Finding the Motivation to Recover
Eating disorder recovery is a transformative journey whereby significant personal growth is acquired. Recovery requires an incredible amount of physical and mental stamina in order to maintain the motivation necessary to persevere through the treatment process. Whether you are a naturally motivated person or tend to rely on the encouragement of others, anyone can recover from an eating disorder.
by: Megan Madsen
Motivation is an important component of eating disorder recovery. Many individuals with eating disorders often dissociate from their identity and, as a result, undergo a gradual decline in motivation. Eating disorders consume one’s sense of self and sever all connections to the world outside of the illness. This loss of identity induces a severe lack of motivation for recovery, as the eating disorder is often perceived as the only characteristic that defines these individuals. The mere thought of living in a body that is devoid of an eating disorder becomes a seemly unobtainable fantasy for those in recovery. Fostering motivation both internally and externally can help shift an attitude of despair to a mindset of hope and healing.
Motivation does not remain in a constant state of impulsion or dissuasion; it is, however, comparable to the ebbing and flowing of the tide. At certain times of day, the tide rolls high on the shoreline and progressively recedes toward the ocean as the day persists. Similarly, motivation ebbs and flows over the course of the day. You may experience a surge of motivation on particular days or at certain times, and then encounter feelings of apathy or discouragement in other situations.
Nobody is ever completely drained of motivation, but there may be times in which motivation drops to a lower level. When motivation begins to diminish, there is nothing wrong with simply going through the motions of recovery until your motivation has been recharged. “Fake it ‘til you make it,” if you will. Doing something is certainly more beneficial than doing nothing at all.
Motivation originates from various sources, both from within yourself and from outward influences. Motivation that emerges from your own faculties is called intrinsic motivation, while motivation that comes from a source outside of yourself is called extrinsic motivation. Both types of motivation have key roles that serve different purposes throughout the recovery process.
Intrinsic motivation is all about you and your desires. This type of motivation elicits a sense of personal satisfaction, as your decisions and behaviors are based solely on what you want and not on the advice of others. Intrinsic motivation means the difference between being earnestly committed to carrying out your treatment plan, and simply showing up for programming because your treatment team told you to. You are actively engaged because it is your recovery. You are proactive in reaching out for help instead of waiting for someone to touch base with you. You take your treatment personally because recovery is what you want.
In situations where your intrinsic motivation is especially low, take a few moments to remind yourself that your eating disorder is the bad guy. Think about all of the experiences in the past that you missed out on because of your eating disorder; all of the trips, foods, games, and adventures that you avoided in behalf of your illness. Use these memories to fuel your motivation to recover from your eating disorder and redefine your future!
In order to maintain a lasting recovery, your primary motivation to recover should ultimately come from your innate desire to heal. However, reliance upon external motivators - or extrinsic motivation - may give you the incentive that you need to overcome the difficult parts of recovery. Extrinsic motivation involves doing something for the sake of receiving a particular reward or avoiding a punishment. In terms of eating disorder recovery, recovering is the “something” that is done in order to reap the benefits of living a life free of disordered behaviors, or avoiding the consequences of continuing in the eating disorder. Being able to eat without fear, accepting your body and feeling comfortable in your skin, enjoying time with loved ones instead of obsessing over your body and food, etc. are the kinds of incentives that one may attain from a full recovery.
To channel your extrinsic motivation, write out a list of aspirations, dreams, and goals that you wish to achieve in your life. These objectives may pertain to relationships, education, spirituality, mental health, life experiences, etc. Your list may look similar to this:
Travel to New Zealand
Get a college degree
Fully recover from your eating disorder
Own a house
Watch the sunset on a beach
Get married
Learn how to play an instrument
Teach English in a foreign country
Reflect on this list of external motivators when the prospect of recovering seems far from reach. Your desire to fulfill these ambitions may give you enough stamina to rekindle your motivation.
Just as the tide continuously rises and withdraws along the shore, the time in which you experience a strong sense of motivation may be brief. Do not take these moments for granted! If you are not currently in recovery for an eating disorder, use this motivation to seek treatment now. Even if you are nervous or uncertain at the thought of beginning treatment, it is much easier to start on the path to recovery immediately rather than continuously waiting while your eating disorder worsens. Take the first step toward recovery today!
This post was written by BALANCE Marketing Assistant, Megan Madsen.
Megan is currently working toward receiving her B.S. in Psychology. She is a Certified Nursing Assistant with a passion for eating disorder research and education. Megan has worked as a CNA on several units in a hospital setting and as a Psych Tech at an eating disorder treatment center. It was there that she discovered her passion for helping those afflicted with eating disorders and where her desire for educating patients and the community on eating disorders and mental illnesses began. In the future, she hopes to work as a Clinical Psychologist with a focus on eating disorder treatment.