Rise Up + Recover offers technological innovations in eating disorder recovery

As an eating disorder patient progresses along his or her path of recovery, he or she must utilize a large assortment of resources. Some of these tools include a daily check-in to evaluate their emotions, a food log to keep track of their meal plans, and a list of possible coping skills to resist any sudden urges. One useful app specifically designed for eating disorder patients, ‘Rise Up + Recover’ combines each of these resources, along with many other motivating factors.

Created by former eating disorder victim Jessica Raymond, the app works hand in hand with the Recovery Warriors website. The combined program reaches out to over 101 countries around the world, with a mission of “connecting treatment, technology and innovative design to eating disorder recovery.” Following the four principles of commitment, connection, courage and compassion, the program seeks to uncover the warrior within everyone.

The app itself contains four main categories, starting with the daily check-in form. The app asks the user to rate his or her emotions, list his or her actions (both beneficial and detrimental to his or her health), and evaluate drug usage. The user also has the option to export a series of his or her daily check-ins to a PDF for further organization.

Following the daily check-in, meal logs allow the user to track his or her daily meals and snacks. Unlike other meal plan apps, Rise Up + Recover does not track calories, a triggering part of most food-centered apps. For each meal, the user has the option of noting the time and place of the meal, with whom they ate it, their emotions throughout, and any urges or actions. Meal logs can also be exported to a PDF.

The most helpful parts of the app lie within the coping skills category. These suggestions allow the patient to resist urges through various techniques. Divided into five sections consisting of 911 Distress, Body Image, Journaling Prompts, Mindfulness, and Relationships, each coping skills category offers options for coping with urges. Journaling Prompts, for example, allows users to delve deeper into their disorder through written expression, while Body Image encourages exercises such as listing ten beautiful things about the world. The large assortment of coping skills offers solutions for patients of all levels of care.

The final tab of the app refers the user to various sections of the Recovery Warrior website. The website itself contains articles addressing topics from various stages of eating disorders, contacts for nearby help centers, and inspirational quotes. Differing from other eating disorder recovery programs, it also contains artistic methods of coping. Podcasts of yoga and meditation exercises provide structured activity while promoting self-love. Partnering with Spotify, Recovery Warrior currently offers five playlists covering different themes, such as “Warrior” and “Freedom”. 

Despite necessary updates to the relatively basic appearance, Rise Up + Recover remains one of the only apps specifically structured for those battling an eating disorder. Each page contains an inspirational quote that matches the bright, eccentric personality of the program as a whole. As Recovery Warrior continues to grow, patients from all over the world will experience a new innovation in eating disorder recovery.