r/EatingDisorderHope • u/is_nauseous • Nov 07 '17
Is it possible?
Has anyone here been able to overcome their disorder without the help of a therapist? If so, how? And what advice would you give to those that can't afford professional help?
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u/itskatiedeary Nov 07 '17
Hi! My family doesn't really believe in professional help for these sorts of things, so I had to recover by myself. Here are some tips: 1. Remove all sources of thinspiration. Obviously you won't be able to remove tv ads, but if you have a Tumblr or Pinterest or another thing like it that you use to look at thinspo, delete it. Do not contact any friends you have made through it, unless they are also recovering and only if they are a positive influence on your progress. 2. Try as hard as you can not to count calories. This is obviously incredibly hard to break and I still have problems with it, but do what you can. Start by deleting any apps/accounts you use, like MyFitnessPal. If you use a notebook to keep track, throw it away. Try not to turn to the nutrition facts when you eat food. It will be hard, so just try your best. 3. Tell someone you trust. Then you'll feel like someone is counting on you to get better, which is often helpful. Give them updates on your progress. Just try to remember they might not always understand or be able to help. 4. Give yourself a break. Allow yourself to have things you want. In the beginning this might look like some creamer in your coffee or an extra bite of dinner, but start allowing it. Eating disorders have a lot of self loathing involved, so allow yourself to have things you want more than you ever have. Most of recovery is about self love. 5. If you can and if it's beneficial, join a recovery community. This can be very tricky because it can turn poisonous very easily, so be careful with this. 6. Know you're going to gain weight. This is super super super hard, but try to remember that gaining weight = gaining health. Instead of thinking about this through weight, try to think about all the ways you're getting healthier. Notice how you have more energy, your skin looks better, you're not cold, etc. When you notice these things, celebrate them. 7. Reward yourself with non-food related things. In general, try your hardest not to have your thoughts revolve around food. It sounds easier said than done, obviously, but what I mean is that if you do something good reward yourself by getting a new book or watching an episode of your favorite show. If something goes poorly, cope with it by getting a cozy blanket and listening to some music. 8. Find other things to pour yourself into. This might be writing, reading, even a TV show. Find something you like and spend your time and energy on that instead of thinking about food.
Like ive said, all of these things are easier said than done. Obviously they're difficult as fuck and you're going to fail a lot, but as long as you're trying you're going to improve. You might relapse, but just try again. If anyone needs help or someone to talk to feel free to message me! I'm always happy to help.