Recovery
Eating Disorders are painful and life threatening illnesses. Deciding to recover is a huge step that will require a lot of work and support, but will be one of the best things you ever do.
First things first...
The first step in deciding to recover is finding out why you want it. Is it because you want to recover? To be healthy? To gain back your life? Or is it for your friends and family? This will be what gets you through the difficult times in recovery and allows you to gain back your life.
What's next?
The next step is to tell someone. Whether it is a friend, family member or a medical professional, this will allow you to get the help you need. Telling someone can be a scary experience, it might be useful to take some information about eating disorders to help them understand what you are going through. A lot of people don’t know the full affect of eating disorders so you might want to be ready to answer any questions they may have.
Treatment
There are many types of treatment for eating disorders. Different things work for different people and it’s important to find out what works best for you. The first step could be to approach you doctor, they will be able to assess any medical needs you might have. Eating disorders take a toll on your body so it may be beneficial to check in with them.
Support Groups
There are many different types of support groups, some may be part of a treatment center, and others may be run by recovered individuals or by a family member. The goals of support groups are often to work through the issues of recovery and to gain support from other people going through similar situations.
Therapy
Therapy can be a huge advantage in beating an eating disorder. Therapy can be provided by a social worker, counselor, mental health professional, psychologist or psychiatrist. Therapy will often allow you to get the help you need and allow you to work through any problems that might arise during recovery.
Inpatient and Outpatient Treatment
Inpatient and outpatient treatment allow an individual to access more intense treatment, meaning that they have more support available if it’s something that they need. Inpatient allows you to have 24 hour care whilst fighting your eating disorder and this can be very helpful for people who also have serious medical problems. Outpatient means that individuals are able to have support throughout all meals and during the day, which means they are able to have a higher level of support. These wide range of treatments show that there are a lot of options available, and when deciding to recover it is best to decide what is best for you.
Dietitian
Another useful person in recovery is a dietician. They can be helpful in teaching you how to gain a healthy relationship with food.
Useful Links