Ask for help and recover from eating disorders

Use your voice against eating disorders

When you use your voice you communicate what you think, feel, and need in a healthy and appropriate way. Others can understand you and the lines of communication are opened.

How to speak about your eating disorder

You may wish to act out your messages – consciously or unconsciously – with your body, through drama or other attention- seeking behaviors in the hopes that someone will understand, only to be disappointed when they do not. Instead, put words to what you need. Voice your hurt. Take a deep breath and confide in someone you trust. Explain verbally what you need and how you can be supported. When you speak, others can listen.

Be creative

Journaling and art are two ways to explore your thoughts and feelings through creative expression. They can help you put things on paper (or on a canvas or in clay) and out of your mind. This can help you gain insight and understanding as well as a new perspective. When you express your thoughts and feelings this way, you no longer have to carry them around in your mind and heart. Art therapy is an especially good way to explore and express things that are not easily put into words. You can learn a lot about yourself by looking back over your creative endeavors and examining your thought patterns. Don’t worry about perfection. Just write, paint, sculpt, sing, whatever. How do you best express yourself? Use your talents to help you in your recovery.

Reach out to others

Reaching out to others involves both caring for others and letting others care for you. Healthy relationships require both kinds of reaching out. Reach out to others when you need support as well as when they need support. Do something to help another person. It doesn’t need to be anything huge. A simple smile can brighten another person’s day. Show your care and appreciation with a kind word or a special gift. Listen to what others have to say and let them listen to you. Notice what is going on in the lives of those around you. Offer support. Accept support.

Your eating disorder doesn't control you

Being open to new experiences can bring about unanticipated gratification and progress. Opening up to others about your struggles leads to understanding and compassion. It is okay not to have every step of your life planned out. It is okay to reevaluate and change course. Life is full of constant changes and developments. Welcoming those changes enriches your life. Be open and try new things. Relinquish some control and go with the flow. If an old plan no longer fits, let it go. Open up to others you trust when something is bothering you. You don’t need to hold your pain inside. You are not alone.

1. Foods to eat that boost brain power
Brain food Whatever you do, make sure you avoid junk food, especially the highly processed baddies (chips, cakes, pastries, biscuits, etc.) that are full of t...

2. Foods to boost your natural beauty
Free-range poultry Chicken, turkey and eggs are all great sources of protein. Fried chicken doesn't count though as it's packed with bad fats. Make sure it's ...

3. Drink water and eat dark chocolate for radiant beauty
Drink up You know you need to be drinking more water, and for more than one good reason. Drinking six to eight glasses of water every day will get your skin l...

4. How does protein help me stay thin and look great
Protein Why do you need protein? Protein, which is found in fish, poultry, meat, dairy, and some grains, is essential for muscle repair and the complete maint...

5. Carbohydrates and fats to help you to stay in shape
Carbohydrates In recent years, carbohydrates have received a bad rap. The media and lots of fad diets have led people to believe that carbs will plump you up, ...

6. What causes eating disorders and how do they evolve
Causes of eating disorders There are many causes of eating disorders, and psychologists do not fully understand them all. The easiest explanation is that fashio...

7. Eating disorders develop in teenage girls
Adolescence is a singular and intense phase in the overall development of a child. By this time, the healthy child has developed trust, autonomy, initiative, and the ...

8. Parents with children that suffer from eating disorders
Parents of teenagers say, "Hormones," and other parents nod knowingly. Hormones whip a girl from calm to anxiety, from euphoria to hysteria. She is trying to deal with ...

9. Why an eating disorder may affect your career
As girls reach adolescence, many of them bury their academic selves. Boys tease or ignore girls for many reasons: competition, insecurity, or lack of understanding, to ...

10. Beat eating disorders with help from your social self and your family
Just as parents hold up a toddler when she takes her first steps, a family can support a young girl taking her first steps into the world. There is a push-pull to this....