5 suggestions for where to begin when healing your relationship with food
If you are living with an eating disorder/disordered eating, knowing where to start on the journey towards healing your relationship to food can feel incredibly overwhelming. If you have made your way to this article, you may be deeply struggling in relationship with food and body. You may be feeling as though you are alone. You may recognize that you are in need of help, yet you may also be feeling very fearful of changing or reaching out for support. If this describes how you are feeling, I am so glad that you are here!
This blog post comes from the heart of an ED survivor, and a now compassionate Dietitian who works with individuals affected by eating disorders/disordered eating. I'd like to share some things that were helpful for me on my journey from a place of understanding and empathy for what feels like to battle an eating disorder.
I hope you find the ideas below supportive on your healing journey, wherever you may happen to be. I'd like to invite you to take from this article what feels most supportive to you, and to feel free to leave what does not resonate.
1. Seek support from a multi-disciplinary care team
No one should have to face an eating disorder alone. Having a multi-disciplinary care team who are there for you, and who are fighting your eating disorder with you can be incredibly supportive. While it is important to recognize that there are many barriers to receiving eating disorder care and treatment (such as finances, accessibility and more) it is also incredibly important to acknowledge that there are many options available for eating disorder care.
A first step may be to discover the options that are available in your community and to research the pros and cons of each of the options. You should seek support that feels authentic to you and your needs (for example: seeking a care provider that is a good fit for you and that you feel comfortable with) In some communities, foundations are available that offer financial support for individuals who are seeking eating disorder care and who are in financial need. There are a number of virtual peer support groups, books, podcasts, alternative therapies (such as yoga, equine or art therapy to name a few) and apps such as Recovery Record that may also be supportive on your journey. If you identify as BIPOC or 2SLGBTQ+, seeking support from a provider who is affirming and informed is essential. Seeking professionals who are "HAES Aligned" and "Trauma Informed" may also be supportive.
2. Accept that healing your relationship with food is a journey
It is common for individuals affected by an eating disorder to feel a sense of ambivalence, overwhelm and fear when contemplating what it might be like to heal their relationship with food and body. These are incredibly powerful emotions that are difficult to work through and it's important to allow yourself time and compassion in order to work through them. Healing your relationship with food is a journey that is taken day by day, plate by plate and bite by bite.
3. Allow yourself to explore the idea that eating and making peace with food is a part of healing
One of the most difficult things about healing your relationship with food is that the thing you need the most (food) is also the thing your fear the most. If you are struggling with a restrictive eating disorder, such as anorexia for example, food is the medicine that is going to allow your brain and body to become re-nourished. This is essential because as the brain and body becomes re-nourished, it allows for you to have the energy and mental capacity that is needed to face your eating disorder. A malnourished brain has a much more difficult time making decisions about food that are supportive for recovery. If you are able, seek support from a Dietitian who specializes in eating disorders/disordered eating. Depending on your circumstances, a meal plan or structured way of eating (also known as mechanical eating) may be a supportive tool for you to rely on in the beginning stages of healing. The need to eat/make peace with food as a part of healing is transdiagnostic. If you are struggling with bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder, establishing a regular eating pattern in which you provide your body with enough food to meet it's biological needs and eating meals/snacks often enough is important and a key step in reducing the frequency/severity of binge eating and/or purging episodes.
4. Acknowledge the foods that you fear most
If you have been experiencing an eating disorder for some time, you may be used to viewing food through the lens of your eating disorder. This can leave you with a distorted view of food. It may be helpful to journal about your fear foods to get your thoughts/feelings out on paper; this can be done with the support of a professional. You may not know why you feel fearful of certain foods and this may be an area that you will need a lot of support with- and that's okay! A Dietitian can support you through the process of reintroducing foods into your diet that you currently fear and to help you begin to view foods differently. A Psychologist can further support you in exploring the emotions that reintroducing fear foods may bring up.
5. Take small uncomfortable steps over and over again
Healing your relationship with food will require you to take steps that may feel uncomfortable at first. You will likely need to do the opposite of what the eating disorder is telling you to do and this can feel really scary! Healing in relationship to food and body is a non-linear experience. Be open to reaching outside of your comfort zone by taking small steps to approach your fears. Acknowledge that you are doing really hard/new/scary/different things and you are really brave for being willing to try. As always, keep your support network (whatever that may be for you) close.
Helpful Resources:
Explore the options for peer support groups that are available. Peer support groups can be such a wonderful addition to your treatment plan because you get to be with a group of individuals who are experiencing the same challenges that you are. If you live here in Calgary, https://edsna.ca/ and https://www.silverliningsfoundation.ca/ have many options for support groups that you can inquire about.
Visit https://lionheartfoundation.ca/application-for-subsidy-support/ for options for financial subsidies for families/adolescents/young adults (ages 8-28) seeking treatment for anxiety related mental health conditions (including eating disorders)
See the “Resources” tab of this website for some suggestions for eating disorder care in Calgary. including psychologists who specialize in eating disorder treatment.
Visit the National Eating Disorder Information Center at https://nedic.ca/ for more information, resources, referrals and support.