Our Pillars of Recovery
Our goals
01
Empathy
We want to show people wrestling with an eating disorder that we understand what they're going through. We want to commiserate with our fellow sufferers and let them know that they are not alone, and that everyone's journey looks different, no matter what your body type, recovery timeline, gender, age, or anything else.
02
Art and Sports -- A Therapeutic Strategy
Art, as a recovery mechanism, should not be dismissed. We want to not only encourage kids to participate in making art -- of any caliber -- but we also want to send kids art pieces that we have procured on their behalf. We want them to find comfort, as we did, in knowing that there are people they don't even know who are thinking of them and making things for them. And then on the sports front, we have an open invite to anyone at any stage of recovery whose goal is to improve their physical fitness, perseverance, and confidence. We want them to join us at a local sports performance facility for strength training events, sand and pool workouts, yoga sessions, and more, because fitness, whether casual or intense, can be therapeutic, as long as there are positive mindsets and correct fueling before and after!
03
Financial Assistance
After all the knowledge we have gained during our own recovery, we are determined to utilize our experiences to help others. One empirical form of this knowledge is the unfortunate reality that some eating disorder patients actually have insurance, but are denied therapy anyway. Therefore, the contributions we obtain during fundraising efforts go toward providing financial assistance to disadvantaged kids who lack either resources or insurance, or both, for in-person or telehealth therapy and treatment.
Take it from us -- Art is an incredibly therapeutic aspect of recovery, no matter if you're looking at it or making it. And so one aspect of our approach involves the production and collection of art, or really, any form of creativity. We are accomplishing this in two ways. First, at monthly Domani-sponsored production sessions -- which are attended by friends, colleagues, and even volunteers -- new art is born. And secondly, we are in the process of acquiring appropriately themed pieces from local artists and institutions. Every art piece we obtain, from either source, is then approved by Domani's founder, Lexi Lawin, to ensure there are no triggering words or content, as well as no references to anything political, religious, or containing food. The entirety of this two-pronged effort is sent to eating disorder recovery facilities in the Chicago Metro and then distributed by counselors and therapists to patients under their care in order to help soothe the minds of kids currently undergoing treatment.
As you may notice in the imagery within, positive messaging is inherent in some of the visuals themselves without the need for copy. In other pieces, there are supportive notes and inspirational verses that accompany the visuals. We leave all that to the artists themselves with no direction whatsoever.
As an addendum, in the near future, we want to provide our teen volunteers with the ability to receive community service hours for contributing their time and creativity to these art production sessions
The mind
The body
For many of us, it was over-exercising, in conjunction with restricting, that did the most self-harm. We know that the body cannot live without the mind, or vice versa. We also know from experience that a big part of this taxing uphill battle was improving our physical health. As a result, we place a lot of our focus on physical fitness done right, educating kids, and especially their friends and families, that exercise, depending on the person, can be incredibly valuable. But, we insist that if done, it must be at the correct time of your recovery and only when approved by your physician. Too early, and the downside is monumental. But after physician recommendation and approval, reform and rehab can change how physical activity can be a part of your life, if you want it to be.
You can call this whole endeavor 'physical therapy', but not in the traditional sense. To help not just kids but also their support groups, we have a collaboration with a well-known Chicago sports performance training facility, and together we are hosting fundraisers in the form of physical activities like strength training events, sand and pool workouts, yoga sessions, and more. These activities are attended by a diverse group that includes all genders, races, age groups, and ethnic makeups, with many of us being current or former high school, college, and pro athletes. What we all have in common is that each one of us has been personally touched by an eating disorder -- either ourselves or by someone we love.
Occasionally, sponsors, benefactors, philanthropists, and friends of friends will drop by for a workout or simply to lend a helping financial hand. In general, besides using a tiny amount of the donations we receive to finance any necessary administrative costs, all funds raised are donated to fund eating disorder treatments. Specifically, contributions provide financial assistance to disadvantaged kids who lack resources or insurance for in-person or telehealth therapy and treatment.