I would recommend that anyone who is going through a tough time tries to write things down. I have always struggled to talk about my feelings, therefore having an outlet to express myself was, and still is, incredibly freeing. My blog which I created for free here on WordPress, is the platform I use to write down my thoughts and feelings. This is public for the world to see, because I find that it keeps me accountable and committed to my recovery. Blogs can, however, be set to ‘private’ so that they can only be viewed by the writer, or by people who have been given a password to access it. This provides the benefits of releasing your feelings, whilst maintaining your confidentiality.
Alongside Blogging, another creative activity, Scrapbooking, has also been a vital part of my recovery. My Scrapbook incorporates several motivational prompts such as ‘reasons to recover’ and ‘letters to my body.’ This really gets you thinking about what a life without an eating disorder could look like. Try to think about your long-term plans. Do you want children? Because if you do, remaining trapped in the cycle of disordered eating will deny you of that opportunity- it will deny you of a whole life. What career do you want? An eating disorder will only hinder your goals.
I have always struggled to relax, so having ‘distraction techniques’ such as blogging and scrapbooking, as mentioned above, is really helpful in managing unhelpful urges.
The biggest help for me, however, was the loosening of control. This was a real ‘turning point’ that set me on my road to recovery. I would recommend that anyone struggling with food allows someone else to cook their meals, because otherwise the eating disorder ‘voice’ will be in control, causing the sufferer to restrict. Unfortunately, eating disorders thrive on control, therefore it is often incredibly difficult to loosen your grip on that control. If you already do have your meals cooked by someone else, try to resist the temptation to enter the kitchen at meal times, as this is just another form of control. Remind yourself of what you want, not what the eating disorder wants, but you. You want to be well. Your eating disorder, however, only wants one outcome- for you to be dead.
It’s also important, if you struggle with over-exercising, that where possible you do not exercise alone, even if this means joining a sports club. Obviously, the ideal situation would be one in which you stop exercising whilst you recover, but if that is not a feasible option, having other people present to monitor your training levels would be extremely beneficial.
I really hope that you will soon able to ‘see the light’ and realise your own reasons to recover. Please feel free to get in touch via my email address, lisafouweather@hotmail.co.uk, should you need any more advice. I am always here for everyone, whether you’re seeking book recommendations, or even just looking for a welcoming ear to listen, and understand, what you’re going through.
Best wishes,
Lisa
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