Last Reviewed: 27 Feb 2026
Personal stories have power. When shared safely, they can:
Inspire hope in people who are struggling.
Challenge stigma and promote understanding.
Motivate others to seek help and begin their own recovery journey.
Help you, the storyteller, draw meaning from your experiences.
Before sharing, check in with yourself: consider your emotional, physical, and psychological wellbeing, and reflect on where you are in your recovery process.
Particular measurements, numbers or behaviours should be excluded. Details such as calorie totals, BMI, clothing sizes, or workout routines can be triggering and may contribute to harmful behaviours among individuals who are at risk.
Skip triggering imagery. Don’t use images of scales, tape measures, empty plates, or detailed hospital shots.
Avoid glamorising / sensationalising the illness. Avoid before/after comparisons and images of extreme body weights.
Do say: “experiencing an eating disorder”, “has a lived experience of”, or “is living with”.
Don’t say: “anorexic”, “bulimic”, “sufferer”, or “victim”.
Do say: when discussing body shapes, use language such as “larger body”, “larger body shape”, “higher weight”, “lower weight”
Don’t say: “Overweight”, “fat”, “obese” or “skinny”
Be authentic. Speak about your experience. This shows that eating disorders are diverse, complex, and vary from person to person.
Present the disorder as a serious, multifaceted mental illness, not as a personal choice or phase.
Highlight both physical and psychological impacts.
Explore the impact on work, social life, family and friends; what signs were there for them to pick up on?
Share the steps you took in seeking help, therapy, coping skills and mindful habits to take better care of yourself.
Ups and downs don’t mean failure. It is important to show they are part of recovery.
Emphasise that recovery can be hard and can take time, but it is possible at ANY stage.
Encourage others who are struggling to talk to a trusted support person and a GP.
Am I sharing my lived experience without specific behaviours, numbers, or images?
Am I focusing on hope, recovery, and what helped me?
Am I avoiding language or visuals that could glamorise eating disorders?
Do I feel emotionally ready and supported?
Am I including national helplines, support websites, or mental health services?
Use respectful language: “living with an eating disorder”
Focus on emotional and physical impacts plus recovery steps
Show recovery as a process
Encourage help-seeking + provide support links
Cite trusted organisations for facts, like InsideOut, Butterfly & NEDC
Share your personal experience
Avoid labels: “anorexic”, “sufferer”, “obese”, “fat”
Avoid listing behaviours, numbers, or measurements
Avoid romanticising the illness or “before/after” images
Avoid suggesting that eating disorders are a lifestyle
Avoid sharing unverified or sensational content
Avoid providing medical or clinical advice
Sharing your lived experience can be deeply impactful - both for others and for yourself. By following these guidelines, you can ensure your story helps, not harms, and always provides hope.
Support services offering 24/7 helplines include:
Butterfly National Helpline: 1800 334 673
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
LifeLine: 13 11 14
Free, proven online treatment is available via InsideOut Institute’s eClinic: eclinic.insideoutinstitute.org.au
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© 2026 InsideOut
InsideOut acknowledges the tradition of custodianship and law of the Country on which the University of Sydney and Charles Perkins Centre campus stands. We pay our respects to those who have cared and continue to care for Country. We are committed to diversifying research and eliminating inequities and discrimination in healthcare. We welcome all people regardless of age, gender, race, size, sexuality, language, socioeconomic status, location or ability.