Recovering from an eating disorder demands a significant investment of time, energy, and mental fortitude. Prioritizing this recovery is vital and should be recognized as such in both academic and professional environments.
Often, stepping back from responsibilities like school or work is necessary to accelerate healing and rediscover purpose. Post-recovery, individuals can engage more fully and effectively in their educational or professional pursuits.
However, it’s important to acknowledge the privilege inherent in being able to take time off for recovery. Not everyone can access treatment centers, financial means, supportive networks, or understanding employers. These factors can greatly facilitate the path to healing but aren’t available to all, posing additional challenges in seeking help.
For those who don’t have the privilege of taking time off, finding alternative methods to integrate recovery efforts into daily life is crucial. This could involve seeking online resources, community support groups, or working with healthcare providers to create a manageable treatment plan alongside daily responsibilities.
Remember, your eating disorder may downplay your need for recovery or convince you that you’re not “sick enough” to deserve a break. However, neglecting self-care can lead to declining professional and academic performance and deteriorating physical, mental, and emotional health. Society often emphasizes speed, success, and productivity, but it’s okay to prioritize your well-being over these demands.
For those able to take time off, guilt or shame shouldn’t marred this decision. Communicating with teachers, professors, and employers about your situation can help devise a temporary but effective plan. Delaying recovery can lead to prolonged disengagement and declining performance in both school and work, outweighing any short-term gains.
If you have the means to take time off for treatment, recognize this opportunity as a valuable and empowering choice. For those who can’t, exploring other avenues for recovery while balancing daily life is essential. Prioritize your health and well-being; recovery is a journey worth embarking on, regardless of your path.
Spring can bring a lot of social, academic, and professional pressures. These springtime pressures can mean new or worsening eating disorder symptoms. Eating disorders thrive where stress and expectations are high and daily routines are thrown out of balance. For a limited time, BALANCE is offering a 12-day Spring Break Program.
This 12-day program supports clients in setting up the foundation for lasting recovery, navigating high pressure within stressful seasons, reducing eating disorder thoughts and behaviors, learning immediate skills to curb and lessen the intensity of symptoms, and more. This program will allow you to access the skills you need to begin healing— without taking an extended leave of absence. Rolling admissions apply, so be sure to click here to learn more about this limited-time program.
Our admissions team would happily answer any questions about our programs and services or to learn about what eating disorder recovery might look like for you. Book a free discovery call with our admissions team below, or read more about our philosophy here.
This post was written by BALANCE Blog Contributor, Tori Barkosky (she/her).
Tori is a recent graduate of St. Catherine University, having earned a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Nutrition Science. Tori is passionate about all things related to intuitive eating, HAES, mental health, body respect, eating disorders, and disordered eating. She also geeks out on neuroscience and loves studying the brain and its anatomy. Tori currently works as a Mental Health Practitioner at an eating disorder clinic. Outside work, she enjoys practicing yoga, exploring nature, and drinking coffee.
