I’m joining the conversation. Will you join me too?

June 2nd is World Eating Disorders Action Day. And I’ll be participating. I want to do my small part in getting the message out about the challenges that exist in getting appropriate care and treatment for eating disorders. Because it is not easy for those suffering from this life-threatening mental illness to:

• Have their symptoms and concerns be taken seriously
• Get a proper and quick diagnosis
• Access treatment and recovery support

World Eating Disorder Action Day launched in 2015 by a group of activists, professionals, caregivers, and survivors across the globe. You can learn more about their mission and vision here, as well as how you can participate on June 2nd.

We do act NOW

Activism efforts are helpful in mobilizing change in the field of eating disorder treatment and prevention. But it doesn’t have to be grandiose or exhaustive. In other words, your championing for change can involve actions that are big or small. Further, your efforts can be time extensive or time-limited. And you can:

• Offer your special talents to eating disorder spaces (i.e.: volunteer)
• Educate yourself
• Campaign for increased government funding
• Educate others
• Spend time with a person struggling with an eating disorder or their caregiver. Listen without judgment. Ask them what they need. And do your best to support them.

You can act now by joining the conversation online. Follow us on Instagram @utlilactree. And engage with the content being shared on June 2nd (on ours and other platforms). Additionally, search on the following hashtags to stay in the know: #showusyourpurple, #eatingdisorderscantaffordtowait, #wedoactnow.

Finally, there will be at least 7 posts on our Under the Lilac Tree Insta profile on June 2nd. Moreover, these posts will pose certain reflective questions related to how we can instigate change in the eating disorder field. And I would love to hear from you! Like, comment, and repost on World Eating Disorder Day posts to keep the conversation going. Let’s bring together as many voices as possible on June 2nd to brainstorm ideas for advocacy and change. See you there 😉