A false sense of stability is one of Anorexia’s defining qualities. Life becomes an unchanging and isolated routine of exercise, inadequate meals, and hunger.
In a world that seems ever more overwhelming in its complexities, the simplicity of such a restricted way of life can offer comfort of a kind, even if all Anorexia’s obsessive rituals are really the exhausting opposite of simplicity.
That’s why, as the title of this post suggests, we need to get uncomfortable with the false sense of comfort Anorexia brings.
How can we make progress in loosening Anorexia’s grip?
- Refuse to listen to the rules the cruel illness tries to impose on you. There are no ‘safe’ foods, no foods that are off limits, no ‘fear foods.’ If reading this, you’re thinking; ‘no, she’s wrong. I have a ‘fear food’ list as long as my arm’, I urge you to remember that not every thought is fact. How do I know? Because in the depths of my Anorexia, despite my perception that consuming a single chocolate bar would make me go up several dress sizes, I can confidently say that after eating considerably more than a single chocolate bar, that has not happened. This is all the proof you need to see Anorexia for exactly what it is- a liar.
- Release some of the control you’re clinging to, and see for yourself that nothing bad will happen for doing this. Only good things will come to you, unlike remaining in the safety net of Anorexia that will drag you down, causing you to drown despite its promise of safety.
- Think about all of the good that will come from recovery. Exercise and food (or, I should say, a lack of), might be your trusted routine right now, but it doesn’t always have to be this way. You have the power to change your life, right now. It might feel like you’re stepping on to a 1cm wide piece of wood precariously positioned above a deep fire pit, but this feeling is just that, a feeling. And, as we’ve already established, feelings are not facts. Just close your eyes and trust the process. Know that far greater things lay ahead than anything that you will leave behind.
So, are you ready to get uncomfortable with feeling comfortable and create a life free from Anorexia?
Your life is waiting for you, right on the other side of fear. Be brave enough to take that first step, just one foot in front of the other. You won’t regret it, I promise you.
You won’t regret choosing recovery.
You won’t regret choosing life.
You’ve got this x
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