It can be an overwhelming experience to realize you have symptoms of an eating disorder. You may have spent a while feeling like your behaviors with food and your body wasn’t anything to be concerned about. You may have felt shocked when you recognized that you might have an eating disorder. You might still be skeptical that what you are actually dealing with is an eating disorder but you might be considering your options. No matter where you’re at, it’s ok to be where you are. It’s also important that you know it gets better than this. You don’t have to struggle with an eating disorder alone. Eating disorder recovery is worth the investment but it might be difficult to figure out where to begin.
What is eating disorder recovery?
Eating disorder recovery involves the healing of eating disorder symptoms. The goal of eating disorder recovery is to help those struggling with an eating disorder be able to improve their relationship with food and their body. Eating disorder recovery involves being able to challenge negative beliefs about yourself and the world. As an eating disorder therapist, I want to help my clients be able to eat without anxiety and not feel more neutral about their body image.
What are the steps to start eating disorder recovery?
Many of the women I work with want to know exactly what to expect before they start the process of trying to overcome their eating disorders. Eating disorder therapy is so individual depending on what you are struggling with so there’s no way to give a comprehensive answer. However, these are some steps to start eating disorder recovery that is beneficial.
Tell someone safe you’re struggling with disordered eating
You may be feeling embarrassed and ashamed for struggling with disordered eating. It can feel terrifying to open up to someone about having an eating disorder, and I completely understand being hesitant to do so. It’s uncomfortable talking about disordered eating and body image issues. However, it’s important that you have support throughout this process. People that utilize support outside of therapy are the most likely to make a full recovery from having an eating disorder. Choose someone that you know won’t be judgmental, will listen, and you feel safe talking to.
Be open to eating disorder therapy
To make a full and complete recovery from your eating disorder, enlisting the help of a professional is essential. I know how badly you want to figure this out yourself but as an eating disorder therapist I have spent a lot of time and money to be educated and trained on exactly how to help you BECAUSE I WANT TO HELP YOU AND YOU DESERVE IT. You absolutely deserve not to have to do this alone. It can be hard to reach out for help when you don’t know what to expect from eating disorder therapy. I also know many of the women I work with have tried for a long time to be able to get better on their own only to be left feeling discouraged and hopeless.
Practice patience with yourself
I’m not claiming that eating disorder recovery is a fast and easy process. It’s neither of those things but it will be the best choice you’ve ever made. I’ve never met a person who fully recovered from their eating disorder that ever regretted doing it. It’s important to be patient with yourself and your progress and recognize you are doing the best you can.
Consider meeting with other eating disorder professionals
Eating disorders are complicated mental health conditions. They impact you emotionally, mentally, and physically. Because of the physical component I always recommend considering seeing a medical provider for a physical (preferably one that knows exactly what to look for) to make sure your body is working properly. I also recommend seeing an eating disorder dietitian that can help educate you on proper nutrition from an intuitive eating approach.
Have Hope
Maybe the most important aspect of eating disorder recovery is having hope. You can’t recover from your eating disorder without having hope it’s possible. Have hope that you won’t always feel the way you feel now. Have hope that there’s a better life out there for you where you don’t have to hate yoru body or feel anxious about eating. Have hope this is going to get better.
Ready to start working with an eating disorder therapist in Utah?
You don’t have to try and navigate eating disorder recovery on your own. You can improve your relationship with food and feel better about yourself. Eating Disorder therapy can help. This Utah Counseling Center has an eating disorder therapist specializing in eating disorder therapy. To begin counseling follow the steps below:
Meet with a therapist for eating disorders
Begin eating disorder recovery
Online Eating Disorder Therapy in Utah
It can be hard to find the right therapist regardless of where you live but it’s even more difficult to find a therapist that specializes in treating eating disorders. Sadly, there are many parts of Utah that don’t have a therapist with eating disorder training available in the city they live in. This is why I provide online therapy in Utah. Online eating disorder therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy without having to travel.
Online counseling means I work with people all throughout Utah. I work with clients in Logan, Salt Lake City, Heber City, Provo, St. George, Cedar City, and more. I find that my clients love online eating disorder therapy, and think you will too.
Other Mental Health Services Provided by Maple Canyon Therapy
Eating disorder therapy isn’t the only therapy provided at this Utah Counseling Clinic. Other mental health services provided by Maple Canyon Therapy include anxiety therapy, binge eating disorder treatment, EMDR therapy, birth trauma therapy, counseling for college students, and body image therapy. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation to see how I can help.
About the Author
Ashlee Hunt is a licensed clinical social worker and eating disorder therapist at Maple Canyon Therapy in Utah. Ashlee has been treating eating disorders since she was a graduate student at Utah State University where she graduated with a master's in social work. She began working with women with eating disorders as a graduate student therapist at USU Counseling and Psychological Services. Ashlee values helping women improve their relationships with their food and their body image long-term through practicing self-compassion. Ashlee loves being an eating disorder therapist and seeing women heal. When she’s not doing therapy, she enjoys reading and finding new books at the Spanish Fork City Library.