In the pages of Ideas and Inspirations for Recovery you"ll find:

• A Message from Susan Schulherr, LCSW, Author: Eating Disorders for Dummies
• Visitors' Forum: Visitors Answer Questions About Their Own Recovery
• Ask Susan: Susan Answers Your Recovery Question of the Month
• Wise Words for Recovery: Susan's Recovery Blog

: Smart Thinking About Eating Disorder Recovery

Welcome to Ideas and Inspirations, your recovery resource cooperative!

Eating disorder recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. Like the long distance runner, you need good strategies, good support, your own best efforts, and a dose of hope and inspiration from time to time to help you keep going.

Long distance running can be lonely. But you don't have to be in this alone! There's lots of accumulated wisdom out there among you—much of it gained through slips and stumbles—that you can usefully share with each other.

I've created Ideas and Inspirations as a place for us to do that sharing. As the cooperative grows, we can all grow wiser together! You are invited to participate in the recovery cooperative in any or all of the following ways:

• You can share your experiences with others by responding to the Recovery Questionnaire.
  Add to our collective wisdom! To help you do this, I've supplied the Recovery Questionnaire as scaffolding. The Recovery Questionnaire is for people who are still working on recovery as well as those who consider their eating disorder to be a thing of the past. Read the questions and post your own responses to the Recovery Questionnaire.
• You can read what others have to say about their own recovery.
  See how others have responded to the Recovery Questionnaire!
• You can ask me a question about recovery.
  Each month I address a new question from one of you. Questions can be about the nature of recovery, treatment, relapse, handling the rest of your life while in recovery, family-related issues and so on. Visit Ask Susan...
• You can check out Wise Words for Recovery, Susan's recovery blog.
  Wise Words for Recovery covers issues and obstacles you may encounter on your recovery road. For example, do you have a harsh inner voice that clobbers your self-esteem? Do you have problems with your family or partner related to your eating disorder? Are you "too good for your own good"? With each entry I include a few ideas about how to handle a particular issue successfully. Every other week there'll be a new entry. Visit Wise Words for Recovery...

However you choose to involve yourself in the Ideas and Inspirations recovery cooperative—actively or quietly, frequently or once-in-awhile—you will be a valued participant here. I hope participation contributes to your very healthy and sound recovery.

Warmest wishes,
Susan