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.
BY BRITTANY TAYLOR ON 11/22/2011 1:22:00 PM
POSTED IN weight, eating, body image, eating disorder, anorexia, bulimia, disordered eating, bust my bestie problem, can I trust my friend, illness, bad habit