But if you treat your body as if it were a fantasy, a balloon always colorful, intact and rising, you may  suffer severe disappointment when you body calls out its need for care. 

Eating Disorder Thinking

Eating disorder thinking tries to find loopholes in reality. For example, you try or actually believe that you can starve and have a healthy, pain free body. You believe that you can overeat certain foods or binge without gaining weight. You believe you can purge or over exercise with no medical repercussions. You believe you can act out your eating disorder and have the body of your dreams.

When your body responds realistically to the treatment you give it by becoming skeletal,  gaining weight, bleeding, getting sick, suffering weak or broken bones or worse, you feel betrayed. The reality is that your eating disorder thinking lied to you. If you are in the thick of your illness, you believe your body is betraying you. Your pretty balloons are falling.

Key to Recovery

Your mind can play tricks on you, but your body will always tell you the truth. Understanding that fact is fundamental to your eating disorder recovery.

1. Can you identify your mind tricks that rationalize your eating disorder behaviors?
2. What is going on when you are angry with your body response?
3. What can you change so that you can be kind to your body?

Helpful Links

Eating Disorder Paradox of Body Obsession and Body Denial