EDA Week #3: The Struggle & Triumph Within
Group Support organized 2 weeks of Eating Disorder Awareness Week, the focus will be on discussing general awareness, and support, and celebrating milestones and small steps. This will be an opportunity for all of us to come together and extend our support and compassion to all who struggling with eating disorders.
Eating disorders are like mountains - daunting, treacherous, and often shrouded in fog. Every step forward feels like an uphill battle, each calorie counts a boulder to push. The struggle is real:
- The constant battle with thoughts: The relentless voice whispering doubts, urging control, fueling fear. It's hard to find peace when your own mind wages war.
- Isolation and shame: Feeling misunderstood, judged, and alone. Eating becomes a secret act, pushing loved ones away, and creating a prison of isolation.
- Physical and emotional toll: Exhaustion, anxiety, depression, the constant hum of hunger. The body weakens, the spirit aches, and hope seems distant.
But even in the darkest valleys, there are glimmers of light:
- The small victories: Finishing a meal without guilt, resisting a negative thought, saying "no" to the eating disorder narrative. Every step, however small, is a win.
- Finding support: Connecting with others who understand, sharing vulnerabilities, and receiving compassion. Knowing you're not alone is a powerful weapon.
- Reclaiming your life: Slowly rebuilding healthy relationships with food, movement, and your body. Rediscovering joy in simple things, feeling the power of self-compassion.
- The will to fight: Finding the strength within, fueled by love, hope, and a desire for a better future. The choice to keep climbing, day by day.
Please know the journey is long, and there will be setbacks. But even on the hardest days, know this:
- Recovery is possible. There is hope, even when the darkness feels overwhelming.
- You are not alone. Some people understand, support, and want to help.
- You are worthy. You deserve to be healthy, happy, and free.
- Your strength is remarkable. Celebrate the victories, big and small, and never give up hope.
Share your story, seek support, and know that you are worthy of healing and happiness. Let's break the silence, challenge stigma, and celebrate the triumphs of those who fight against eating disorders. Together, we can create a world where everyone feels empowered to seek help and reclaim their lives.
@KristenHR
@ASilentObserver
My struggles are being judged for my eating issues and well, obviously, my thougts telling me food is dangerous
Had a huge win yesterday tho, my brain had this new fix idea of avoiding stuff with poppy seeds because it was like I'm sure it has some nuts in it from the unclean machine. So I started to avoid it and yesterday I had enough of it and ate something with poppy seeds because there is no way around it, need to do an exposure or it will get worse. So first one Is behind me successfully, hopefully next time won't be so hard 😊
@sadcat13
I found it's hardest at first then so much easier after that.
Do you do any exercises during exposure, like deep breathing?
I'd like to do more exposure, I just don't feel very confident.
Like I have all the tools and skills but I forget to use them.
There's this app I've been trying the last few months - 'Finch'.
There's all these exercises and ways to promote remembering tools.
So maybe if I keep practicing and reflecting I'll become confident.
@communicativePond1728 omg I use Finch tooooo 😊 wish I could add you to my tree town Sunny would love to meet your bird 😭
Regarding techniques I use the 30 mins time frame during which I tell myself if nothing happened for now nothing will. I also observe all sensations in my body so I don't attribute them to the food if they were there before. If I panic I try to wait for 5 mins till I ask for reassurance from someone that I'm safe. And also I distract myself with something, like my phone. It usually helps. Also I examine my fears if they have a rational base to it, and usually no. Or when I am not sure I eat just a bit and see how I feel. Do you also have arfid?
@communicativePond1728 It sounds like you're experiencing some challenges with using the tools you've learned for anxiety. You're not alone in feeling uncertain about whether you're using them effectively. Please know, it is normal to need practice and reflection to build confidence. Reflecting on your progress and what works best for you can also help increase your confidence.
@sadcat13 It sounds like you're experiencing difficult feelings related to your eating and body image. It takes courage to open up about these struggles. How did it feel to have a victory by confronting your fears and having a successful first step towards overcoming your avoidance behavior?
@ASilentObserver stressful and overwhelming. I don't like doing exposures as they always feel the same. The panic before and directly after it is horrible. It doesn't feel like much of a victory due to the nature of my ED. It is just temporary relief until my brain finds a new obsession or a negative experience happens. It is never the end, just more of a feeling of I will have a little peace now and then have to start again. Yay
@ASilentObserver struggles - triumphs are I don't want to it like to eat, good doesn't tempt me at all. It's not intentional that I don't eat much. It's just really a force to eat anything, but I want to get better at it, start liking the taste of food.
triumphs - even though I don't want to, we have great chefs here at the care home. And I do eat even if only a little bit, everyday. Unless I'm not very well. But my weight is a healthy weight at the moment and I would like to keep it that way ❤❤❤❤
@Tinywhisper11 you are doing amazing, I'm so proud of you 😊
@sadcat13 yep I got this ❤😁❤ but most importantly I got you ❤ as my friend ❤ I love you ❤
@Tinywhisper11 awww 🥺❤️
@Tinywhisper11 I am glad you are taking steps towards eating more. That is a big step! What makes you want to continue on this journey?
@ASilentObserver I don't want another health issue on my hands, so I will eat. I have to ❤
@Tinywhisper11 that is courageous and mindful, tiny. It sounds like you care about your health and want to maintain it.
@ASilentObserver My struggles revolve around a battle with my thoughts a lot. Eating and wanting more, going out of your way to get food, getting more food, regretting it, feeling frustrated, but still wanting something else or thinking about the next dish, all in a circle constantly leaves me stuck in a rhythm.
On the other hand, compensating by eating less on other moments and exercising to try and get rid of it again causes physical toll because it makes me tired, especially during the week. And I struggle to balance it for example when I have to play football and want to be fit to help my team, but overdoing exercising in the days before makes me worse, just like undereating. And overeating to compensate for that, gets me back to undereating and overdoing exercise later on.
Another thing that takes emotional toll is being judged, it is difficult for others to understand. But also in social situations, I always have to justify what I am eating it seems, like people just pick food and eat it but when it is me, they have to ask me why I didn't pick the other option or whatever. Or have to ask me if there is something in there that I like, that they can make or get something different if needed. It feels like that makes me a laughing stock, problem or little kid.
Also, if you crave more food that is on the table in social situations, constantly thinking about that and thinking when it is socially acceptable to grab another is also a struggle. Like when others have also grabbed one or two, or after a certain time or whatever. Or stopping yourself from doing it and fighting the thought the whole time.
@Michelh1996 Thank you for sharing this with us. It sounds like you are experiencing inner conflict around food and your relationship with it. You mentioned feeling judged by others too, which can add to the pressure. How do these struggles make you feel about yourself?
@ASilentObserver That's a good questions. I think it makes me feel like a bit of a little kid like I said. Like I am special, in a bad way. Spotlicht is on me in those moments and people make fun of it or think bad things. And I feel like it is injust because actually I like the taste of almost everything on the table, but they misunderstand a bit as well.
@Michelh1996 It sounds like being singled out in this way makes you feel like a novelty, rather than just a normal person with normal preferences. You like the food, but the focus on your eating means everyone else sees it as different.
@ASilentObserver True, it is an insecurity that also leads to emotional moments in already difficult moments so that doesn't help. Like it can promote stress-eating or making decisions in your eating disorder journey based on these emotions that are difficult to deal with.
@Michelh1996 It sounds like you have some real concerns about how your eating disorder may be intensified by your insecurities. I can well understand why this would be a difficult cycle to break.