I started going to the Joy Project's free support group after I developed an eating disorder. The facilitators and group members were full of amazing advice on how to go about getting the right treatment and they supported me when some of the medical providers I saw didn't. The website, joyproject.org also provided very useful information that I could not have found at any of the other eating disorder help sites. As my eating disorder worsened I developed full-blown PTSD so that my life was a complete nightmare. Because of this, I could not begin recovery unless I got inpatient or residential treatment. I was rejected by one treatment center because my physical status wasn't considered dangerous (yet). Then I was sent to a psych ward and (incorrectly) told I had OCD, not an eating disorder. All of this could have been enough for me to give up and just lose more weight until I was sick enough for them, BUT the Joy Project was there to help me through this scary and humiliating situation until I found a treatment center that took my condition seriously. I have since recovered and now serve as a volunteer with the Joy Project, where we are reaching more and more people like me.
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Nonprofit Overview
Causes: Eating Disorders & Addictions, Mental Health
Mission: The Joy Project is a 501(c)3 non-profit, grassroots organization based on the philosophy of using real-world, workable solutions to end the epidemic of eating disorders. We work towards reducing the rate and severity of eating disorders by supporting and conducting research, education, and support programs. The Joy Project does not seek to replace or discourage traditional or current treatments, but to expand the options for treatment. We seek to make treatment options more accessible to anyone affected and find and implement ways to make treatment more effective. The Joy Project seeks to empower individuals with eating disorders to be active participants in their own recovery.