MedCircle Original Series

Eating Disorders: A Survivor’s Guide to Lasting Recovery

Nearly 1 in 3 of those with an eating disorder end up relapsing, & the reasons why are misunderstood. Here’s your guide to sustaining long-term recovery.

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Series Overview

Meet Kristina Saffran 3 Min

Understand how Kristina sustained long-lasting recovery from anorexia nervosa and the most helpful strategies she and her family have used to prevent relapse.

Eating Disorders: A Survivor’s Guide to Lasting Recovery 34 Min

In this illuminating session, Dr. Dom and Kristina walk through practical ways to sustain recovery from an eating disorder. From the causes and misconceptions, to the symptoms and treatment options, they provide a comprehensive guide to long-lasting recovery.

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Start Watching This Series Now!

You can get free access to all segments of this video series when you become a MedCircle Member. You’ll also get access to weekly virtual workshops and more than 900 educational and inspiring videos. 

About the Series

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental health disorder. Yet the causes of this illness are often oversimplified to “body image issues” and “cultural influences.” In reality, the causes go well beyond just these factors.

Additionally, once a patient leaves treatment, recovery from an eating disorder can be hard to sustain. Recent research suggests that relapse rates are nearly 36 percent. And the highest risk of relapse is in the first 18 months post-treatment, according to some studies.

However, there are solutions that work. These solutions are often overlooked because the causes and triggers of eating disorders are widely misunderstood.

Kristina Saffran understands this better than most. Kristina was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa at the age of 10. After undergoing comprehensive weekly treatment, Kristina recovered — but relapsed at the age of 13.

After undergoing further treatment and achieving sustained recovery, Kristina went on to co-found the organization Project HEAL at the age of 15. With a network of over 100,000 people worldwide, Project HEAL helps people with eating disorders get the clinical care they need and connects them with a community of peers who understands what they’re going through.

In this insightful and illuminating series, Kristina and psychiatrist Dr. Domenick Sportelli break down the true causes and triggers of eating disorders. They dispel the misconceptions that patients, loved ones, and even doctors still harbor about this illness. They shed light on how family-based treatment can be incredibly effective in sustaining long-lasting recovery. And they provide the practical communication tools and at-home solutions you and your loved ones can use to sustain eating disorder recovery.

While there’s a scarcity of eating disorder specialists in the U.S., this series also walks through how you can find treatment and support resources near you.

This comprehensive series will serve as your go-to guide to tried-and-true methods of supporting someone through this trying time.

Who is this series for?

Those who are living with an eating disorder, or who have recovered from one, will get a well-rounded education on family-based eating disorder treatment.

Family members and loved ones of those suffering from an eating disorder will gain practical and comprehensive family approaches to supporting someone through short- and long-term recovery.

This series is especially helpful for parents who need actionable strategies to support a teenager struggling from an eating disorder, or a teenager who is new to recovery.

“Full recovery is possible… that was the catalyst for starting [my organization] Project HEAL because doctors kept telling me, ‘you’re gonna be sick forever. You’re never really gonna get better.’ I am somebody who still manages anxiety, but I [now] have a healthy relationship with food.”
Kristina Saffran, Co-Founder of Project HEAL

In this series, you’ll discover:

  • The root causes and triggers of eating disorders – and why some of these causes are often overlooked
  • How to recognize the environmental threats to relapse and prevent them in the first place
  • How to spot the signs that someone is struggling with recovery after treatment
  • How behavior modeling can prevent relapse in those suffering from an eating disorder
  • How to help someone sustain their recovery right after treatment through changes in communication and changes in the home
  • Why family-based treatment for eating disorders is so effective and where to find it
  • Which psychotropic medications can help someone on the road to recovery

“The individuals I saw on the [eating disorders] unit were not only emotionally sick, but physically sick. So learning about this from [Kristina’s] perspective as someone who’s gone through it is so incredibly important.”

Double Board Certified Psychiatrist, D.O.

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Start Watching This Series Now!

You can get free access to all segments of this video series when you become a MedCircle Member. You’ll also get access to every video series from the MedCircle doctors.