Tips for eating disorder recovery from LGBTQIA+ people
June is Pride Month, dedicated to celebrating the diversity and resilience of the LGBTQIA+ community and standing up against discrimination and violence.
This is important for us to acknowledge, because LGBTQIA+ adults and adolescents experience greater incidence of eating disorders and disordered eating behaviours, more severe symptoms, and longer delays between diagnosis and treatment [1].
But lived experience insights and research reveal that conventional eating disorder treatments are not always effective for the LGBTIQA+ community [2] – it’s often due to biases held by healthcare professionals and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
It’s therefore essential that we advocate for and encourage utilising a person-centred, gender-affirming, trauma-informed approach when working with any individual with an eating disorder, but particularly those who also belong to the LGBTQIA+ community.
We also need to learn from LGBTQIA+ individuals with lived experience to understand what helped their eating disorder recovery, where the gaps are, and what people can do to support themselves on their own recovery journey.
We thank the incredible lived experience advocates who contributed their insights for this piece.
It’s not one size fits all
“Choosing recovery from an eating disorder doesn’t mean buying into mainstream recovery messages of body positivity like “love the skin you’re in” or “your body is perfect the way it is”. These messages didn’t align with my experience and needs as someone who identifies as transgender.
What helped me get through treatment was feeling understood, having my individuality respected, receiving support that was guided by what was and wasn’t helpful for me and connecting with other LGBTQIA+ folks in recovery.
“You don’t have to suffer in silence. There are LGBTQIA+ friendly supports out there. I had a wonderful LGBTQIA+ youth worker who I could share what I was going through with and they supported me to take the steps I needed to affirm my gender. They didn’t just see me as the symptoms of my eating disorder but took the time to get to know me as a whole person.” – Reece, he/him
Find LGBTQIA+ healthcare professionals
Butterfly’s Referral Database provides the contact details of healthcare professionals that are trained and equipped to treat eating disorders and provide support. You can search by practitioner specialty and choose “LGBTQIA+” under the ‘populations’ menu.
Discover your identity & approach with compassion
“When I went through treatment, I hadn’t yet figured out that I’m trans and queer (aroace), not to mention also being an Autistic ADHDer, chronically ill, and disabled. Instead, I had a longstanding feeling of being different, and there being something innately “wrong” with me. From birth, society assigned me identities that weren’t mine; the eating disorder grew from this trauma; and treatment was also grounded in assumptions of cis-hetero-normativity, neuro-normativity, and ableism, which further pathologised my existence.
Treatment saved my life, and I’m so glad for that, but it wasn’t until I figured out my queerness, transness, and other identities, that I could see a future for myself and heal in other ways.
“So, an integral part of recovery has been reclamation of self, in a way that’s forever unfolding. It’s been disentangling decades, finding community, neuroqueering the heck out of things, and unlearning shame. My life has been full of transitions, but nowadays they’re about returning to myself. I was right all along that I’m different, but my differences are not defects, and there was never anything inherently wrong with me. I am my own home.” – Lumen, they/them
Find your community
“Finding community is key. Eating disorders thrive in isolation so connect with others who understand and support you. For many LGBTQIA+ folks, the journey to recovery is complex, especially if you’re navigating gender identity and body image. Exploring and challenging societal norms about bodies, gender, and sexuality can be a powerful step in recovery.
Queer folk often face unique pressures and expectations that can feel conflicting and intense. Learning how to navigate them looks different for everyone. Recovery is about finding your own path, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it alone.
“Don’t underestimate the power of community and support. You’re not alone in this, and there are people who understand what you’re going through and can help you navigate it.” – Chantel, they/them
Be you – and ignore the stereotypes
“Queer people are not a monolithic group. We don’t all have the same experiences, the same needs, or the same desires. Find your community and surround yourself with people that uplift you. That could be your friends, your colleagues at work, or the people you follow on social media.
Although it’s getting better, the LGBTQIA+ community is still painted with one brush and we’re often told to look a certain way in the media. But you don’t need to look like one specific archetype, just because you’re queer. Just be you. – Nik Mitchell, he/they
Get support
Support for eating disorders and body image concerns
- Butterfly’s National Helpline counsellors receive LGBTIQA+ training and are committed to providing free, confidential and non-judgemental counselling, referrals and information to anyone experiencing an eating disorder or body image issue, as well as their friends and family. We understand that gender and sexuality are complex issues and unique to each individual. We make no assumptions about your story and we do not discriminate.
- To find qualified eating disorder practitioners, search Butterfly’s Referral Database. You can customise your search to see healthcare professionals that specialise in treating the LGBTQIA+ community.
- Eating Disorders Victoria offers a LGBTQIA+ specific eating disorder recovery support group, Bloom, held every fourth Wednesday of the month from 11am-12:30pm.
LGBTQIA+ specific support
- Qlife provides anonymous and free LGBTQIA+ peer support and referral for people in Australia wanting to talk about sexuality, identity, gender, bodies, feelings or relationships. Call 1800 184 537, 3pm-midnight, 7 days a week.
- Minus18 provide support for LGBTQIA+ youth focusing on life-affirming social inclusion, education, advocacy, and youth empowerment.
Resources and learn more
- To read more lived experience insights from the LGBTQIA+ community, visit Butterfly’s Body Pride Resource Hub.
- Butterfly is a member of the EveryBODY Welcome collaboration, which is driven by Australia’s national and state-based eating disorder organisations, and aims to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and promote access to intersectional, personcentred, and gender-affirming care for members of the LGBTQA+ community affected by body dissatisfaction, disordered eating or an eating disorder. Click here to view our resources & learn more about the organisations involved.
References
[1] Parker, L. Harriger, J. Eating disorders and disordered eating behaviours in the LGBT population: a review of the literature. 2020. Journal of Eating Disorders. 8 (51). Accessed online: https://jeatdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40337-020-00327-y
[2] Valenta S., et al. Treating eating disorders in the LGBTQIA+ adult population: a scoping review. 2024. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health. 1-22. Accessed online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19359705.2024.2310266
