The Renfrew Center is proud to join other eating disorder organizations throughout the country to celebrate Eating Disorders Awareness Week, held February 23 – March 1, 2026.
In a culture that loves categories, eating disorders are too often misunderstood through narrow lenses, who they affect, what they look like, and why they happen. The Myths We Carry challenges those assumptions, shining light on the diverse, complex realities behind the stereotypes.
This year, we invite our community to look deeper. To examine the unseen pressures, expectations, and biases that shape how we view bodies and worth. From the influences of social media and weight loss culture to the stigma that keeps so many silent, The Myths We Carry, calls for awareness grounded in empathy, inclusivity and truth. Recovery begins when we stop trying to fit a mold and start seeing every individual’s experience as valid and deserving of care.
Eating Disorders and Mental Health
Eating disorders, which include conditions like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder, significantly impact individuals’ mental and physical well-being. Eating Disorders Awareness Week serves as a vital reminder of the importance of raising awareness about mental health issues, including eating disorders. This week encourages open conversations, education, and support to reduce stigma and provide resources for those affected by these disorders.
Mental Health Resources
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): NAMI provides advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives.
- Mental Health America (MHA): MHA is the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and promoting the overall mental health of all.
- NoStigmas: NoStigmas is a safe space for mental health advocates, survivors, loved ones, and Allies to connect through honest conversations grounded in lived experiences.
- Project HEAL: Project HEAL’s programs break down systemic, healthcare, and financial barriers that millions of people in the U.S. face when trying to heal from their eating disorder.
- Eating Disorder Hope: EDH is an online community that offers resources, education, support, and inspiration to those struggling with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, body image issues, and a myriad of other disordered eating behaviors.
- National Alliance for Eating Disorders (The Alliance): The Alliance is the leading national non-profit organization providing education, referrals, and support for all individuals experiencing eating disorders, as well as their loved ones.
- National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics (NAFCC): NAFCC operates community-based, non-profit, volunteer-supported free clinics serving the people without or with little health insurance.
- Hotlines:
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or Text 988
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
- Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration: 1-800-662-4357
Resources for the BIPOC Community
- Asian Mental Health Collective: AMHC aspires to make mental health easily available, approachable, and accessible to Asian communities worldwide.
- Melanin & Mental Health: Melanin & Mental Health connect individuals with culturally competent clinicians committed to serving the mental health needs of Black & Latinx/Hispanic communities.
- National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network: NQTTCN is a healing justice organization that works to transform mental health for queer and trans people of color.
- Therapy For Black Girls: Therapy for Black Girls is an online space dedicated to encouraging the mental wellness of Black women and girls.
- Loveland Foundation: The Loveland Foundation is committed to showing up for communities of color in unique and powerful ways, with a particular focus on Black women and girls.
- Black Emotional and Mental Health (BEAM): BEAM is a national training, movement building, and grant making institution that is dedicated to the healing, wellness, and liberation of Black and marginalized communities.
- Latinx Therapy: Founded in 2018 with the mission to destigmatize mental health in the Latinx community.
- South Asian Mental Health Initiative and Network: SAMHIN, was formed in 2014 to address a broad range of mental health needs of the growing South Asian community in the United States.
- Renfrew Blogs:
- Support Group:
Resources for the LGBTQIA+ Community
- Trans Lifeline: Trans Lifeline is a grassroots hotline and microgrants 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering direct emotional and financial support to trans people in crisis – for the trans community, by the trans community.
- The Trevor Project: The Trevor Project is a nonprofit organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ community.
- Renfrew Blogs:
- Hotlines:
- Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
- Monday through Friday, 1 PM–9 PM ET
- LGBT National Hotline: 888-843-4564
- Monday through Friday: 2 PM–11 PM ET
Saturday: 12 PM–5 PM ET
- Monday through Friday: 2 PM–11 PM ET
- LGBT National Youth Talkline: 800-246-7743
- Monday through Friday: 2 PM–11 PM ET
Saturday: 12 PM–5 PM ET
- Monday through Friday: 2 PM–11 PM ET
- Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
Resources for Students
- Active Minds: Active Minds supports mental health awareness and education for students by promoting mental health via peer-to-peer dialogue and interaction.
- To Write Love on Her Arms: TWLOHA is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide.
- Renfrew Blogs:
- Eating Disorders in College: Why Are Students Especially Vulnerable?
- College and Eating Disorders: Adjusting to Campus Life
- Eating Disorder Recovery at College: 10 Tips for Staying on Track [UPDATED]
- Eating Disorders in College Athletes: 10 Warning Signs & 10 Actionable Tips
- Eating Disorder Recovery During Summer Break: 7 Useful Tips for College Students
- Eating Disorders in Teens: Everything You Should Know
- Support Group:
Conclusion
Remember that seeking help and support is a sign of strength, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution for everyone. It’s important to find resources and approaches that resonate with your personal needs and preferences. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder or mental health issues, reaching out to a qualified mental health professional is always recommended.
Live Events Open to the Community & Renfrew Alumni
College & Young Adult Support Group (Ages 18-24)
Date: Tuesday, February 24th at 3:30 pm – 4:15 pm
Navigating life as a young adult can be exciting, but it can also bring stress, change, and new challenges. This free virtual support group is appropriate for college-age women, nonbinary, and transgender individuals, offering a place to connect, share, and find encouragement among peers.
Adult Connections: A Renfrew Support Group (Ages 25+)
Date: Wednesday, February 25th at 12:00 pm – 12:45 pm
Adulthood brings rewarding experiences but also stress, responsibilities, and pressures that can make finding balance feel challenging. This free virtual support group is appropriate for adult women, nonbinary, and transgender individuals, offering a supportive space to connect, share, and explore what recovery can look like with others who understand.
Care & Connections: A Renfrew Group for Support Persons (Ages 18+)
Date: Wednesday, February 25th at 4:00 pm – 4:45 pm
When someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, it can be hard to know how to help. This free virtual group offers parents, partners, friends, and caregivers a space to connect, share, and explore ways to support their loved one, while also caring for themselves.
On-Demand Events Open to the Community & Renfrew Alumni
Nutrition Myths That Harm: Beyond Calories and Clean Eating
Date: On Demand, beginning on Monday, February 23rd
Diet culture myths can quietly fuel eating disorder thoughts and make food feel confusing, stressful, or unsafe. In this workshop facilitated by Sam Wint, MPH, RDN, LDN, we’ll break down harmful beliefs like “good” vs. “bad” foods, calorie counting, and clean eating, explain why they don’t support healing, and explore more flexible, evidence-informed ways of thinking about nutrition. This conversation invites alumni and community members to reflect on the beliefs they carry and consider new, supportive perspectives on food.
The Myth of Perfectionism as Protection
Date: On Demand, beginning on Monday, February 23rd
Perfectionism is often praised as motivation or discipline, yet it can make us more vulnerable to masked suffering and eating disorders. In this workshop, we’ll explore perfectionism as a risk factor, the influence of productivity culture and social media, and how distress may present differently across intersecting identities. Facilitated by Mehak Merchant, MS, LPC, NCC, participants will gain a better understanding of “the why” behind perfectionism and gain practical tools to help identify unhelpful patterns and respond with awareness and flexibility.
The Dos and Don’ts: Supporting the Journey [Rebroadcast]
Date: On Demand, beginning on Monday, February 23rd
Supporting a loved one in eating disorder recovery often involves navigating deeply ingrained beliefs about food, bodies, and behavior. Presented by Samantha DeCaro, PsyD, this webinar explores how these beliefs can show up in caregiving and offers insights into the “dos and don’ts” of providing support. Parents, caregivers, and partners will gain tools to navigate the recovery journey with confidence, including helpful caregiver styles, strategies to validate big emotions, and ways to foster a more supportive home environment.
Values Based Recovery- Reconnecting with Who You Are
Date: On Demand, beginning on Monday, February 23rd
In honor of Eating Disorders Awareness Week and this year’s theme, “The Myths We Carry”, this on-demand webinar, facilitated by Ashley Moser, LMFT, CEDS invites attendees to look beyond the myths that surround eating disorders and reconnect with a powerful compass in recovery- our values. Attendees will explore the myths they carry and learn to realign with the values that reflect what matters most.
Live Recovery Workshops Open to Renfrew Alumni Only
Carrying the Past: How Myths Show Up in Recovery – and How to Let Them Go
Date: Tuesday, February 24th
Bethesda, MD • Boston, MA • Philadelphia-Center City, PA • Paramus, NJ • New York City, NY • Pittsburgh, PA • Virtual Option
Date: Wednesday, February 25th
Atlanta, GA • Charlotte, NC • Nashville, TN • Orlando, FL • Virtual Option
Date: Tuesday, March 3rd
Mt. Laurel, NJ • Radnor, PA
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