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Athlete Resources

“I think the most important way athletes can support one another is by creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable speaking about difficult topics. It takes a tremendous amount of courage for an athlete to speak up about their struggles, and there’s often an element of shame or guilt associated with admitting to mental health issues. Teammates can support one another by fostering an open, compassion-driven culture, which will in turn minimize the risk of an athlete feeling ashamed to bring forward their personal struggles. When an athlete does speak up, teammates can show support by letting the individual lead the conversation and set the boundaries for how they want to be supported moving forward. Open, honest communication on all sides is key.” 

– Alice Merryweather, Former Olympic Alpine Skier & Athlete EDGE® at EDCare Ambassador

Athlete Edge Logo
Alice Merryweather wearing a cap and smiling at camera.

Short Answer: Don’t be afraid to speak up about your needs, set boundaries, ask questions, and seek support. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health.

Advocating for yourself starts by noticing when something feels off and being brave enough to ask for help. This might mean telling a coach you are not okay, talking to a parent or counselor, or reaching out to a healthcare professional. You deserve support, and your overall health matters more than meeting performance or body expectations.

Self-advocacy also includes setting boundaries, like saying no to extra training if your body is exhausted or refusing to follow restrictive diets. It can be hard, especially in sports where pressure is high, but speaking up can be the first step toward healing. Research shows that early intervention leads to better outcomes.

Identifying these signs early is important because athletes are often praised for discipline and physical fitness, which can make disordered behaviors harder to recognize.

Short Answer: You are not alone. Recovery is stronger with support from trusted coaches, teammates, family, friends, and trained professionals.

You do not have to face an eating disorder alone. A supportive team around you can make a big difference. Coaches and teammates can create a non-judgmental environment; schools can offer academic support and mental health services, and families can encourage rest, nutrition, and therapy.

Healthcare professionals play a key role. Therapists help you cope with stress and improve body image. Dietitians teach you how to fuel properly in and outside of sport. Mental Performance coaches equip you with mental performance skills. Doctors monitor your health to keep you safe during recovery. 

The more your support system understands your struggle, the more they can help you stay on the path to healing. This is also why seeking a sport-specific dedicated eating disorder treatment team that understands the unique pressures athletes face can be key to a successful recovery.

Short Answer: The ideal care team includes a therapist, dietitian, mental performance coach, doctor, and supportive athletic and school staff.

Recovering from an eating disorder as an athlete requires more than one expert. Athletes benefit most from a multidisciplinary team that understands both your health and your sport. A dedicated sport therapist helps you work through emotional challenges, harmful thoughts and habits, and expand your identity outside of sport. A sports dietitian teaches you how to fuel performance and recovery. A mental performance coach supports your mindset and motivation, helping you rebuild confidence, manage stress, and develop healthy routines for training and competition. A sports medicine physician monitors your physical safety, such as heart health and bone density. A sports psychiatrist may help with medication management, anxiety, or depression, if needed.

Athletic trainers, coaches, and school staff can reinforce your treatment plan day to day. Research confirms that a team approach improves both health and athletic return-to-play outcomes.

Search for providers in your area!

Athlete Eating Disorder Treatment Programs & Options

Providing intensive, compassionate care from professionals who understand the world of sport and the challenges athletes face.

Athlete EDGE at EDCare

A fully virtual, multi-state medical and nutrition practice, led by nationally-recognized clinical experts for athletes across all sports and skill levels who need additional support with sports nutrition, disordered eating & eating disorders, and/or relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs).

AthleatMD

Opal provides eating disorder treatment in Seattle for adults of all genders ages 16+. We offer partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient and traditional outpatient programming. 

 
Opal Food + Body Wisdom

Lane 9 has built a directory filled with providers across the US (and abroad!) who specialize in female athlete care.

Lane 9 Project Clinician Directory

ANAD now offers a weekly support group for athletes navigating a difficult relationship with food or body. These groups are free, virtual, and led by those who have been there.

Register Now!

References

Hay, P., Chinn, D., Forbes, D., Madden, S., Newton, R., Sugenor, L., & Ward, W. (2014). Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of eating disorders. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 48(11), 977–1008. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004867414555814

 Putukian M. The psychological response to injury in student athletes: a narrative review with a focus on mental health. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2016;50:145-148. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2015-095586

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Information

Supporting an Athlete

ANAD's Athletes and Eating Disorders resource highlights the unique challenges athletes face, such as performance pressure and body image expectations, which can increase the risk of disordered eating.

Learn More
Information

Athletes and Eating Disorders

ANAD's Athletes and Eating Disorders resource highlights the unique challenges athletes face, such as performance pressure and body image expectations, which can increase the risk of disordered eating.

Learn More

Yoga

  • Reconnect with one’s body
    • Promotes mind-body connection, awareness of self, and acceptance.
  • Stress and anxiety reduction
    • Yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system, counteracting our body’s stress responses.
    • Deep, slow breathing can reduce cortisol  levels (stress hormone) and help calm our minds.
  • Intentional movement
    • Yoga provides a space to mindfully enjoy movement and explore a healthy form of exercise.
  • Long term healing
    • Provides a practice to safely and sustainably lean into.
  • A space for community and support
    • Oftentimes, yoga is done in a group setting, which can increase feelings of connection and lower feelings of loneliness.

After the completion of 7–12 yoga classes, a statistically significant decrease in anxiety, depression, and body image disturbance was seen (Hall et al., 2016).

Explore trusted resources and products to support your healing journey.

Some classes are targeted for rigorous exercise, such as “heated flow” or “power flow.” Please be mindful with what you practice, and look for “slow flow,” “yin,” “vinyasa,” and “restorative” yoga in non-heated rooms.

Music

  • Music can have a powerful effect on people’s mood

    • listening to uplifting or calming songs can help reduce stress and anxious feelings.
  • Music stimulates the limbic system, the part of our brain responsible for processing emotions
    • music triggers the release of serotonin and dopamine, which are associated with reducing feelings of anxiety, depression, and stress (which are often associated with eating disorders)
  • Slow tempo music has been shown to decrease cortisol, our stress hormone, as well as lower blood pressure and reduce heart rate.
  • Music increases the brains neuroplasticity, enhancing brain functions like mood regulation, decision making, and memory.

A study done by Mindlab International revealed that the song “Weightless” by Marconi Union resulted in a 65% reduction in participants’ overall anxiety (Dr. David Lewis-Hodgson).

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  • Ludovico Einaudi
  • Claude Debussy
  • Johann Sebastian Bach
  • José González
  • Laraaji
  • Bill Evans
  • Vance Joy
  • The Paper Kites
  • Moby
  • Tycho

Aromatherapy

  • Aromatherapy can be a helpful, low- cost (or free) tool for people managing eating disorders.
  • Aromatherapy involves using essential oils to help manage emotions and restore balance.
  • Scents can help ground people, encouraging mindfulness about physical and emotional sensations.
  • Can promote a tranquil environment and give a sense (& scent) of peace.
    • creates an atmosphere for individuals to feel safe in processing emotions

Lavender has been shown to reduce anxiety levels. It is seen as a “anxiolytic” solution to providing a coping method for those with anxiety disorders (Yoo & Park, 2023).

Explore trusted resources and products to support your healing journey.

 

  • Lavender: calm, sleep, relax
  • Chamomile: calm
  • Rose: anxiety reduction
  • Lemon: energy, nausea reduction, concentration
  • Orange: brighten, uplift
  • Jasmine: anxiety reduce, sleep
  • Peppermint: alertness
  • Ylang ylang: calming, stress and anxiety reduction
  • Rosemary: focus

Art

  • Art can help provide a safe space for communication.
  • It can promote a sense of relaxation, and become a calming, meditative like experience (especially in “flow state”).
  • Gives an outlet and coping mechanism for managing difficult emotions.
  • Helps develop healthy habits and routines for self-management.
  • Increases an individuals sense of awareness and understanding of their emotions and thoughts.

Art can boost cognitive function, emotional resilience and self-confidence. It has also been shown to reduce stress and aid in conflict resolution (Hudson University, 2024).

Explore trusted resources and products to support your healing journey.

  • Coloring books
  • Digital coloring or drawing
  • Collaging
  • Sketchbook/journaling/ diary
  • Painting
  • Water coloring
  • Air dry clay (model magic) or traditional clay (ceramics)
  • Photography (use your phone!)
  • So much more!

Creative Journaling & Writing

  • Journaling allows space for self reflection, and emotional release.
  • Free writing can help you connect to your inner voice without judgment.
    • This can look like a steam on consciousness, a short story, or even poetry.
  • Both of these can give you space to problem solve, and look at a situation from a new angle.
  • Try out a prompt, or guided writing exercise if free writing isn’t your thing.
    • Examples & resources below!

Positive writing has been shown to promote positive emotions, as well as positive cognitive mechanisms in the general population (Lai et al., 2023).

Explore trusted resources and products to support your healing journey.

  • What are three things I’m grateful for today?
  • Write a letter to your future self. What do you want to tell them?
  • Write about a positive affirmation you want to start telling yourself.
  • How do you like to relax? Write about your favorite way to unwind.
  • What does “peace” look like to you? How can you bring more of it into your life?
  • What is something that always makes you laugh or brings you joy?

Self-Care / Self-Talk

Positive Self Talk

  • Positive affirmations are short, encouraging statements that can help build our self-esteem and challenge negative thoughts.
  • Repeating these statements daily can help foster a more loving relationship with yourself over time.
    • “Mirror-work” is when you look into the mirror and say kind, positive affirmations to yourself. It might feel awkward at first.
    • Try statements such as “I am enough,” “I am deserving of all the good things life has to offer,” or “I am strong, capable, and confident in everything I do.”
  • This can help build mental resilience, making it easier to cope with challenges and setbacks.
  • They can elevate your mood and promote a more optimistic view of life.
  • They help build confidence and self-worth by focusing on your strengths and capabilities.

Self Care

  • Self-care directly impacts emotional, psychological, and physical well-being.
  • Engaging in regular self care practices helps maintain balance and resilience, ensuring we can cope with life’s challenges.
  • Regular self-care allows the body and mind to recover, recharge, and maintain a sense of calm.
  • Taking care of yourself helps prevent burnout by ensuring you have the energy and mental capacity to meet the demands of life.
    • Without regular self care, you may become overwhelmed, leading to fatigue, frustration, and decreased productivity.
  • Giving yourself mental space helps clear your mind, improving focus, decision-making, and problem-solving.
  • Allows you to engage in activities that bring you joy, pleasure, and fulfillment. These experiences elevate mood and provide moments of peace and happiness.

Positive Self Talk

Affirming personal values has been linked to boosting ones happiness and meaning in life (Nelson et al., 2014). MRI’s show that self- affirmations affect brain activity! (Cascio et al., 2015).

Self Care

“Engaging in a self- care routine has been clinically proven to reduce or eliminate anxiety and depression, reduce stress, improve concentration, minimize frustration and anger, increase happiness, improve energy and more. From a physical health perspective, it has also been clinically proven to reduce heart disease, stroke and cancer” (Glowiak, 2024).

Explore trusted resources and products to support your healing journey.

POSITIVE SELF TALK

 

SELF CARE

  • Up to personal preference, ideas listed in the guide
  • Sleep: Make sure you get enough hours in
  • Making time for hobbies: painting, gardening, etc.
  • Doing chores: cleaning dishes, doing laundry, cleaning space, decluttering
  • Spending time outdoors: taking nature walks, sitting in a park
  • Being with people you love: friends, family, partners
  • Reading or learning: something of interest, and limiting technology/screen time
  • Personal care: shower, bath, deep breathing, meditation, massaging
  • Treating yourself: occasionally indulging yourself with something you love (ex: buying a new book, or a coffee from your favorite shop)
  • Mental care: attending peer support groups (for free with ANAD!), going to therapy (we can help connect you with someone)