Struggling with an eating disorder can take its toll on a person’s health and well-being. When you finally take that step toward healing, it poses an altogether new challenge to face. There are nuances to each person that makes them different, and not every journey will look the same. If you or someone close to you is just starting on that road to recovery, these pointers may help guide you along the way.
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Seek out support
First, don’t be afraid to open up and share with someone or a core group that you trust. These are the baby steps to allowing yourself to be freed from the chains that are binding you. From there, look for support and treatment centers that can take action to help you get better without causing more harm than good.
There are plenty of centers specifically founded to help those with eating disorders. Encompassing binge-eating, bulimia, and anorexia, recovery plans are made available to those who want to have a guided system to follow and to make sure that they are taken care of during this process.
The mental and physical hurdles may be hard to jump over, especially if you end up taking part in a long-term program in their care. However, research has shown that patients who are supported by their family even when they are suffering from their mental health feel more motivated and can continue their recovery process.
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Don’t beat yourself up.
All too often, so much negativity gets built up within, and it can become self-destructive if you let it take over. Most people who have an eating disorder have a poor perception of themselves and tend to overcriticize. Don’t claim negative things, and remember that you are worth this process.
Beating yourself up will not help you move forward and get better. Make sure you think of something good about yourself every day, and don’t be so harsh on yourself when it comes to your progress. It doesn’t have to be the fastest race to the end, and if you don’t hit deadlines or markers you’ve set, don’t look at it as a failure. Bumps along the way are to be expected, so just be patient with the treatment and yourself.
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Steer clear of negativity
As important as it is to defeat your own inner demons, it’s also essential to shun those toxic factors on the outside. The environment you put yourself in should be one of support and love so that you can feel a greater sense of yourself even when times are hard. A lot of the triggers that contribute to developed eating disorders are bred from external negativity and toxicity.
Studies have shown that stress factors are one of the biggest issues that cause people to develop compulsive feeding behaviors that are harmful to themselves. Stress can do a lot to hinder you and your path to progress, so make sure you are doing what is best for you and heed only the words of those who genuinely love and support you.
Recovery does not need to be impossible, and living your life well only takes one step forward to start.
