Image Credit: Helen Rushbrook
Recovering from an eating disorder requires a journey through many stages of change. You might be thinking about recovery or currently working through your recovery. Wherever you are – you are bound to struggle at some point with a lack of motivation, patience and hope – this is a normal part of recovering from an eating disorder.
In 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder, Carolyn Costin writes,
“Research shows that working with someone who is recovered is a positive and significant experience for someone suffering with an eating disorder.”
This person could be a counsellor, psychotherapist or someone else who has recovered.
As a way of fostering and maintaining motivation, patience and hope, try the following exercise from the 8 Keys to Recovering from an Eating Disorder Workbook.
Exercise: Interview someone who has recovered from an eating disorder
Find someone who has recovered to interview. If you don’t know anyone personally, you can perhaps reach out to an eating disorder association in your local area. Use these questions as a guide and ask any other questions that you may have. Write about the experience, what you learned from the interview and what this means for your own recovery. If you have an eating disorder counsellor or psychotherapist, perhaps take your writing to your next therapy session to gain further insight.
- What surprised you most about the process of recovery?
- What general advice would you give me to help me with the process?
- What do you wish someone had told you about the recovery process?
- What do you wish you had done sooner?
- Were there specific turning points you can remember?
- Do you have any tips for dealing with body image?
- What helped you stay motivated, or get motivation back if you lost it?
- How did you stay patient or deal with losing your patience during the process?
- How did you use others during your recovery?
- How long did it take to feel fully recovered?
- Is there anything that you can share with me that will give me hope?
This is a powerful exercise so take care and remember to be kind to yourself by staying away from comparison and inner criticism. I wish you all the best in your recovery.
