|  | | Freedom from Eating Disorders | | Eating Disorder Recovery |
| | Do you restrict your food intake? Do you binge? Perhaps you exercise excessively or purge. You may even engage in unusual food-related behaviors that you are too afraid or embarrassed to mention. Inside you feel that something isn’t right, but you aren’t sure what to do about it.
Have you ever had thoughts like these?
1. I’ll just do this temporarily until things settle down in my life.
2. This is the only thing I feel I can control.
3. I’m not really sick so what I’m doing is no big deal.
4. I don’t want to tell anyone. I don’t want others to think less of me. Or, since I’m not all that thin, people may not even believe that I have a problem so why bring it up?
5. I’ll just lose to a certain point and then I’ll stop.
I had thoughts just like these in the past. I’ve also discussed matters such as these online with others who have eating disorders. I’m here to tell you it’s important to see these statements for what they are. If you are engaging in food-related behaviors of any kind, there is reason for concern. You could be in more serious trouble than you realize. Please tell someone. While you’re having thoughts such as the ones noted above, you aren’t the most objective person about your situation. Someone else, whether it be a professional or someone else you trust, can help you see the reality of what you’re doing and help you break out of denial.
It’s okay. You are not alone. Many people out there can relate to the thoughts listed above. It isn’t easy to admit something is wrong. However, know that doing so will be a vital step toward better health both inside and out.
When you have thoughts of denial, how about trying to replace them with statements such as these?
1. This may have started out as something temporary, but I can see that it’s turning out to be more than that.
2. I’m not in control of my eating disorder – it’s controlling me.
3. I could be damaging my body in ways I won’t even be aware of until it’s too late.
4. Regardless of what others think or say, I owe it to myself to seek the help and support I need.
5. I realize that my desire to lose weight isn’t going to disappear just because I reach a certain weight. There’s more to what I’m experiencing than the number on the scale.
You can break out of denial and when you do, you can give yourself a pat on the back for being honest with yourself. Then you can seek the help you need. Eating disorders are too complicated to fight alone. Recovery may not be an easy process, but it’s definitely worth the effort.
If you have God at your side, know that He longs for you to break out of denial and begin your journey to freedom from engaging in food-related behaviors. He can heal you, help you learn healthy coping skills, and give you peace and joy. He’s ready and waiting to work in your heart and life.
By Laurie Glass
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