How to Recover From an Eating Disorder

Eating disorders have plagued humanity for longer than one would like to remember. In Rome, people would binge and purge so they could go back and continue to feast on the delicacies prepared. Hearing of this practice in history class, primed my subconscious for the moment I made a conscious decision to try this ritual as a temporary means to get back to what I believed to be my ideal weight.

Engaging in this unhealthy method to reset my weight may have stunted my growth. I am the shortest girl out of four, with my mother at 5 foot 11. My three sister’s heights range from 5 foot 5 ½ to 5 foot 8. Oh well, I guess I’ll never know the truth, but the reality is, I’m stuck with being 5 foot 3 ½.

The tragedy of any person with an eating disorder who attempts to cheat fate by not trusting in a higher power to guide their life is that they end up sabotaging their health. Because of poor self-control, their life ends up going down a path of self-destruction. With any addiction, there is a price to pay.
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When you have an eating disorder, there is more to be concerned about than what most people would know about. With bulimia, ox hunger can result, which can cause a person to experience hunger similar to that of a concentration camp victim. In addition to this self-induced starvation, hair, skin elasticity, and muscle loss are just a few other issues that can occur. 

Having an eating disorder is not just about the need for self-control.
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There are many who might be quick to judge people caught in the throes of an eating disorder as selfish. For example, it is easy to see how some might perceive binging and purging as greedy behavior.

If you grew up in a family with a bulimic, you experienced firsthand what can happen and how his or her actions made you feel. Oftentimes, unintentionally, the bulimic consumes more than their fair share, compromising the future needs of the household. When this happens, family members can be angered at what they deduce as selfishness on the part of the bulimic for not considering the needs of others. The family may begin to resent the bulimic when he or she takes more than his or her fair share. This can cause the bulimic to feel separate, alone, embarrassed, and highly motivated to demonstrate secretive behavior to hide a voracious appetite.

With an incessant urge to eat unapologetically, the bulimic attempts to use food as means to find comfort, numb pain, and forget about problems. The low self-esteem, lack of self-worth, and reduced self-confidence that results makes it difficult and really impossible for the bulimic to live to his or her full potential. 

In the first stages of bulimia, the bulimic feels in control, having discovered a tool to remold his or her life. However, what is being felt is artificial and short-lived confidence that is doomed to backfire and cease to exist when his or her health deteriorates.

Some people try to manipulate and navigate their serial impulses by eating at certain times of the day and binging and purging at the opposite times to assure an intake of nutrition. An individual who does this is deceiving him or herself as it can take several days to create certain vitamins within the digestive system. If you eliminate food prior to the creation of essential vitamins needed for the brain, hormones, endocrine health, etc., you cheat yourself of the mental clarity needed to think clearly and to feel happy.

When depressed, it becomes more difficult to believe good behavior will lead to the relief of pain. Immediate gratification becomes the perfect band aide to ease pain and to distract the bulimic from doing what needs to be done to heal.

Anorexia is similar to bulimia in that the anorexic is attempting to control his or her life by limiting their food intake. The anorexic refuses to eat in an effort to maintain a body weight they believe will attract a better life with people who will accept and support them. The reduction of hunger that results, contributes to the body wasting away, leading to muscle loss and more. Individuals with anorexia fail to see just how thin they are.

One day I met a woman in a lady’s room. From the back, I thought she was an old woman. I was shocked when she turned around to reveal the face of a young woman. She was skin and bones with loose hanging skin. She was getting ready to go for a run. I wanted to say something to let her know what I was seeing. I couldn’t bring myself to say what needed to be said for fear of hurting her feelings.

Oftentimes, a poor body image can prevent an individual from having the courage to connect with others. To an individual such as this, maintaining an eating disorder is providing the hope that one day it will improve his or her appearance. Instead of improving their situation, an eating disorder will only make matters worse.

Irrational fears feed behaviors that keep people caught in a cycle of addiction that wears away the self-confidence needed to heal. Once this cycle has commenced, it is difficult to believe change is possible. The immediate gratification received contributes to the perpetuation of a downward spiral.

​Once stuck in the negative whirlwind that temporarily eases pain, it becomes important to get some kind of support to find a way out of the hole the individual has found him or herself in. 

With help, individuals can retrain their brains to gain the ability to redirect the course of their lives. Without guidance, it is challenging to develop healthy, loving relationships. Without the emotional support of significant others, success in the different areas of wellness becomes more difficult to obtain. Fear of ending up alone without love can paralyze even the best intentions.

An individual that has weakened his or her immune system becomes more vulnerable to the lure of maintaining the eating disorder.  To heal, it is essential to attain a belief in a higher power to assist in making better choices that will result in love energy building to heal in mind, body, and spirit.

Sometimes you just need to trust that all is in Divine right order and eat healthy foods to transform every cell in your body, regardless if you gain a little extra weight. Combine good choices with consistent exercise and you have a recipe for success with a solid foundation to build upon.

To be receptive to help is extremely difficult when you lack faith in your ability to change your situation. This attitude can perpetuate negative habits and make matters worse. Without a healthy optimistic vision for your future, hope of any kind dissipates and encourages you to go down the lonely road of insecurity and doubt that also sabotages any hope of creating healthy relationships.
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To reverse the troubling world that out-pictures in your reality takes some soul searching and motivation to assert one’s self toward the steps needed to learn how to retrain your brain to formulate new healthy habits.

Real success comes when you commit to being your personal best! To do that, rise to the occasion and discover your why that motivates you to heal, and to shine brightly.

What is your higher purpose? Once you know it, you become empowered to take action. Next, release what you hope to get and look for what you can give. When you do this, it helps you heal as your mind is redirected to focus on being part of the solution rather than part of the problem. In service, as a giver, you come from a place of wholeness and resonate this to others who in turn begin to respect and honor the person you have chosen to be. The integrity you have chosen to emulate helps others to do the same.

As a role model you teach through good example and build a promising future for all, especially yourself. Your self-esteem improves and you feel good in your own skin. People like and begin to love you when they can trust you. By living an authentic life of integrity, you inspire others to do the same. But most of all you feel good, and learn that if you continue this good behavior, positive benefits will be reaped, with health and happiness as the main by products.

Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Sometimes in your mind you know what to do, but your body may float to the most comforting habit. Resist the urge to flow toward the old and begin a new by making change stick one step at a time. When you do this, you ingrain positive habits into the fabric of your memory making them easier to repeat effortlessly. Another helpful hint is to focus on what you are grateful for. Doing this redirects your attention to what is right, rather than what is wrong, relieving anxiety. Less energy is wasted on the things you can no longer do anything about. As a result, your energy is up-leveled and expands to help you to live more creatively in a joyous state of mind.

Forgive yourself for any so-called mistakes, then make better choices to improve your life. Remember the positive emotions you feel from your small successes and ingrain these feeling into your subconscious. Recall the good feelings when you are tempted to worry to neutralize the anxiety and fear that follows. Recognize your achievements and reward yourself with something meaningful to encourage a repeat performance.
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If you don’t feel happy yet, don’t give up, especially if you exhibit yoyo behavior. Give yourself a chance to formulate good habits that stick. When you do this, your life will transform and your body will heal. Your life will take on new meaning and you will be motivated to feel the pain until your self-esteem and confidence blossom. When this happens, you will reap a healthy self-worth that warrants the motivation to take care of yourself.

When you feel pain, it pushes you to do something about it. If you cover it up with immediate gratification, you feel temporarily comforted, but in the end, your body weakens. You age needlessly and your self-confidence lessons, resulting in less joy and satisfaction in your life.

So choose life to be all that you can be. Have courage to trust and allow God to take the reins, to steer you towards the creation of a life that is healthy and balanced in every way. Yes, surrender to a higher power, and allow The Divine to raise your vibration as you embody integrity in every dimension of creativity. Feel this power, as you become a better version of yourself. With faith, you can move mountains to experience a rebirth of your potential and the healing of your energy body. Love yourself and accept your flaws, then celebrate all the good you have been blessed to receive.

Will you choose to be reborn into a better version of yourself, and if so, what steps will you take to realize your goals?

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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Love and blessings to all! Choose life now!