Important Reminders While in Eating Disorder Treatment
It is incredibly important to set healthy expectations for yourself during all stages of recovery. No matter how long you have been in recovery there are certain reminders that get lost along the way. Why is this? Recovering from an eating disorder can take a long time… it is all too common that someone enters into recovery and gets frustrated by the time it is taking to feel better. The mind is no different than the body. We don’t expect our bodies to heal overnight when we break a bone, why should our relationship with food and with our body be any different?
Eating Disorder Treatment Reminders:
As a result, I write this piece as a gentle reminder to those in recovery and to those thinking about starting recovery. Recovery from an eating disorder is not always easy but there is peace on the other side of it.
Recovery is slow and nonlinear - recovering from an eating disorder takes time! Unlike substance abuse, you cannot get rid of your relationship with food, rather you have to redefine your relationship with it. It can take time feeling comfortable experimenting with new foods and new amounts. Recovery is also nonlinear. There are so many ups and downs. Each down is a lapse that teaches you something different about yourself. Without a lapse, you cannot grow because there will not be an understanding of what things need to change in order to feel better. Give yourself time and space to make mistakes and learn from them. It is part of the process. When you learn what things work and don’t work you can develop skills around them so that you know how to respond next time that it happens
Sometimes, it gets harder before it gets easier - as you may already well know, it can feel complicated when making the decision to pursue recovery. People often feel like their mind is sending them conflicting messages about it… is it safer to stay where I am or risk letting go and feeling better on the other side? These thoughts of confusion can feel conflicting when you challenge old behaviors and ways of thinking. With the support of an eating disorder therapist you can receive the direction that you need to softly make the appropriate changes in your life. Those changes support a more fulfilling, present, and vibrant life.
There are going to be moments when you question yourself - as I mentioned before, eating disorder recovery often sends the mind conflicting messages. When the old ways of thinking, feeling, and eating are loud in the mind, you might hear yourself questioning your recovery. These thoughts will pass as most thoughts do. If you find this happening more often than you would like, seek the support of a therapist that can introduce mindfulness and emotional regulation skills to help soothe any distressing times.
Again, I write this piece as a gentle reminder to those in recovery or thinking about going into recovery. You are not alone! Seek the support of a clinician with experience working with eating disorders. Most importantly, you deserve to live a more joyful life! You deserve way more than being consumed by thoughts of food and body image.
I don’t know if I am ready to begin eating disorder treatment
No one is ever 100% ready to do this work. I would say that if you have made it to this page and certain parts have resonated with you, that is enough of a reason to reach out. You do not need to be alone in this work and the help of another individual can support you in navigating the conflicting thoughts and feelings regarding your recovery.
Reach out for support with eating disorder treatment
If you are interested in seeking support I would love to work with you towards reaching your goals and redefining the relationship that you have with your body. If you are interested in learning more about how I work with body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating through eating disorder treatment or how I utilize online therapy I encourage you to read more.
If you are interested in setting up a free 20 minute consultation please reach out!
-Ellie