Recovery from an Eating Disorder
I created this resource because recovery from an eating disorder can feel hopeful, frightening, exhausting and confusing all at the same time.
Recovery is different for everybody. For some people eating-disorder thoughts eventually become rare or disappear. For others they may occasionally return but no longer control behaviour or dominate everyday life. What matters is that your world becomes bigger and the eating disorder becomes smaller.
The guide looks at the early stages of recovery, accepting professional support, nourishing the body, understanding the eating-disorder voice, learning other ways to cope with emotion, rebuilding trust in yourself, body image, relationships and what to do when recovery feels as though it has gone backwards.
I have included the difficult middle of recovery because setbacks are so often interpreted as failure. They are not. A setback can tell us that stress has increased, routines have changed, nourishment has slipped, a trigger has appeared or more support is needed. You can return to recovery without punishing yourself for struggling.
The resource also looks beyond symptoms. Recovery should make more room for your relationships, interests, work, study, humour, creativity, rest, independence and future. You are not recovering simply to become better at recovery. You are recovering so that you can have more of your life back.
At the end there is a My Recovery Check-In page. It is not a scorecard. It gives you somewhere to notice what feels easier, what is difficult, which eating-disorder thought is loudest, what support you need and one small next step.
My message to you is that you do not need to recover perfectly. Sometimes recovery is simply telling the truth, accepting nourishment, resting instead of compensating, asking somebody to sit with you, or coming back after a difficult week. Those moments count.
Warmly, Maggie
This resource is educational and supportive and does not replace medical, dietetic or specialist eating-disorder treatment.
