Stabilize & Normalize Eating

Many people start recovery feeling totally overwhelmed and wondering how things got this bad. What started as a simple diet or desire to get healthy spiraled out of control. At first it felt exhilarating and effortless but down the road disordered behaviors took on a life of their own. Restriction led to fear and guilt with eating, loss of hunger cues, and isolation. For many, under-eating lead to binging, and for many more that led to compensation behaviors (fasting, exercise, purging).

Without even realizing it, their whole world started revolving around food- when the next meal was, what it would consist of, how many calories it contained, how many calories were burned that day, and how much did they weigh this morning. Many of my clients share that these types of thoughts take up 70, 80 or even 90% of their brain space in a day. It became all consuming and they don't know how to get back.

As bad as these symptoms are (the anxiety, depression, obsessive thinking), many people in this stage of recovery are paralyzed to act against the rules of their eating disorder. They want to continue restricting to maintain or lose more weight, they just don't want the negative symptoms that comes with it.

This ambivalence is a normal part of recovery and one I've learned to treat to help people get out of the prison of their eating disorder.

However, my approach is not for everyone. I take a pretty aggressive approach to the disorder in this stage of recovery because I've seen too many people languish, or get sicker. My prescription for recovery is highly structured and time limited to get you over the hump of fear and avoidance.

There are 4 milestones to reach within about 6-9 months:

Meal plan compliance, leading weight restoration or stabilization (depending on your situation)
Food exposure
Abstinence from restriction, binging & purging
Maintenance

The first 6 weeks of treatment will tell us if working with me will be helpful for you or if you need a higher level of care or a different approach.

This is hard work. Taking an aggressive approach means faster recovery, but facing more fears in a shorter amount of time. You will face feeling full, breaking food rules that had made you feel safe and in control, you will likely face feeling anxious and guilty as you break these rules, you will feel uncomfortable as you reincorporate normal foods or eating out that you'd been avoiding. You will likely feel frustrated with the amount of time and energy you have to spend planning and eating food. And if weight restoration is part of your treatment plan, you will face the discomfort, anxiety, self-consciousness, or even shame, of seeing your body change.

BUT, when you stick with the process, and face these fears, you will get to the other side of your disorder. You will remember how it felt to eat and not feel guilty. You will stop thinking about food and your weight all the time. You will feel the relief that comes with normal eating. Your mind will feel clearer, more calm, and less depressed when your brain is nourished. You'll have energy for the things that matter to you. Even your relationships will be better.

This process has ups and downs, and I do not expect you to be perfect. Together we'll learn from, and adjust to, the bumps in the road, and when you fall down, I'm here to help you get back up again. I've seen hundreds of clients do just that, and they can tell you, life is better in recovery!

Parents: If you are the parent of a teen with an eating disorder, please read about my consultation services here.