Telling loved ones about your ED
Hey everyone. I'm struggling with deciding who to tell about my ED. I want the support from my trusted friends, but I keep it a secret because I don't want them to start paying more attention to how I relate to food. I don't want to shine light on something that's already so stressful. I told a member of my family, but now It's super awkward anytime we do eat together. It's a catch 22! Thoughts?
@Lizisheretoheal
Heya!!! Proud of you for posting here and reaching out for support <3
That's awesome you felt comfortable sharing with one member of your family. I get how it feels like once you tell people start paying too much attention. Recovery thrives on honesty about feelings and honesty about doing unhealthy ED behaviors, but eating disorders thrive on hiding feelings and secrets. The good thing about telling people is that they hold you accountable for recovery. One thing I learned in treatment is that they love you and want you to get better but it's okay to tell them no. It's also okay to share your feelings about how it's stressful when they point it out too much. You can also talk about ways for them to point it out in a better way that makes you less stressed. Like not during the meal but afterwards when you are more calm. I try to explain to my family that when i'm stressed while eating I can't really focus on what they say to me at the moment because I'm stuck in my head with disordered thoughts.
Here's a article about 40 things people with eatings disorders wish other people understood. Maybe you could go through the list with the people you tell. Here's the linky link to the article:
https://themighty.com/2015/11/what-eating-disorder-feels-like/
@summertimeSamness thank you for such a thoughtful response :)