Reasons to Recover from an Eating Disorder
This post is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual medical advice from a trained healthcare professional.
Can you recover from an eating disorder?
Short answer: Yes, you can recover from your eating disorder.
Recovery looks different for everyone, though. I can’t guarantee how much you will recover. You might end up “fully recovered,” or you might be “in recovery” for the rest of your life. Being in recovery can still be an enormous life improvement over never recovering at all.
Sometimes people permanently stop engaging in eating disorder behaviors. They might experience body image struggles, though. Eating disorder thoughts might continue to occur frequently, rarely, or not at all.
Sometimes eating disorder thoughts don’t reappear for a long time. Triggering situations can occur after you think you've fully recovered. For example, working with a doctor might lead to triggering conversations about weight. This could happen months or years after thinking you’ve recovered.
But, even if you relapse later in life, you may have already learned how to deal with it. Also, many people are able to recover without ever relapsing.
That said, relapse is a very normal part of recovery. If you’re getting help from an eating disorder specialist, preparing for relapse can be part of the work you do.
I also can’t overstate this next point. Whether you’ve relapsed once or a hundred times, that doesn’t mean that you will never recover. Every time you bounce back from a relapse, you practice your skills and learn something new.
What happens when recovering from an eating disorder?
Eating disorder recovery isn’t easy. If you’re in recovery, you’re challenging yourself every day. It’s a commitment, and it takes work, but it’s worth it. Here are some general things you can expect to work on:
Changing your food-related behaviors. This could mean ending a cycle of restricting, purging, or binge eating. You might have friends or family who think this is the only part of recovery. You might also think that it just takes willpower. But you probably need to work on the other steps mentioned below, to make the results stick.
Challenging your food-related beliefs. Changing both behaviors and beliefs often involves working with an eating disorder-informed dietitian. You might learn concepts about nutrition which contradict what you've heard before. It can take time and a lot of open-mindedness to look at food through a different lens.
Developing coping skills for anxiety and other unpleasant feelings. Eating disorders are usually coping mechanisms in and of themselves. They’re harmful coping mechanisms, but they still might give you a sense of control. They also frequently co-occur with substance abuse. Recovery usually involves finding healthier ways to cope with a loss of control.
Building a sense of self-worth. This can especially be true if you have a negative body image. You can become more accepting of your appearance over time. You can also work to find self-esteem through characteristics other than appearance.
Does all this sound incredibly difficult? If so, you’re not alone. But the results of your hard work can be invaluable, if not lifesaving.
Reasons to recover from an eating disorder
As mentioned above, recovery looks different for different people. You might have different reasons to recover than someone else. Still, there are some common reasons that might make sense to you:
Recovery can save your life. Eating disorders are the deadliest of all mental health conditions. This is due to both their physical and mental symptoms.
Eating disorders aren’t sustainable. You may think you’ve found a way to restrict your food without damaging your health. Unfortunately, your health may be deteriorating without you knowing it. You might also only be able to use your eating disorder to cope during normal conditions. But what about when life is particularly stressful, or even when you leave home to go on vacation?
Your eating disorder isn’t giving you the control you want. Manipulating food and exercise might help you feel like you have control in your life. But can you control your eating disorder itself? Can you choose to change your behaviors whenever you want, or is it not that easy?
Recovery can expand your comfort zone. Even if you’ve found a way to cope with life from day to day, are you enjoying new experiences? Do you shop for new clothes or spend time with friends? If not, that might be because your eating disorder is leading you to make your life smaller.
The skills you learn in recovery are universal. In my practice, I use skill-based therapies like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. These therapy approaches are not designed specifically for eating disorder recovery. They can help you learn life skills like distress tolerance and emotional regulation.
You deserve to be happy. This reason might be tough for some people to accept. But living forever with an eating disorder can be absolutely miserable. I don’t think anyone deserves that. If you have trouble thinking you deserve to be happy, you may want to discuss this with a therapist.
How to recover from an eating disorder
As I mentioned above, recovery looks different for everyone. If you’re new to recovery or aren’t sure if you have an eating disorder, here are some steps you might consider taking. I usually recommend following these steps in the order listed below.
At any point, if you have severe medical concerns, visit your local emergency room or call 911. You may have trouble finding available eating disorder treatment centers and outpatient providers. Immediate medical care may be necessary to save your life.
Talk to your doctor. They can examine your vital signs and also make recommendations for specific treatment.
Get an eating disorder assessment. Many eating disorder treatment centers offer free assessments over the phone. Once the assessment is complete, they can help you understand your eating disorder. They can also recommend a level of care for your treatment. For instance, if you are in urgent medical need, they might recommend residential care. They might also suggest less intensive levels of care. The National Eating Disorders Association can help you find a local treatment center.
Establish an outpatient treatment team. This step is for when a doctor or treatment center recommends outpatient treatment. You should probably start with at least weekly appointments. A typical treatment team includes a psychotherapist, dietitian, and primary care physician. A psychiatrist may also be helpful. Again, NEDA is a great way to find eating disorder clinicians. I also strongly recommend working with Health at Every Size-aligned providers if possible.
Get educated. At any point in your recovery, informational resources are available. Books, podcasts, and even recovery-focused social media can help you to learn at your own pace.
I can help you find Seattle-based providers and resources for eating disorder recovery. I also may be able to work with you as a counselor. Feel free to contact me and schedule a free phone consultation to see if we’re a good fit.