find my strength, I kept the promise I had made to myself all those years ago, and in late 2000 I founded the Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness in my hometown of West Palm Beach, Florida. The Alliance is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to prevent eating disorders and promote positive body image by advancing education and increasing awareness. To this end we do community outreach through talks at schools, we provide educational programs about eating disorders to therapists and other health-care professionals, we lead support groups for people in recovery and we do whatever we can to convince government officials that eating disorders ought to be a health-care priority. For specific information about the Alliance, see page 215. I believe we are fulfilling that mission with each person we are able to reach and inform that he or she is not alone and that recovery is possible.

I know how difficult the recovery process can be, but I want you to know that it is possible to get better—and it's definitely worth it! We all trip and fall along the way. But recovery is not about the trips and falls; it is about what happens after you pick yourself up. It's about getting back on your feet, dusting yourself off and moving forward, because that is how we learn. Realistically, neither life nor recovery is ever going to be a fairy tale, but we do have the power to create our own version of a real happily-ever-after.

Give yourself permission to imagine your life beyond your eating disorder. You will get to be present in every moment; you will get to feel; you will get to laugh. You deserve the freedom to live every aspect of your life.

Eating disorders can be very strong—mine spent years telling me all the things I couldn't, shouldn't or wasn't good enough to do. That negative voice isn't going to go away overnight, but there are many tools available to you as you recover to make that voice smaller and softer, and you need to gather and use every one you possibly can. This book is one of the tools you can use to free yourself from your eating disorder once and for all. As you read it, I hope the voice you hear in your head will be healthy, supportive and powerful enough to drown out whatever doubts you may still have about your ability to recover. I've gathered the tools that I offer here through many years of working with eating disorder practitioners, in support groups, walking next to people on their journeys to recovery and by becoming aware of what has helped others. And I hope that these tools will be as useful to you as they have been to me and to so many others. I'm sure some tools will be more useful to you than others, and that's okay. I wouldn't expect it to be any other way. The idea is simply to be willing to try, and if one thing doesn't work, try something else. Just don't stop trying.

As you read on, you will come upon the stories of many different people from many different walks of life who have recovered from eating disorders, and you will come to see that they have followed many different paths. And just as there is no right or wrong way to recover, there is no right or wrong way to use this book. You might read it from cover to cover, or you might choose to read a few chapters and ponder them for a while. You might even decide not to begin at the beginning but to pick a chapter that looks interesting and read that first. Whatever works for you is the right way.

Lao Tzu, the sixth-century BC Chinese philosopher and father of Taoism, said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Taking that first step toward recovery is really hard, and I admire you so much for taking this first step. You have come so far just by picking up this book. I know that together we can keep moving forward so that you, too, are able to create a new reality for yourself.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harlequin; Original edition (August 24, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0373892268
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0373892266
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.66 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,225,099 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,166 in Self-Help for Eating Disorders & Body Image Issues (Books)
- #5,378 in Weight Loss Diets (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.5 62 ratings

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B. Rosenberg

Very informative for those starting the recovery stage from an eating disorder.

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2019

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I bought this book, paying less cause it is a used book. The price was fair. The book came in good condition. I am very happy with the purchase. And for those dealing with eating disorders and are always on the lookout for good reading material, this is a great book. It was recommended by the author of another book.

With a daughter in the beginning of recovery, this book makes me aware of things I wouldn’t be aware of: things people say and scenarios and situations that can happen that can trigger and try to knock you down. It is very informative. Like all the other books I’ve read, different parts of the book resonates with you and your situation at different times, so, though I don’t spend money on books if I can help it, I like to own and have a repertoire of books on this subject to alleviate my stress, and I’m always finding “new” info that hits the spot.
This book is written in first person. The author herself has gone through the throes of an eating disorder and now works professionally with it. It’s an easy comfortable read. Feels like the author is sitting beside me and we’re chatting.

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Lynn Beilfuss

Inspiring for those who are going through recovery or feel it's unattainable.

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2011

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Johanna Kandel gives the reader a glimpse into the life of someone who has dealt with an eating disorder and has fully recovered. She also uses stories throughout the book from others who have also battled these insidious disorders. It helps the reader to see that they are not alone in their recovery process and it gives hope that recovered is attainable.

Johanna also includes practical tools that can help the reader to quiet the voice of their eating disorder and to continue to be motivated to move forward in their recovery. She uses the tools that she has learned leading groups and working in the field of eating disorders to propel people forward.

I was truly inspired by this book and had a hard time putting it down. I, myself, am a person fully recovered from an eating disorder and found myself wishing that this book had been published when I was struggling. It gave me more insight into the disorders that took many years of my life. I think that this book can be adapted to any person suffering with any disorder on the spectrum. If you know of anyone suffering from an eating disorder I would highly recommend giving them a copy of this book.

4 people found this helpful

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Michael Joseph Marletto

Needs to be compressed.

Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2014

I am a mental health counselor, and read this for more information about eating disorders. I really like the way the author makes it easy to read and welcoming, but it is basically 200 pages of "fight your eating disorder! You can do it! You deserve it! I recommend you find a counselor to help." This is a great into for those ambivalent about starting to get healty, though.

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Natalie Van Dorin

A Practical and Heartfelt Book

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2011

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Even though I have not suffered from an eating disorder this book has proven to provide wonderful insight into the world of a person in the recovery process from anorexia nervosa. I have had many friends who have/are suffering from eating disorders and this book can be viewed as helpful both from those going through recovery as well as those attempting to provide support for them. Even though I am unable to fully understand the pain and frustration of recovery Life Beyond Your Eating Disorder gives a wonderful snapshot into the mind of someone who has been there.

I would recommend this book to anyone in recovery from an eating disorder, especially anorexia, as well as to those who are concerned/interested in learning more about the recovery process.

As a side note I would mention that many principles and tips for a successful recovery provided in this book would be helpful to a person suffering from another eating disorder as well.

Thank you to Johanna for your wonderful work - you have contributed a great piece of literature to help inspire recovery and break the stigma associated with eating disorders!

Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2010

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For someone who left treatment way too earlier I have found Johanna's book so encouraging and helpful. In fact I think it is a must for anyone who is recovering from any eating disorder. Recovery is one of the most difficult things anyone will ever have to do, but the hope and encouragement she relates throughout the book provides the reader with an understanding of their disease. It also gave me patience for myself and quieted my critical voice. Johanna provides proof of recovery as well as tools to help in building healthy behaviors. Yes, at first this is not always easy because we want to repeat old behaviors, but continuing to make positive choices creates a healthy reservoir. I cannot stress enough how valuable this book and the information is. I truly believe it is not necessary to hear the dramatics associated with eating disorders anymore. It is time to speak about the positive and that recovery is possible!

2 people found this helpful

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Becky Henry

A Must Read for Families who Need HOPE During a Loved One's Eating Disorder!

Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2018

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Johanna Kandel shares her long struggle with multiple eating disorders and her recovery to bring hope to families and those in recovery. In a world that is filled with multiple myths about eating disorders including believing they are a choice, this book shows the realities of these most deadly of all psychiatric illnesses. I'm glad to know of this resource to share with the distressed family members to bring them hope and understanding of what their loved one is experiencing so they can be calm, compassionate and confident caregivers. And to show them that true recovery is indeed possible. Thank you Johanna for vulnerably sharing your very powerful story to help others recover from these complex brain illnesses.

Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2010

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Life Beyond Your Eating Disorder is a wonderful guide to living! The author speaks openly about the struggles that each of us face every day of our lives. This book does not focus solely on eating disorders. It reaches out to anyone who struggles with any issues in their lives. Johanna is open, honest, caring, and hopeful throughout the book. She reaffirms the idea of self worth! We can all use that message.
Johanna will make you laugh, cry, and discover your true self. Anyone who reads this book will take one important message away with them - YOU CAN DO IT! Whatever it is, have hope, show strength, be happy, and be healthy!
This book is a MUST READ for both women and men.

5 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Tammy McKellar

Great resource book for those battling an ED

Reviewed in Canada on October 26, 2020

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I bought this book used and it arrived quickly and in great shape. I am familiar with the author and look forward to reading it.

Hamann

Encouraging and heart warming

Reviewed in Germany on May 12, 2016

Verified Purchase

Awesome book about eating disorder. I can only recommend this book to everyone who is suffering from eating disorders. It provided a deep insight about problems, fears and the distress one is going through. By the same time it gave me hope and many useful tools that I can try using while my recovery. Please read this awesome book - I am sure it will provide hints and clues for you as well.

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Life Beyond Your Eating Disorder: Reclaim Yourself, Regain Your Health, Recover for Good Paperback – August 24, 2010

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