Trigger warning: this piece discusses themes of eating disorders.
Do you ever hear a voice in your head telling you the things you can and cannot eat? Yeah, me too.
From my experience (and probably many others), it tells me there’s not much of a problem, and there are other people who are worse.
Here’s what I’ve come to realise: There is NO such thing as not being ‘sick enough.’ You are sick already! It’s already bad.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve never been hospitalised.
It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been engaging in ED behaviours for long.
It doesn’t matter if you haven’t reached your goal weight.
Your. Experience. Is. Valid. Okay?
Want to try and get better? Here are a few recommendations on ways to start challenging that voice.
Talk to someone you love and trust. It can be a family member, a friend, a teacher, or just whoever you feel most comfortable with. They should be able to provide some sort of support, whether that be them talking to you or helping you find someone who can.
Another recommendation is if you have social media. Find some body positive accounts. There are some really good accounts of people in ED recovery who share the reality of what bodies look like. I’ve personally found that some of them even help give me that little boost to eat something!
I also suggest that when trying to eat more, you start with small amounts. This can be done by increasing the amount of snacks you have or adding an extra meal/a meal into your day.
It’s gonna be scary, trust me, I completely understand!
You should try and write out some goals for your future. What are your dreams? Where can you see yourself?
You are stronger than this voice in your head! You can fight against it.
I believe in you.
Keep fighting,
You’ve got this!
All my love,
-Zara