What Recovery Looks Like When You Have an Eating Disorder

As I entered the homestretch of my treatment for an eating disorder, over 10 years ago, my therapist and I talked about how I’d navigate the real world and keep myself healthy once our therapy came to an end. “Healthy” for me meant eating regular meals, not starving myself or restricting food, and not making myself throw up, things I’d been doing on and off for most of my adult life. In treatment, I practiced new habits, challenged old beliefs, and yes, gained weight. I had been determined to ace my recovery (sadly, they do not give out grades), not fully appreciating that perfectionism and black-and-white thinking are traits shared by many people with eating disorders. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Now, I was done with therapy—in the sense that the prescribed course of behavioral treatment was complete, but also “done” in the sense that I was over it. Ready to get off this too-soft beige couch and re-enter the world as the New, Recovered Me. My eating disorder was in the past, and I sat at attention for every last bit of recovery wisdom. “If you feel yourself slipping, if you eat a meal and have the impulse to purge, take a moment,” my therapist offered. “Instead of throwing up, write in your journal or do a crossword.” Wait. What? I looked at her, sitting across from me, smiling kindly. Was she serious? I understood her larger point: Wait for the moment to pass. Feeling full made me panic. Thro...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized freelance health Source Type: news