Navigating Eating Disorder Recovery and Being A Student Simultaneously
Balancing school and life is difficult for almost every student. But in recovery from an eating disorder, dealing with the added stressors of academia can make coping in recovery feel impossible. Recovery is not a part-time commitment; being in recovery means that you must persevere through stressful situations to reach a place where you are mentally and physically fully recovered.
By: Samreen Khan
Going to school every day can make it easier to socialize in high school. However, once those around you have different schedules and jobs in college, you may be more susceptible to isolating yourself. As a new college student, the added stressor of entering a new environment without your old friends can also make it difficult not to isolate. Although isolation can feel like an old friend, eating disorders will thrive in it. Staying in touch with friends and family can help ensure you have a strong support system in place as well as a way to step back from the stress of school and relax.
Make sure to maintain a regular eating schedule. It can be tempting to push aside eating when you’re busy studying, working, or participating in other activities. Saying you’re “too busy” or “don’t have time” to eat can feel like second nature, especially if you were accustomed to using these excuses while struggling with your eating disorder. Your academics should not be prioritized over your health. One way to ensure that you do not skip meals for these reasons is to plan out your snacks and meals ahead of time so that it takes less preparation time when you are ready to eat. Whether it means creating a timed, weekly meal plan with the help of your team or staying in tune with your body and intuitively eating throughout the day, do not give in to your eating disorder by pushing aside food for later.
A vast majority of academic settings are highly competitive. It can be challenging to step back into this competitive environment and stop comparing themselves to their peers. But it is important to remember that you are worthy regardless of how you perform academically. Just as the number on the scale or the nutrition label on a bag of chips doesn’t define who you are, the number in your grade book does not determine your worth as a person. Learning to separate your self-worth from numbers in eating disorder recovery can help you reconcile this outlook with different parts of your life, including school.
Many students create 504 plans to accommodate their academic journey in a more personalized way. A 504 plan allows you to receive the support you need from your school and can enable you to ensure that you can meet your goals without having to choose between school and recovery. When you are in treatment, your school will work with you to accommodate your needs.
Do not be afraid to reach out for help. Needing extra support is not something to be ashamed of, and asking for help is a courageous and admirable step to take. School counselors can be a helpful resource when students begin to feel overwhelmed. In addition, there are many treatment opportunities available specifically for high school and college students where you will be able to receive the assistance you deserve and need.
For a limited time only, BALANCE eating disorder treatment center™ now offers a two-week virtual spring intensive program for students! Our 12-day treatment program is specifically designed for students and allows clients to access the necessary skills to begin healing now without taking extended time off from school. BALANCE admissions therapists are happy to support you in coordinating treatment with your school during our expertly coordinated admissions intake process. Click here to learn more about our spring break program.
This post was written by BALANCE Blog Contributor, Samreen Khan (she/her/he/him).
Samreen is a senior high school student with an ardent drive to de-stigmatize mental illness and eating disorders. Born and raised in the Bay Area, she experienced the harmful effects of “fitspo” culture firsthand for most of her childhood. Throughout her own recovery journey, she became passionate about deconstructing diet culture and raising awareness about eating disorders in her everyday life. Samreen began extending her own ideology of intuitive eating and body neutrality to others by publishing her own writing online when she was fourteen, and has since received several awards for her prose and poetry. She has conducted research on the biological and evolutionary implications of familial mental illness, and is currently taking college-level Sociology and Psychology courses with hopes to delve further into the social and cultural constructs that bolster disordered eating, especially within marginalized communities. She’s grateful for the opportunity to combine two of her strongest passions — writing and mental health — by working with BALANCE!