Updated July 2026 · Reviewed for clarity
title: Contact Normal Life — Reach Our Mental Health Team description: Have questions about body image, eating disorders, or school programs? Contact the Normal Life team. We respond to every message from teens, parents, and educators. language: en-us geo: US
Normal Life is an information resource focused on mental health, body image, and eating disorder awareness for teens, families, and school communities across the United States. If you have a question, a story to share, or need guidance on finding support, this page explains how to reach us and what to expect when you do.
Who We Are and Why Contact Matters
Behind Normal Life is a team that works at the intersection of mental health education and real-world school programming. We are not a crisis hotline, a therapy practice, or a clinical provider, but we take every message seriously and route it to the right place. Whether you are a student trying to make sense of what you are feeling, a parent noticing warning signs, or a school counselor looking for curriculum resources, the contact process here is built around your actual situation, not a generic inbox.
What You Can Contact Us About
We receive messages across six core areas. Knowing which category fits your need helps us respond faster and more accurately.
| Topic | Who typically writes | What we can help with |
|---|---|---|
| Body image questions | Teens, young adults | Information, self-assessment tools, resource lists |
| Eating disorder awareness | Parents, caregivers | Early signs, how to start a conversation, professional referral guidance |
| Teen mental health | Students, school counselors | Content questions, peer support program info |
| School programs | Administrators, teachers | Curriculum details, program eligibility, scheduling a call |
| Recovery stories | Individuals in recovery | Submission guidelines, editorial process, anonymity options |
| Self-esteem resources | Any visitor | Recommended reading, research summaries, worksheet access |
If your situation does not fit neatly into one of these categories, write to us anyway. Unclear messages still get read.
Response Times by Request Type
Not every message gets the same turnaround. Here is what to expect realistically:
- General information requests: 2 to 3 business days
- School program inquiries: 3 to 5 business days, sometimes followed by a scheduled call
- Recovery story submissions: up to 10 business days for editorial review
- Media or research collaboration: 5 to 7 business days
- Urgent personal concern (not a crisis): same-day acknowledgment, substantive reply within 24 hours
If you are in crisis or need immediate help, do not use this contact form. Call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7 across the US) or text "NEDA" to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.
Before You Write: Frequently Missed Resources
A large portion of the messages we receive are questions already answered in detail elsewhere on the site. Checking these first saves time for both sides.
- The eating disorder awareness section covers warning signs for anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and ARFID, with statistics from the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) and current DSM-5-TR criteria.
- The body image library includes research-backed explanations of how social media exposure correlates with negative self-perception in adolescents, with data from studies published through 2024.
- The school resources section lists downloadable materials aligned with CASEL social-emotional learning standards, usable without prior contact or permission.
- Recovery stories are published on a rolling basis and include first-person accounts from individuals aged 14 to 34.
How to Write an Effective Message
Vague messages produce vague responses. These four elements make a message actionable:
- Your role: student, parent, teacher, counselor, researcher, journalist
- Your specific question or need: one sentence is enough
- Your location or school district: optional, but useful for program-related questions
- Any deadline: if you need information by a certain date, say so
Example of a weak message: "Hi, I want to know more about your programs."
Example of a useful message: "I am a high school counselor in Austin, Texas. We are looking for a semester-long body image curriculum for grades 9 and 10 and want to understand whether your school program materials are free to use or require licensing. We would need to make a decision by March."
The second version gets a specific answer. The first version gets a follow-up question.
For Parents: What to Say When You Are Worried
Parents often reach out because they have noticed something in their child but are not sure whether it is serious. Common signs that prompt contact include:
- Significant changes in eating habits or comments about food
- Increased anxiety around meals, social eating, or body-related topics
- Withdrawal from activities that used to be enjoyable
- Obsessive exercise routines that persist despite injury or illness
- Verbal expressions of body shame or comparisons to others
You do not need a diagnosis or a confirmed problem to write to us. Concern is enough. We can point you toward clinical screening tools used by pediatricians, explain the difference between disordered eating and a diagnosable eating disorder, and help you prepare for a conversation with your child's doctor or school counselor.
What we cannot do: provide clinical assessment, recommend a specific therapist by name, or serve as ongoing support. For therapist referrals, the NEDA treatment finder and Psychology Today's directory both allow filtering by specialty and insurance.
For Educators and School Administrators
Schools represent one of the highest-leverage points for early intervention in body image and eating disorder prevention. The research is consistent: universal school-based prevention programs can reduce risk factors for eating disorders in students as young as 11, with effects that persist for at least 12 months post-intervention (Stice et al., 2019).
If you are an educator or administrator, here is what you should know before contacting us:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Are materials free for schools? | Yes, existing downloadable resources are free. Custom program support may involve a collaboration agreement. |
| Is there a minimum school size? | No minimum, but program design varies for small rural schools versus large urban districts. |
| Do materials meet state standards? | Content aligns with CASEL and SAMHSA guidelines. State-specific alignment depends on your state's SEL framework. |
| Can we request a virtual presentation? | Yes, availability varies by term. Contact us with your proposed dates. |
| Is there training for counselors? | A self-guided counselor orientation module is in development for release in 2026. |
When writing, include your school name, grade levels, approximate student population, and what specifically you are trying to address: prevention, early identification, or curriculum integration.
For Researchers and Journalists
Normal Life works with researchers studying adolescent mental health, body image, and school-based intervention. We can facilitate access to anonymized reader survey data, connect journalists with individuals willing to share their recovery experiences (with consent), and provide background information grounded in peer-reviewed sources.
For research collaboration inquiries, include your institutional affiliation, IRB status if applicable, and a brief description of your project. For media requests, include your outlet, publication timeline, and the specific angle you are covering. We do not participate in content that sensationalizes eating disorders or uses before-and-after framing.
For People Sharing Their Recovery Story
Personal narratives are one of the most effective tools in eating disorder awareness. Published research, including a 2022 meta-analysis in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, found that first-person recovery narratives increase help-seeking intention among adolescents by a statistically significant margin compared to informational content alone.
If you want to share your story, here is what the editorial process looks like:
- Stories can be submitted as written text (500 to 1,500 words), audio recording, or a combination
- Anonymity is fully supported: you can use a pseudonym and we will not publish identifying details without explicit written approval
- You retain ownership of your story; we publish with a non-exclusive license
- Editorial review focuses on accuracy and responsible framing, not on rewriting your voice
- Stories involving active crisis are handled differently: we will reach out to discuss before any publication decision