Summary

Jenni Schaefer was a victim of an eating disorder for a very long period of her life. Luckily, with the help of her family and support group, she was strong enough to turn herself around. She wrote the book Life Without Ed to explain her life experiences and battles, and to help others work their way to a healthier, happier lifestyle. Each chapter in the book explains different obstacles and rough times she went through, and how she got through them all.
Meeting Thom Rutledge, a psychotherapist and author, she learned how to treat her eating disorder as a relationship, not a condition. This meant that she would have to separate her personality from Ed’s (eating disorder) and finally break free from the abusive relationship she was in for most of her life. In this novel there are many different exercises that can help any individual with this same problem make progress in their recovery.
When Jenni was first suffering from this disorder, a typical conversation between her and Ed would involve him tormenting her and telling her she is fat, or not good enough. She, of course, would agree with him and do whatever it is that he said she should do, be it bingeing, purging, or starving. Once Jenni could finally detach her thoughts and values from Ed, it became much easier for her to make her own opinion and follow through with her own values. With the help of Thom, other psychologists, and the supportive people in her group, her conversations started to change. Ed would say the same things but she would disagree with him and live by her own values, the way all people should.
It was definitely not an easy task for Jenni to separate herself from Ed. One exercise Jenni did in group helped her learn how to make the split. She had to put on a Darth Vader mask and talk as if she was her eating disorder. She explains how, for the first time, she actually realized the difference between her speaking and Ed speaking.
“I just don’t think I will ever be able to let go of Ed. I think I am the only one who won’t succeed at recovery.” Jenni once said this to all the other people in her group. With hard work, dedication, and help she has finally cut herself free from Ed’s grip. She even wrote a declaration of independence signed by her fellow group members. Now, she has been appointed to the Ambassador Council of the National Eating Disorder Association. She appears on national radio and television to raise awareness about eating disorders and the long road to recovery.
So many young girls and women suffer from this disorder, and the number isn’t getting any smaller as the years roll on. Jenni Schaefer believes that if she could fight through it, then anyone can as long as they have he right attitude, commitment, and also the help of others.