Eating disorder recovery is sensitive in the early months. Triggers about body, weight, appearance, food, and diet, are everywhere because they are normalized parts of culture. For the culture of recovery, it is important to be sensitive in the beginning months.
Comments On Appearance
Eating disorders aren’t about appearances. Eating disorders are manifested through an obsession with appearance. Being in recovery from an eating disorder means actively working to be at peace with the body and in acceptance of the body at every stage. Comments on appearance can be triggering to those insecure thoughts and obsessions.
- You look great
- You look healthy
These kinds of comments are meant to be supportive, but indicate a greater cultural misunderstanding about body and body image. Telling someone they look great and healthy in recovery is essentially telling someone they didn’t look great before recovery. For most people this isn’t a problem. For those with an eating disorder where there is a focus on body image, it can trigger thoughts of self-esteem and self-identity which is deeply enmeshed with physical appearance.
Comments On Weight
Weight is often a number for control in those recovering from eating disorders. Reaching a certain size or a certain number, or, on the contrary, avoiding looking at weight, is part of the disorder. It is normalized in culture to comment on someone else’s weight. Those in eating disorder recovery are working hard to make an obsession or preoccupation with weight not part of their normal culture.
- You’ve lost weight
- You’ve gained weight
Comments On Food
Food and eating are also popular topics. Food is a shareable topic today, something that is trendy to discuss. Unfortunately, so is dieting. This is another example where those in eating disorder recovery are trying to denormalized their obsession with food, as well as what triggers them about consuming food. As a result, they are challenged when people comment on their food choices and their methods of eating. It takes time to acclimate to eating food, creating a healthy diet that isn’t restrictive, and eating in a way that is helpful.
- You don’t eat enough
- You eat too much
- You should count calories
We want to help you bring eating disorder recovery home. Hired Power offers recovery planning services to help you and your family focus on healing through every step of the journey. From intervention to personal recovery assistants, our dynamic family of experienced recovery professionals is here to help you. Call us today for information: 714-559-3919
