04/16/2020

The most important moment before relapse isn’t the final decision to exposure your self to the eating disorder. It’s when you decide to expose yourself to the triggers.

• If you’re feeling the urge to use, try and wait it out. If you distract yourself for even 30 minutes, it’s likely the urge will lessen in intensity. It might totally disappear, but become easier to resist.
• Focus on replacing your eating disorder with positive activities. If you used to go home after work and engage in behaviors, you’ll need to make a new plan for yourself. Going home and staring at the wall will eventually lead to staring at the wall and thinking disordered eating disorder thoughts.
• Don’t try to do this alone. Sharing your goals for recovery with a friend makes all the difference. They can hold you accountable when you’re making questionable decisions and they can offer a kind ear when you’re struggling.
• Remind yourself this will pass. Have you ever had an experience when you’re sick where you can’t remember what it feels like not to be sick? The same thing happens when you engage in eating disorder behaviors. Give yourself time and patience and things will get better.
• You’ll have to make decisions beyond giving up your eating disorder. If you previously used activities (for example watching a game on TV, going to concerts, or spending time with friends) you may need to make changes. This might mean not watching the game or making new friends who are engaged in their disorders. This can be really hard, but that’s what makes a good decision for your recovery.
• Have a plan for when things get bad, because at some point, they will. People get fired, hearts get broken, and sometimes people leave us forever, Develop a plan to get through these major life challenges-without the eating disorder-before they happen.
• If you relapse, don’t give up. A lot of people find it helpful to keep track of how long they’ve been in recovery but don’t confuse this count with the true goal of leading a good life. However, if you make a mistakes and slide backwards, know you are not starting over (you gained knowledge, experience, and confidence). In other words: slipping up in not a license to give up on recovery.
• Come up with new rituals. How do you celebrate holidays, promotions, or any other happy occasion? If your answer includes your eating disorder, you’ll want to get creative and figure out something new.  Go wild with a hobby for the day, nourish your body with dinner, or take a weekend trip. Make sure it’s something you can get excited about.