I’m All Better Now: Moving Through My Accidental Eating Disorder
Memoir
by Tari Johnson
What began as a quest to solve persistent digestive issues morphed into a battle of body and mind as the experiment evolved into a raging eating disorder that went much deeper than body image issues.
The resulting drive to achieve the elusive standard of “clean” eating and burn away every calorie consumed eventually became the entirety of Tari’s existence. She hovered between life and death, shrouded in the distorted perceptions of a malnourished mind.
Her grip on sanity was tested when she found herself trapped inside the walls of Unnamed Treatment Center where she alternated between black-outs and forced singing, which led her to face far more than the numbers on a scale.
In Tari’s unique voice, her story unfolds with unflinching transparency, irreverence, and a bit of a wink as she acknowledges the absurdity in the dark side of her experience.
In this raw and courageous memoir about anorexia, orthorexia, and body dysmorphia, Tari’s journey reveals her experience with:
- The dark side of recovery and treatment centers
- The life-absorbing roller coaster of living with and fighting an eating disorder
- The resilience of the human spirit
- The hope and inspiration that comes from believing in your own capacity for healing and transformation
I’m All Better Now disrupts common thoughts and assumptions about eating disorders and the standard treatment of them through brutally honest storytelling, observation, and reflection.
Laced with sarcastic humor, Tari’s unique voice give readers a fresh view into the reality of what it means to lose oneself completely and the will to survive and transform.
REVIEW
5 out of 5
I wasn’t expecting to relate to Tari as much as I did, or smile and giggle that much, either. Disclaimer – I have struggled with various eating disorders and disordered eating issues for more than half my life. With that said, I knew going in that reading this was risky, but in the end it was totally worth it. I loved her wit and humor when it came to facing down everything that came with it, and I deeply appreciate just how hard it can be to open up about something like this. It’s not something I often see outside a few support groups I’m a part of, and I realize those who haven’t dealt with something similar may not fully understand just how dark things can get, and how humor really can help you survive the darkest times. The thing I most took away from this, though, is that I need to start pushing back towards recovery again, instead of the quasi-recovery I’ve been stumbling through. If nothing else, this is a reminder you aren’t going through this alone.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tari Johnson is a multifaceted creative force based in Minneapolis. By day, she assumes the role of a professional creative director, but by night, she transforms into an unapologetic, unprofessional creative maker.
The increasing intensity of her lifelong digestive issues eventually developed into a raging eating disorder which led to a variety of maddeningly unhelpful and traumatizing treatment situations. Discovering her experience wasn’t uncommon fueled a desire to disrupt the conversations around the topic, bring awareness to misconceptions, and shed light on potentially dangerous treatments.
Her book, I’m All Better Now: Moving through My Accidental Eating Disorder, does just that with unflinching transparency and dark humor.