Anorexia- how do you know when you're fully recovered??!
Question: I am currently recovering from anorexia and am slowly starting to put on weight. I'm attending cognitive behavioural therapy and outpatient treatment at the hospital.
My family are offering me lots of support and I'm allowed to start doing a bit of light exercise now which is great. Despite all this, I don't feel one inch closer to recovery. I hate how everyone thinks I'm magically "better", but the only difference now is that I'm not as skeletal looking as before.
Does anyone know what it is like to be fully recovered and how you know that you are? I still am feeling really depressed and have a distorted body image. Can you ever "fully" recover and enjoy life again without anorexia controlling your life?
Thanks for your answers, I'm new here by the way =]
Answers: I am currently recovering from anorexia and am slowly starting to put on weight. I'm attending cognitive behavioural therapy and outpatient treatment at the hospital.
My family are offering me lots of support and I'm allowed to start doing a bit of light exercise now which is great. Despite all this, I don't feel one inch closer to recovery. I hate how everyone thinks I'm magically "better", but the only difference now is that I'm not as skeletal looking as before.
Does anyone know what it is like to be fully recovered and how you know that you are? I still am feeling really depressed and have a distorted body image. Can you ever "fully" recover and enjoy life again without anorexia controlling your life?
Thanks for your answers, I'm new here by the way =]
I think it's really hard to fully recover.
Your body is all back, but your whole emotional side is still down in the dumps.
You have to daily remind yourself that you aren't fat, and catch yourself relying on others to tell you what you are.
I would just keep a journal, that tends to help me.
I also have a relationship with God. He keeps me in line! haha. If you feel like reading the bible at all, turn to
Psalms 34:18: The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
I would just try to keep a positive attitude about recovering! It's hard to change your opinion of yourself, but if you can prove that what you are telling yourself isn't true, that's a start.
Good luck...I'll pray lots for you!
You aren't anorexic when you look at food and go "wow, I really want to eat that and I know I look great!"
When your sensation of hunger returns on a daily basis.
When you have stresses and problems in life and you do not change your eating to deal with it.
When your inner thoughts and desires are not swayed and manipulated through "control" issues such as weight or food.
When your mind-body& spirit have been healthy for years.
Yeah, you -can- fully recover.
You will know when you're better. Right now, you know you're better than you were, and therefore you're improving which is something to be proud of, and then one day in the future you'll look back and realise you're better again...
And one day, you'll look at yourself and go "I am better" and you'll know it's true and you'll want to run/fly/dance/etc with how awesome that is.
I am sure you'll get there, the important thing is to keep trying ^_^
(I am aware that I sound disgustingly cheery, but it is actually true too...)
Give it about 5 years then you would have fully recovered... but thats only if you do not relapse...
Eating disorders suck wang!