Self Help & Recovery Tools
You do not have to wait until things feel unbearable
Recovery can feel overwhelming, especially when you are trying to understand what kind of support you need, where to begin, or whether your struggle is “serious enough.”
These books, tools, and online resources may support people navigating eating disorder recovery, disordered eating, body image distress, chronic dieting, binge eating, restriction, purging, compulsive exercise, or a difficult relationship with food.
Self-help resources are not a replacement for professional care, but they can offer language, validation, education, and practical support throughout the recovery process.
Books for understanding and navigating recovery
These books explore eating disorder recovery, identity, coping, relationships, and rebuilding a meaningful life beyond the eating disorder.
Life Without Ed
Uses the metaphor of separating from “Ed” to help readers recognize the eating disorder voice and strengthen their own recovery identity.
Goodbye Ed, Hello Me
Focuses on reconnecting with life, relationships, identity, and meaning as recovery becomes more established.
Restoring Our Bodies, Reclaiming Our Lives
Brings together lived experiences and reflections about recovery, embodiment, relationships, and healing.
Gaining
Explores the complexity of eating disorders through research, personal experience, and conversations with people in recovery.
Healing Your Hungry Heart
Explores emotional needs, self-understanding, relationships, and the internal work involved in recovery.
The Eating Disorders Sourcebook
Offers a broad overview of eating disorders, treatment, recovery, and support for individuals and families.
Resources for understanding patterns without shame
These resources explore urges, emotions, acceptance, mindfulness, and the cycle between restriction, distress, binge eating, and compensatory behaviors.
The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Bulimia
Uses acceptance and commitment therapy skills to explore urges, emotional distress, values, and behavior change.
Crave
Explores biological, emotional, and behavioral factors involved in binge eating and offers practical recovery-oriented guidance.
The Food and Feelings Workbook
Offers reflection exercises focused on emotions, eating patterns, coping, and self-awareness.
Eat, Drink and Be Mindful
Introduces mindful awareness practices related to food, eating, emotions, and sensory experience.
50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food
Offers a range of sensory, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral coping ideas.
Resources for rebuilding trust with food and body
These books explore chronic dieting, body acceptance, intuitive eating, exercise, self-care, and developing a more flexible relationship with food.
Intuitive Eating
Introduces principles for moving away from dieting and rebuilding trust with hunger, fullness, satisfaction, and body cues.
The Diet Survivor’s Handbook
Offers short lessons focused on eating, acceptance, body image, self-compassion, and moving away from dieting.
Moving Away From Diets
Explores eating concerns, exercise resistance, body acceptance, and non-diet approaches to health and wellbeing.
National Eating Disorders Association
NEDA offers educational resources for individuals, families, and loved ones affected by eating disorders.
- Eating disorder signs and symptoms
- Treatment options and support resources
- Information for families and caregivers
- Screening tools
- Recovery information
- Guidance for supporting someone you care about
You do not need to meet a stereotype to deserve support
Eating disorders and disordered eating can affect people of every age, gender, body size, race, ability, and background. Your struggle is worthy of care even if you are unsure what to call it.
Start with your campus health or counseling center
Most Maine colleges offer a health center, counseling center, wellness office, or student support service. Campus providers may offer initial support and help connect students with therapists, dietitians, medical providers, or specialized eating disorder care.
Campus websites and service availability may change. Contact the school directly when a link is unavailable or when you need help understanding current options.
Bowdoin College
Colby College
College of the Atlantic
Maine College of Art
Maine Maritime Academy
St. Joseph’s College
Thomas College
University of Maine Augusta
University of Maine Farmington
University of Maine Fort Kent
University of Maine Machias
University of Maine Presque Isle
University of New England
University of Southern Maine
University of Maine, Orono
More support may be needed when symptoms feel unsafe or difficult to interrupt
Some books and recovery tools may be more useful at certain stages than others. If you are medically unstable, severely restricting, purging, frequently binge eating, compulsively exercising, or unable to nourish yourself consistently, professional support is important.
Seek urgent medical or crisis care if you are experiencing chest pain, fainting, severe dehydration, vomiting blood, confusion, difficulty breathing, thoughts of harming yourself, or another immediate safety concern.