Eating Disorder Memoirs – Do They Help or Hurt Recovery?

“Stories are wild creatures,” the monster said.
“When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak?”

— Patrick Ness, A Monster Calls

When it comes to eating disorders, Ness’ statement is very fitting. Eating Disorder memoirs from lived experience – whether written in journals, published in books, or presented in online videos – are powerful. They provide vivid descriptions of how the person lived with their eating disorder, and portray in-depth the mental struggles they experienced.

Yet, ED memoirs also carry risk. The wrong story, told in the wrong way, at the wrong time, can do harm to the personal in a vulnerable mental space. Stories and narratives of others’ eating and body struggles can potentially fuel comparison, perfectionism or shame.

So what does the research say? What should one make of the potential to cause harm? When considering how you should navigate the terrain of eating disorders recovery, these are questions worth considering.

An Experiment: Can an ED Memoir Be Tested Ethically Before Publication?

A new study recently published (August, 2024) in the Journal of Eating Disorders tested this very premise. The researchers asked a bold question: What actually happens when someone with an active eating disorder reads a memoir about recovery? Can such a story help? Or does it risk reinforcing disordered thinking, triggering comparisons, or derailing their recovery progress?

The study asked participants with self-identified eating disorders to read a memoir titled The Hungry Anorexic (HA) before its public release. This was not just a book review exercise—it was a controlled psychological experiment. Sixty-four participants were split into two groups. One read the HA memoir, while the control group read Ten Zen Questions, a non-ED-related book about consciousness and self-inquiry.

The researchers then measured psychological changes using two gold-standard tools in eating disorder research:

• EDE-Q (Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire): A comprehensive measure of ED symptoms and distress.
• ANSOCQ (Anorexia Nervosa Stages of Change Questionnaire): A tool assessing readiness to change and motivation for recovery.

Participants completed these measures before and after reading their assigned books, over a two-week period. They also responded to reflective prompts during the reading process. The aim was to establish whether the memoir had any observable impact, positive or negative, on their psychological state.

The Results: Encouraging and Cautiously Optimistic

Contrary to the fear that memoirs might trigger relapse or worsen ED symptoms, the HA memoir did not lead to any increased harm, when compared to the control group. In fact, both groups improved significantly on ED symptom severity and motivation for change, suggesting potential clinical relevance.

Equally intriguing was the qualitative analysis. The ED memoir group showed a more vivid, sensory-engaged language in their responses. They talked more about bodily sensations, emotions, and actions. In contrast, the control group engaged more abstractly. This suggests the ED memoir may have prompted more embodied reflection—a potentially valuable outcome when considering ED recovery.

Why This Matters: Memoirs as Tools for Eating Disorders Recovery

The idea of incorporating books as a therapeutic tool in ED recovery is not new. Although the findings in the study were based on a very small, self-selecting sample, the study provides some weight to what therapists and clients have sensed intuitively: the right book, offered at the right moment, can potentially open important doors to someone in their ED recovery journey. There are a few reasons why this may be the case:

1. Memoirs model self-compassion and insight. They show that recovery is not linear, nor perfect. They allow readers to witness real cases of relapse, resistance, and recovery – and shift their expectations to a more balanced perspective.
2. They provide identification and hope. Clients often feel alone in their experience within their eating disorders. Reading about someone else’s battle can reduce shame and foster connection with the author’s struggles.
3. They encourage reflection. When clients read thoughtfully, especially alongside reflective prompts, it helps them notice their own thoughts and reactions with greater clarity. This is a cornerstone of good and effective recovery.
4. They address elements of perfectionism. When written honestly, memoirs expose the illusions of the “ideal recovery”. They show that messiness, fear, and confusion are part of healing—not proof that their own failing.

Still, the risks cannot be ignored. A poorly written ED memoir, or even a well-written one read at the wrong time, can backfire. It might idealise thinness, romanticise suffering, or present a narrow version of recovery that doesn’t reflect the diversity of client experiences. This is especially true when clients only read the earlier parts of the ED memoir that tend to focus on the severity of the author’s eating disorder, and do not finish the book where it emphasises the recovery process.

What This Means for Clinical Practice and Eating Disorders Recovery

Within therapy, we often work with individuals who feel burnt out by advice, pressure, and prescriptive approaches. The findings of this study affirm an important point of eating disorders recovery: Recovery is not just about nutrition and symptom reduction, but also about meaning-making.

That’s why we encourage clients, when ready, to read reflectively. Whether it’s an ED memoir, an ED poem, or even a novel that touches on themes of identity, control, and embodiment—stories can be impactful on their thoughts, feelings and recovery.  The therapy space should consider using the power of ED memoirs and stories as powerful tools for the following reasons:

• Therapist-Client Dialogue: When clients engage with ED memoirs or media, we can explore their reactions together. What parts they relate to? What parts angered or unsettled them? This becomes fertile ground for potential insights to be gained.
• Reflecting on their own thinking: It invites deep reflection. What stories resonate with you? What have you read (or seen) before that shaped your current beliefs about food, control, or the body? These are important aspects within therapy, and can be aimed at challenging negative beliefs.
• Creative Counter-Narratives: Some clients choose to write their own “anti-memoirs”—accounts of their own recovery that challenge cultural- or internalised myths. This reframing can be deeply empowering.

No one-size-fits-all recovery journey: It reminds clients that memoirs are not fixed blueprints. They are mere snapshots of someone else’ journey. No single story of recovery will mirror their own. And that’s okay. In fact, it’s normal.

A Word of Caution: Not All Stories Are Safe

It’s good to know we can use ED memoirs to the benefit of recovery. However, a word of caution is needed. Not every story about eating disorders helps recovery. For people who are still in the grip of an eating disorder, these kinds of stories can be risky. Some ED memoirs dwell so heavily on the details of the illness that they risk pulling the reader deeper into it. They might stir up comparison, shame, or even admiration for the author’s eating disorder. Instead of offering hope, the story ends up feeling like a manual for staying ill.

Additionally, the researchers highlighted key methodological caveats, such as a lack of long-term follow up, no measurement of actual behaviour changes (only self-reports), and that the specific ED memoir was safely constructed with clinical oversight—unlike many public ED memoirs.

Just as a scalpel can heal or harm depending on how it’s used, so too can a story. So timing matters. Supervision matters. Context matters.

Final Reflections: How Should We Think About Eating Disorder Memoirs?

In a world saturated with content—TikTok confessions, Instagram recovery reels, anonymous blogs—it’s really important that we think critically about the stories we tell about eating disorders.

This study reminds us that:

• Stories have power, but power is not inherently dangerous. It depends on how it’s used in the ED recovery context.
• Clients deserve access to diverse, honest narratives, that focus on ED recovery. Such stories don’t gloss over relapse, and they don’t romanticise emaciation. And they certainly don’t claim to have all the answers.
• Memoirs can spark change, but only if integrated thoughtfully into the broader recovery journey. When discussed in a supportive setting (like therapy or a guided group), they can help individuals reflect on their own patterns, challenge entrenched beliefs, and imagine new possibilities for recovery.

Maybe that last point is the most important takeaway of all: Recovery is not found in someone else’s ED memoir, but rather in the quiet, courageous act of narrating your own.

If you’re navigating recovery and want to explore how story, meaning, and narrative can support your healing, Reverence Recovery can help. Blending evidence-based care with deep respect for your own eating disorders experience, we’ll focus on helping you develop the courage to write your own recovery story.

Because you are more than your symptoms. You are the author of a life still unfolding.

Contact us today for an appointment, and take the first step of writing your own recovery journey.