Love is different for each of us, and people can celebrate love in all forms. However, love can feel inaccessible and isolating if you or someone you care about struggles with food and body distress. So it is essential to communicate affection in a way that promotes and supports lasting recovery.
Eating disorders are not restricted to only affecting one’s relationship with food. For anyone who has a significant other with an eating disorder, you may notice your partner’s illness creating obstacles within your relationship. The reality is that eating disorders overwhelm almost every aspect of one’s life, including relationships with people around them.
In February, Valentine's Day is an opportunity to celebrate love. Healthy relationships, both romantic and platonic, consist of supporting another person through the good and bad times and being supported by them. However, when the person you are in a relationship with is struggling with or recovering from an eating disorder, you may wonder how to help support them throughout the healing process.
Valentine’s Day is associated with love, romance, and an occasional giant teddy bear. While the idea of the holiday is about feeling an abundance of love and sharing that with others, it can often be a challenging and lonely day, especially in recovery from an eating disorder.
It is no secret that holidays can be stressful if you are struggling with or recovering from an eating disorder. From parties to potlucks, this sort of anxiety is not exclusive to holidays. Social gatherings for sporting events can be just as tricky.
Food can often be an easy excuse to socialize or go out on a date. However, a meal out can bring incredible stress and discomfort for those struggling with an eating disorder. Being able to suggest other activities when making plans not only limits the discomfort for the person struggling but also allows you both to share nuanced experiences.
When people discuss navigating body image, you usually see tips about the summertime when the weather warms, the sun comes out, and fewer clothes are worn. However, body image is not something to navigate once a year; rather, it ebbs and flows through time and needs to be managed year-round on an “as needed” basis.
The months between January and March become filled with cold, chilly weather. However, winter may bring about seasonal affective disorder for those recovering from an eating disorder.
While it is no secret that eating disorders and food or body distress have an immense negative impact on your physical body, they also significantly impact your brain and thought patterns. In the recovery process, it is essential to take back your thoughts and reestablish a positive self-talk practice.
Have you ever been unhappy with your appearance and decided to go ‘on’ a diet? Perhaps at first, you feel really good about this decision. You cut out certain food groups and start to lose weight. Eventually, you miss the foods you are no longer ‘allowed’ to eat and decide to eat them. Once you’ve broken the seal, you choose to go ‘off’ the diet and eat what you want, maybe even more than you want. You are filled with guilt for ‘failing.’ Sound familiar? If so, you may have been trapped in the diet cycle.
