Factors that Make Recovery Harder

It is a radical act to fight for your recovery from an eating disorder while being a person living in this world. The world is fatphobic and size discrimination is still widely acceptable. As you go through your recovery, you can lose sight of just how difficult it is. This blog is meant to provide you with validation, support, and acknowledgement. If you are ready for more- feel free to reach out to me for your free consultation!  Here are a few ways society makes recovery even harder:

1.)   Having your eating disorder even acknowledged to warrant recovery.

 In the revised DSM-5, a diagnosis of anorexia no longer requires a person to be in less than the 85th percentile of weight,  but it still requires a person to have “a significant low body weight in the context of the age, sex, developmental trajectory, and physical health (less than minimally normal/expected).

This reinforces that old, terrible story that your pain is only legitimate if you are thin. A person can be restricting daily, obsessing about calories, and living in absolute terror of gaining weight- but if they haven’t lost a significant amount of weight- their pain is not seen.

If people dealing with anorexia in larger bodies believe the medical model, they would not even be considering treatment- let alone recovery- because their habits are perfectly fine given their body weight.  

2.)   Recovery in a Larger Body

Given that the world pathologizes larger bodies, it is particularly difficult to heal from your eating disorder if, in recovery your body gains life sustaining weight, and society no longer deems your body size acceptable. 

Most people have internalized fat phobia, and this can significant hinder recovery. Unfortunately, a person in recovery in a larger body is dealing with internalized fatphobia and externalized fat phobia.

Potentially, this person could go to the doctor’s office and be told to lose weight for “health reasons.” This presents unique difficulties for people in larger bodies who are trying to learn to trust themselves and their bodies.

 3.)   Social Media

 For many of us, we can’t simply get off social media. We can put limits and safeguards in place to prevent over usage, but for many, it is a necessary evil we must learn how to manage. Even with the best limits in place, social media can be a landmine in recovery.

Every season change, no matter what, weight loss is marketed. We can be bombarded with images of people in smaller bodies promising us all sorts of seductive things. Or, I don’t know about you, but this fall I’ve seen so many ads pop up about cleanses. I found myself getting caught up in this marketing ploy because it was marketed as an Ayurveda cleanse. It’s sneaky and clever.

4.)   Medical Providers’ General Lack of Knowledge about Eating Disorder

 Another factor that makes recovery difficult is when providers say they are eating disorder informed- but they aren’t. If you seek out a dietician, primary care doctor, therapist, psychiatrist, etc. you are trusting them in your recovery.  Unfortunately, these providers who believe they are knowledgeable about eating disorders, but aren’t, can do all sorts of damage.

 You might be in recovery and be told by your psychiatrist that a great way to improve energy is to intermittent fast (it isn’t!). You might be told that you should moderate your sweets intake because that sugar could really be impacting your mood (it’s more nuanced than this!). Your dietician might want to help you lose weight- but in a healthy way (there is no healthy way!).

These are all very problematic interventions for a person with a history of an eating disorder, not only because they could potentially challenge a person’s recovery, but because it also reinforces the idea that you can’t trust yourself and your body.

5.)   Getting Praise for a Relapse

 Have you ever experienced a relapse and then someone compliments you on your weight loss and how great you look? This can be particularly damaging to your recovery- especially if it’s someone you care about who is aware of your eating disorder. It only reinforces the idea that you are better when you are smaller.

 It is beyond me why people think they can comment on another person’s body. Many people are so unaware that they don’t even realize they are giving you a heaping portion of their own baggage when they do something like this.

 Recovery Difficulties

 Recovering from an eating disorder requires daily effort and focus. It will bring up all the specific issues you struggle and grapple with. It’s a journey into your own mind that can horrify and work against you. That’s no exaggeration. Eating Disorder Recover is HARD.

 Unfortunately, it’s made even harder by the external pressures none of us can avoid. I am hoping this blog will remind all of you who are fighting the good fight, that there’s a good reason you’re exhausted and want to give up. There’s validity behind your sense that this is an uphill battle. You are correct when you say people don’t understand you.

And yet, this fight is worth it and there is a community out here that does get you.