Eating disorders are complex, serious mental health disorders that can be stubborn and difficult to treat. As a fully recovered eating disorder psychologist I remember trying many different treatments with little to no success. I began to lose hope and doubt myself that I would ever fully recover. Working with clients in my eating disorder clinic in Sydney I have come to realise that many of them had similar experiences and feelings to me during my recovery.
Success of eating disorder treatment is extremely varied with some studies finding that only 46% of anorexia sufferers will fully recover, with 33% showing some improvement and 20% remain chronically ill. Another worrying fact is that over 70% of those who suffer with eating disorders will not seek treatment due to stigma, misconceptions, lack of education, diagnosis and access to care (Beat eating disorders).
Over the course of my own recovery and work with clients as an eating disorder psychologist, I have come to observe 5 common mistakes which can hold people back from full recovery and may be reinforcing their eating disorders.
Mistake 1.
Feeling scared to reach out through fear of judgment and that nobody understands. So, you hide your issues and become more isolated from your friends and family.
Eating disorders can be very difficult to understand if you haven’t had personal experience. There still seems to be a stigma attached to them and a fear of admitting that you have a problem and need help. Often loved ones and family members do not know how to deal with the sufferer and can display emotions such as frustration and anger as they just can’t understand why the person would continue to punish themselves.
This is where having full, consistent and ongoing support from an outsider; an eating disorder psychologist or health professional who specialises in treating eating disorders and understands the challenges often faced in recovery. There is no judgment, no frustration or anger and they can provide the necessary support where family and loved ones can’t.
Mistake 2.
You start doubting yourself and lose hope that you will ever be able to fully recover. You then find yourself quickly losing motivation and giving in more easily to your eating disorder.
There are many different routes to eating disorder recovery and no one-size fits all. Your eating disorder is unique to you and what may work for others may not work for you. If you have tried one treatment approach or one eating disorder psychologist and have not found it helpful or effective, this does not mean you won’t recover. You might just need a different approach or therapist.
Mistake 3.
Feeling like you have no control over your eating disorder so you continue to feel stuck in the cycle and feeling worse and worse about yourself.
Over time thoughts, feelings and behaviors around food become programmed in your subconscious mind and have become associated with a whole list of environments, situations, people and places. This means that it may feel like your eating disorder just takes over automatically and so impulsively that they have no control. Working with a specialist such as an eating disorder psychologist who can help you resolve what may be keeping you stuck in your eating disorder and build skills so to take back control is extremely important for recovery.
Mistake 4.
Believing that your Eating Disorder is a disease and that you will always suffer. You feel broken and hopeless
As a fully recovered eating disorder psychologist I have not only experience but have helped many of my clients achieve full recovery. Believing that you will always be at the mercy of your eating disorder will only destroy any last bit of strength, power or motivation to make changes. You are not broken, nor ‘unfixable’ and just need to find the right treatment approach and support which suits you and your needs.
Mistake 5.
Believing that, in recovery you have to change their eating habits and focus on diet first, so you are forced to pay more attention to food. This can feel like your eating disorder becomes even more consuming.
Some treatment approaches look at addressing the food issues and the behaviour first. However, some find that trying to change their behaviour without resolving what is driving that behaviour keeps them stuck. This is when you can feel like you are in a battle with yourselves, with one part of you wanting to change and another part trying to sabotage your progress. This can feel long and tiring. A multi-disciplinary approach to eating disorder recovery which targets your psychology, eating behaviours and environment is often recommended and used across eating disorder treatment.
As a fully recovered eating disorder psychologist, I wanted to share these common beliefs and behaviours with you to give you hope that, even if you can relate to some of these mistakes you can still achieve full recovery. You are not broken, you just may not have had the right treatment and support to assist you in making the changes you deserve. If you think you have an eating disorder it is important to seek help as soon as possible. If you are interested in taking that next step and are ready to speak with an eating disorder psychologist in Sydney please get in contact with Hannah Myall, who has also fully recovered from an eating disorder and has since spent the last decade helping individuals and families work towards eating disorder recovery.
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