When it comes to eating disorders, healing looks different for everyone. When a person says that they are healed from their disorder, that might not necessarily mean the absence of it.
Being healed might simply mean having more power over the eating disorder voice than you did when the eating disorder was full blown. Maybe for you being healed means that ED has gone from standing behind you whispering in your ear when you are eating to just being that annoying person sitting beside you that you can easily ignore.
The cool thing about recovery is that it is not black or white. There is a huge grey area and that is where all the authenticity is at.
Here are 5 things you can do that will help combat ED. He will probably tell you that you do not have permission to do any of these things…but we are still going to do them anyways. ; )
- Throw away your scale (if you still have not done that, give it to a friend for a little bit, put it up in your attic or somewhere where you have to go out of your way to get it etc. just do your best to get it away from you). Weight. Means. Nothing.
- Cut out tags in your clothes (We both know you are looking at the sizes when you are putting on your clothes…) We find clothes that fit our body, not change our body to fit into clothes.
- Buy a black sharpie (To mark out all of the nutrition info on all your food. When you bring food home from the store I want you to go get your black sharpie and mark over all the nutrition labels.) No. Food. Rules.
- Buy Some sticky notes (To put in your refrigerator and cupboards. For instance, if ED tells you carbs are of the devil, you might write: “I’m going to eat my favorite pizza this week because carbs help my brain function properly, and carbs are good! Carbs are not the enemy!
- Buy a journal (To make a gratitude list. Every night I want you to write down 3 things you are grateful for. It might simply be: “I’m grateful that I was able to eat that pizza tonight. This is the first time in months I was able to truly eat pizza without Ed ruining the experience for me.”
I hope these things help you.
Remember, recovery is a journey…not a destination.
Be Fervently Driven
-Amie Hope
