Hurting, frightened and courageous people come to my psychotherapy practice to find relief from emotional pain. They don't want to binge or starve or throw up any more. They don't want to be too big or too small, thinking that a perfect and beautiful body would end their suffering. They come to find support in their judgmental thinking about real and perceived abusers in their lives, now or in the past.

Self care wards off an eating disorder crash

The beginning of a new year is often a time of hope for the end of eating disorder symptoms. You want to start the new year fresh. Without considering needed self care you promise yourself that you won’t binge or purge or restrict in this bright new year. This will be your new beginning. Without regular self care to back up your promises to yourself you are in danger of a crash.

Stress can trigger anxiety. Anxiety can trigger a binge or period of restricting. An eating disorder gives you an immediate action  with an immediate consequence. When you step into recovery, patience and enduring commitment are necessary. Living with an active eating disorder is different from living within recovery mode. You learn to tolerate your discomfort. This is new. This requires a self care practice you can rely on.

The Blush of the NewYear Fades

In the first few weeks of the new year you discover promises don't insure instant Fast changes for the better

Fun to play with illusion and distortion when you are aware, disastrous if you believe the illusion.

When you stand on a scale or see the size of an outfit you are trying on your thoughts and feelings may go into free fall. You are happy, sad, angry, ashamed, depressed, despairing, powerful and superior or near emotional collapse.

You focus on your power to control your shape and size or your failure to do so. Your body is on your mind 24/7. Does it strike you that, despite your concern about your body, you do your best to ignore it?