My class created a body-positive playlist that you can access here.*

Eating disorder researcher and clinician, Dr. Christopher Fairburn, likened having an eating disorder to having a DVD play on repeat in your head. Once you are in recovery, the DVD can slip back into your head and influence your thoughts and behaviors. The key for relapse prevention is to work with the client to recognize when this happens, so that they can cope effectively. This is a simplification of the concept, but Dr. Fairburn said that clients really resonated with it, and that they often consequently felt empowered to “eject” the eating disorder DVD if they noticed it was in “play” mode again. He said that one major way that clients do this is by seeking social support (e.g., planning an activity with a friend) and through healthy distracting activities (e.g., going to see a movie). Dr. Fairburn also mentioned that some clients have found that having a body-positive music playlist helped them. I thought this was a great idea and asked the students in my Abnormal Psychology class to submit body-positive songs.

*I have screened out songs and videos that may be offensive or inappropriate, but it’s possible that I missed some.  If you see a video that you find offensive or inappropriate, please let me know, and I will remove it.

If you are concerned that you may have an eating disorder, please seek help through information on the Links page or by e-mailing me at kathryn.gordon@ndsu.edu for referral information.