Background: In the early and mid 2000s, there was a noticeable trend among people with eating disorders pursuing tattoos of eating disorder recovery symbols. Our approach was informed by lived experiences with recovery, acknowledging the stigma of body modification in psychology, and witnessing several people who had pursued these tattoos losing their lives to their eating disorders. Our goal was to investigate whether there was a significant relationship between tattooing and eating disorder recovery.
Methods: In April 2021, two focus groups were held with a total of 9 participants. Of relevance, 89% (n=8) of participants were transgender or non-binary, 66% (n=6) were white, and 33% (n=3) were Latine. The focus group interview guide had questions across three themes: tattooing process, embodiment, and eating disorder symptomatology.
Results: The conversations organically calibrated towards themes connecting tattooing with embodiment, empowerment, increased gender euphoria, and decreased body dysmorphia. An overarching theme was tattooing as a therapeutic and transformative process, allowing for self-determination. Through thematic analysis, we identified nine themes: Tattooing Allowing for Gender Euphoria (tattooing as a disruptive mechanism, tattooing within community, tattooing as a gender-affirming act), Combating Internalized Messages Around Body (towards non-judgment, directing Narrative), Tattooing as Therapeutic Process (tattooing as process, vulnerability & visibility), Tattooing as an Act of Care, Tattooing as a Vehicle for Embodiment (access, physicality, body as home), Tattooing and Body Dysmorphia (reframing perspective, healing action, counter-narratives), Tattooing as a Commitment to Recovery (visual motivation, behavior shifts, tattoos evoking body trust, agency, armor, body liberation), Tattooing and Empowerment, and Body as Archive (memorial, resilience.)
Conclusions: Tattooing can serve as a meaningful adjunct to eating disorder recovery, improving well-being by reducing burden of disease while increasing well-being, meaning-making, and fulfillment. While not predictive of recovery trajectories, themes from this research demonstrate tattooing as a tool of resilience, connection, and empowerment. We recommend further research with larger samples and the integration of body modification as a potential asset when discussing often stigmatized psychological labeling.
