Army Good Conduct Medal - It's what we earn in recovery. :)

Being loyal to yourself means standing by yourself, being a friend to yourself, and seeing yourself through a tough time.

Can you be loyal to yourself? Can you be steadfast and loyal to your body, heart and soul during good times and bad?

If you commit to being loyal to yourself, then you stay present and kind to your authentic self WHILE you are feeling fear, rage and despair - WHILE you are feeling wild cravings - WHILE you want to act out in destructive ways.

Awareness, necessary for eating disorder recovery, comes in countless and unpredictable forms. 

When we are not aware we do not have the awareness of what we are missing.  Awareness rises from a dark night gently through a slow dawn.  Or it arrives during a dark storm with the crackling blast of a lightning bolt.

Eating disorder recovery requires the building of solid self-esteem. The core of self-esteem is based on respect and appreciation for yourself coupled with an honest appraisal of your capabilities and a kindness you give to your vulnerabilities.

Self-esteem is the bedrock from which you see the world, feel your responses, make decisions and take action. Here are 13 more tips to building your self-esteem.