Silence your Eating Disorder
You deserve to be happy
WHAT CAUSES AN EATING DISORDER
There is no single reason as to why an eating disorder emerges. While they often occur in response to identifiable stressors and traumatic life events, this isn’t always the case. There are a variety of sociological, cultural, and environmental elements that come into play. Eating disorders also do not discriminate and develop across all walks of life. One thing in common is the internal torment that they can create.
AM I EXPERIENCING AN EATING DISORDER?
The presence of heightened stress, anxiety, or depression can leave us feeling overwhelmed and out of control. It also makes us more vulnerable to critical thoughts about our appearance and self-worth. For many, diligent attention to food and weight offers comfort.
The symptoms of an eating disorder (i.e., restricting, purging, binge eating, and/or over exercising) often develop as a means of fulfilling a need (e.g., control, reduce anxiety, numb pain, self-punishment).
Regardless of the need, learning healthy coping strategies can help to replace harmful habits and reduce your reliance on them.
I DON’T THINK IT’S THAT COMPLICATED FOR ME. I JUST WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT AND BE SKINNY.
If this was just about food and weight, then you wouldn’t be restricting, purging, bingeing, and/or over-exercising at the expense of your health. You wouldn’t be fearful about the fat and sugar in ice cream, or feel like punishing yourself after eating a slice of pizza. You wouldn’t be avoiding your reflection or constantly pinching your thighs to check their size. Any extreme measure taken to lose weight means there is a deeper issue than simply embracing a healthy lifestyle. Figuring out the factors tied to fear, guilt, and self-punishment can help you change your way of thinking. Working with an eating disorder therapist can help you gain a better understanding of these issues, and help you learn ways to overcome them in the healthiest way possible.
WHAT IF I GAIN WEIGHT AND HATE MY BODY AFTER RECOVERING FROM MY EATING DISORDER?
Recovery from an eating disorder requires you to make positive life changes that benefit your overall health and wellbeing. Your weight will naturally stabilize when you begin to listen to your hunger, exercise in ways that are enjoyable to you, and take care of your body. I can’t think of a single person who is overweight or unhealthy who actively takes care of themselves.
WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT THERAPY FOR MY EATING DISORDER?
Getting treatment for your eating disorder does not make the issues that brought you in for therapy magically disappear. The stressors will still be there. The diet and fitness social media posts will still show up in your news feed. Any commentary from friends and loved ones regarding your portion sizes and your weight may still come up. Your eating disorder was filling in to try and help you manage these stressors, so handling them on your own will definitely take some time and work. But the skills you can learn throughout therapy will help prepare you to manage these stressors and reduce the likelihood that your symptoms will return.
That’s not to say that relapses won’t happen. Recovery isn’t a linear process, and sometimes stress causes us to revert to old behaviors. You will have hard days where the food police, perfectionist thoughts, and the prospect of failing are going to get the best of you. There are no perfect people, and relapses are an opportunity to learn from our mistakes. Attending online therapy with an eating disorder therapist can provide you with the support that you need to navigate these bumps in the road.
BEGIN THERAPY AND BEGIN THE PROCESS OF HEALING
You don’t have to suffer any longer. Online Counseling can help you to silence your eating disorder, and help you to enjoy your life again. I would love to speak with you today about how to get started! Contact me here to schedule a 15-minute phone consultation or to schedule your first appointment with me. We can work together to learn healthier ways to cope today!
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