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Recovering from an eating disorder? 3 ways other people can help

Struggling with an eating disorder? Good for you for fighting back! The first step to healing yourself is to realize that your disordered behavior needs to change. The second step is to find people you trust to help you achieve the change you need.

 

Sometimes it feels as though you can’t talk to anyone about what you’re thinking and feeling. But take heart, babe. There are always people out there who are ready and willing to assist you down the road to recovery. Start with this trio:

 

A good friend

Choose a chica who you’ve known for a while, a girl (or BGF) you can trust to keep your secrets and to simply listen to everything you need to get off your chest. Disordered eating usually comes about for emotional reasons, and as you make your way back through time to establish the cause of your current state, it’s helpful to be able to really talk to someone who won’t judge, won’t interject, won’t try to solve the problem. You need a listener.

 

Not ready to share? Grab a fresh journal and start writing down your thoughts. Do your best to make the transition from writing to speaking. If you’re still not comfortable talking about it, ask a friend, a mentor or a parent to read what you’ve written instead. This could help them understand what’s going on in your mind, too.

 

A nutritionist

Depriving your body of the food it needs to function can have devastating effects. You need to talk to a professional to figure out the best way to get your bod back on track, whether that means taking vitamin supplements, sticking to a strict diet or something else entirely.

 

A therapist

It’s easy to disregard therapy as a negative, but more people see therapists than you might think, and simply talking about your experiences with a professional can help you find connections between your thoughts and your actions. Disordered eating doesn’t just happen in the cafeteria or at the dinner table; it happens in your mind, too. Speaking with someone who doesn’t have an emotional tie to you, like your parents or your friends, can help you work through your problems without worrying about saying something offensive or making someone angry unintentionally. Therapy is a good think—and it’s time to start seeing it that way.

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by Brittany Taylor | 2/1/2016
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