People have made inflammatory claims that food, particularly sugar, is as addictive as drugs. But are those claims backed by science?

Project HEAL Volunteer Blog Manager, Tara Criscuolo, dives into the science behind bingeing, the state of the research on food addiction, and how to stop feeling out of control around food.

From her first USTA tournament in middle school through college varsity tennis, Project HEAL Volunteer Blog Manager Tara Criscuolo’s self-identity became intertwined with her performance on the court. While she had natural athleticism and learned skill, Tara’s untreated anxiety disorder quickly became an unanticipated and devastating hidden opponent.

With 10+ years of recovery – and 8 years of “loud recovery” – under her belt, Project HEAL Volunteer Blog Manager, Tara Criscuolo, speaks a lot differently about eating disorders, food, movement, and bodies than she used to.

Suicide is a topic that hides in the shadows. All too often it goes unaddressed, even when we may sense someone is struggling. In honor of World Suicide Prevention Day, Tara Criscuolo shares the warning signs of suicide and tips for how to have a conversation with someone you’re concerned about.

Popularized by Dr. Gaudiani of the Gaudiani Clinic, “sick enough” is the idea that someone may have an eating disorder but not be perceived as thin enough, struggling enough, etc., and will not be taken seriously nor gain access to the care they need because of that. In this week’s blog, Tara Criscuolo shares her personal experience of not feeling “sick enough.”

Our National Blog Manager Volunteer, Tara Criscuolo, talks about how tattoos have become an important practice of bodily autonomy, self-expression, and way of reclaiming her power from her eating disorder, parents, and society at large.

Thanksgiving and the December holidays can be a particularly difficult time for folks who are in recovery for an eating disorder. Tara Criscuolo provides 5 tips for how to survive food-centered gatherings.