Eating disorders can have profound physical, mental, and emotional consequences for those affected. The journey to recovery involves relearning to trust yourself, your intuition, and significant people in your life, such as your therapy team, friends, and family. This process can be a complex challenge but is crucial to lasting recovery from your eating disorder.
By: Tori Barkosky
While there is no answer to “fix” all the emotional turmoil someone pursuing recovery may experience, here are three strategies designed to foster curiosity and openness. These tips will guide you in the challenging but rewarding process of regaining trust in yourself and others.
Understand Your Eating Disorder as a Parasitic, Not Mutualistic, Relationship
In biology, we encounter different types of symbiotic relationships between species, such as mutualism and parasitism. To spare you from boring details so it does not feel like you are reading from a biology textbook, mutualism is a close association in which both species benefit. In contrast, one species benefits and harms the other in a close association known as parasitism.
While your relationship with your eating disorder may feel mutualistic, it is actually parasitic. In simpler terms, the disorder feeds on your well-being but provides no benefits to you. By realizing this toxic dynamic, you can start questioning the illusory ‘trust’ your eating disorder seems to offer, paving the way towards trusting your true self again.
Cultivate Curiosity and Openness to New Experiences
Embrace curiosity and be willing to step beyond your comfort zone. You can discover a new perspective on life by breaking away from your regular routines and challenging behaviors related to your eating disorder. This exploration helps you understand who and what deserves your trust and can help liberate you from the shackles of your eating disorder. To regain confidence in yourself and others, it’s essential to experience life beyond the restrictive practices that bind you to your disorder.
Trust in Your Treatment Team’s Expertise and Intentions
Eating disorders may trick you into believing they hold ultimate knowledge and control but are not rooted in educated or reliable information. Instead, your treatment team, equipped with research-based knowledge and professional training, provides trustworthy guidance in your recovery journey. Place your trust in evidence-based practices and the expertise of your care team, not in the deceptive half-truths peddled by your eating disorder.
Eating disorders can shatter trust in countless ways. As you scrutinize the facts and foster curiosity, you’ll understand the inherent deceitfulness of your disorder. However, those who genuinely deserve your trust, such as your treatment team, loved ones, and, importantly, yourself, will always acknowledge your inherent worth. Remember, in your journey toward eating disorder recovery, you are more than enough as you are.
Let this summer be the first of many without your eating disorder, robbing you of the fun, freedom, and memories you could have. Schedule a call with BALANCE’s admission team to learn more about accessing our Day Program this summer. This summer with BALANCE, reduce eating disorder thoughts and behaviors, gain tools to navigate all the pressures the summer months bring, foster community with specialized groups, get the support you deserve, and more. Learn more about our summer programming here.
Our admissions team would be happy to answer any questions you may have about our programs and services. Book a free consultation 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 currently a senior at St. Catherine University, pursuing 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 desires to become a holistic therapist or psychologist in the future and work with clients with eating disorders and help them recover and heal their broken relationship with food and body and find liberation from diet culture. Outside of classes and work, Tori enjoys yoga, being in nature, and consuming too much coffee.
