My Chain of Recovery
From all my cognitive behavioral therapy, experience and learning I have built self-confidence and gained empowerment by thinking this:
“It’s ok to be you. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else and trust your own decisions.
You don’t need approval from anyone else on how to live your life!”
It is important for us to accept with multiple diagnoses that one negatively impacts the other. From personal experience, I don’t believe the sole responsibility of resolution lies in us. We must listen, try and want to get well, but ultimately we need a strong, trusted, network of support – we cannot do this alone.
Eating disorders are complex and our learnt web of destructive behaviour must be unwound very carefully, introducing small changes and taking one day at a time. It’s time we stop the negative stigmatizing language such as ‘attention seeking’ and offer reassurance and confidence building instead of criticizing self-image and unknowingly triggering more of the punishing love/hate relationship with food.
There is so much support out there and I got through the difficult journey of recovery. It opened a can of worms in my head and I spouted childhood issues as well as my current life battles, but it was worth every trauma, difficulty and painful discussion because I am now in full recovery.
Of course I battle thoughts, but I have learnt through CBT how to manage them because:
“I am in control and I have taken the eating disorder’s power away. It tries to taunt me in my difficult times but it means nothing. I tell it to stop and I tell it go away.”
I make decisions on what I eat and I have built a life where my purpose is not having desperation to ‘feel’ good through weight, diet and exercise but through being a sister, auntie, daughter, friend, loving writing, campaigning in mental health, creativity, listening to music and understanding that life will always be better where I am now because simply, I’m not trapped anymore.
I have control, self-worth and feel of value and those are the most motivating factors in the world to stay well and keep on the recovery track.
My last point is this. An eating disorder is a diagnosable mental health illness and does need specialist professional help. Please request this through your doctor.
Treatment is assessed on a case by case basis but for me, CBT was life-saving and I use the therapy every single day to manage any negative thoughts.
