Eating Disorders & Self-Care, Day 3
Hey there! our forum discussion is off to a good start, thank you, everyone, for participating, it is highly appreciated! We talked about what is self-care, why is it important and why should we practice it, now let's move to our next question:
Question 3: What are some challenges that someone with an eating disorder could face in practising self-care?
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@Hope
I think self-care for someone suffering from an ED can seem selfish. Just in my own experience, it's so easy for us to take care of others and put others first before ourselves. We easily neglect ourselves and this can be done accidentally or even on purpose just to avoid in dealing with our ED. I think this is why a lot of us don't get help until months and sometimes years after suffering.
@Hysterria
You are making a great point! yes, it can seem selfish to take care of yourself when the ED voice keeps telling you how you are not worth it etc. Yes, putting others are just easier at times, I like how you pointed out that it is not always the intention but ends up being the result. It can indeed end in having negative consequences for us.
I 100% agree with @hysterria . I would say too, not only can it feel selfish, but it can also can feel like something you're not worthy or deserving of. Also if you're a bit of a perfectionist you can feel like unless everything is done perfectly you shouldn't be taking time off, and as in life there's always something else to do it can mean that you basically never have time for self care unless you make it...
@Iliketherain
You make a good point as well, we can feel like we are not worth the effort or we don't deserve it. I understand that all or nothing thinking can me it hard for us to sometimes do little when that is all we are able to do, so you end up not doing anything when one thing goes wrong, perfectionism can be hard to live with. I also think that we end up waiting for that perfect moment to come where everything falls into place and we can finally focus on yourself, like waiting for the tough days on your job to pass or your exams to end and that perfect moment may not come because in life there always will be something important to take care of, all we can do is make sure it is self-care.
I personally find it hard for me to take care of myself as a "me-time". Of course, I take care of my hygiene and other stuff, but occasionally "treating my self" is an unusual task and I find myself guilty about it afterwards. By saying "treating myself" I didn't mean only food, but some other tasks as well.
@MyDreamIsToBeANeurobiologist
I understand that it can be hard to take care of ourselves in our "me time", even I didn't before becoming a listener and realizing how self-care is really important. Yes, sometimes treating ourselves can make one feel guilty, why do you think it makes you feel guilty?
@Hope
I hope you're doing okay now and that you're taking care of yourself! :)
Uh, it's actually a tough question... For me, I feel like I don't deserve it. I think that in order to have a "me-time", I need to be appreciated, beautiful and successful. I don't feel that way.
@MyDreamIsToBeANeurobiologist
I think my reply to your response on the Day 4 discussion pretty much covers the response to this so I hope you read that. 
