Let's talk about Eating Disorders
Eating disorders affect at least 9% of the population worldwide. There have been lots of stigmas associated with eating disorders. In light of Member Appreciation Week, the Eating Disorder Subcommunity is launching a reading challenge. This post will focus on providing resources for listeners and others supporting those struggling with an eating disorder. This post is also for anyone who wishes to be more aware of the topic of eating disorders. After you complete all the readings, please feel free to comment on the thread below with reflections.
Goal: Freedom from stigma and support
Recovery: A Process by @24Help1
Recovery. We hear about it a lot in an eating disorder setting. But what is it?
Recovery is…
‣A choice
‣Difficult
‣Freeing
‣Not just about weight
‣Different for everyone
‣Fun (sometimes)
Recovery isn't…
‣Selfish
‣Linear
‣By yourself
‣Hopeless
According to NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association), there are 5 stages of recovery!
Precontemplation Stage:
This is the stage where someone doesn't think they have a problem. Family members & friends may be seeing some of the behaviors, but not necessarily!
Contemplation Stage:
This is the stage where an individual can see that they have a problem, but may not be ready to change yet.
Preparation Stage:
This is the stage where an individual is ready for a change! Yay! They still may be indecisive about how to change and not know what forms of treatment are necessary for them.
Action Stage:
This is the stage where an individual tackles their eating disorder head-on! This can be the longest stage in some people's recovery. This is the recovery process that a lot of us think of!
Maintenance/Relapse
Once you get through the action stage, there are two possible paths! You either maintain these healthy behaviors or you relapse and must restart the process. However, when you relapse you may not necessarily go back to the Precontemplation Stage!
Listeners & Discussing Eating Disorders by @24Help1
This post is not only for listeners, feel free to keep reading all members!
For people without eating disorders it can become very hard to discuss the topic with members because you don't understand the experience that they're going through!
From my experience, there can be a lot of harmful things floating around in PMs because listeners don't understand what eating disorders and that experience are like!
Do's:
⚫Support your member!
⚫Guide them towards this subcommunity!
⚫Remember how difficult recovery must be for them to cope with, and congratulate them for getting so far!
⚫Respect that not everyone is ready for recovery, but remember that you can set boundaries if this is triggering for you
⚫Remember that you can not force someone into recovery!
Don'ts:
⚫Invalidate their experience
⚫Lecture or criticize them for having an eating disorder
⚫Give any pro-ana or other pro-ED resources
⚫Mention numbers (how much weight you lost, how many calories you eat, etc.)
⚫Give any "tips" about how to have behaviors easier (how to lose weight faster, how to be more secretive, etc.)
⚫Enforce the idea that there's only one look to have an eating disorder or that they aren't dangerous
⚫Support the idea that only certain groups of society can develop eating disorders
Feel free to answer any or all of the following questions:
Do you have anything to add to what recovery is and isn't?
What stage are you currently in? Or do you know a loved one or someone with an eating disorder?
What steps can you take to further yourself through your current stage or move to the next stage?
What would you like listeners to understand better about eating disorders?
As a listener, what do you wonder about eating disorders?
Click HERE to participate in other Member Appreciation Week events.
Resources:
https://www.7cups.com/forum/EatingDisorderSupport_54/ForumDiscussions_1336/RecoveryAProcess_225996/
@competentParadise6344
Do you have anything to add to what recovery is and isn't?: No I don't.
What stage are you currently in? Or do you know a loved one or someone with an eating disorder?: I do not have an eating disorder nor do I know anyone who is having an eating disorder.
What steps can you take to further yourself through your current stage or move to the next stage?: Can't say.
What would you like listeners to understand better about eating disorders?: Eating disorders are tough and it's hard on the person going through it so have some empathy and understanding.
As a listener, what do you wonder about eating disorders?: I wonder why social media is so terrible regarding body image.
@competentParadise6344
As a listener, what do you wonder about eating disorders?
Often, I sit and wonder how the internet and society's expectations of beauty have warped the perception of our body image and self-worth, to the point of leading to cosequences, such as an eating disorder. Although health exists out there, more needs to be done to raise more awareness of EDs and their effects on someone's physical and emotional wellbeing!
What steps can you take to further yourself through your current stage or move to the next stage?
I think right now I really just need to come to terms with my body and accept me who I am.
What would you like listeners to understand better about eating disorders?
Let me momentarily speak from the boots of my member account. Please do not try to "fix" us. We are not going to magically eat or eat less after our chat. Most of us have dysmorphia when it comes to looking into the mirror, please know that what others are seeing isn't estenailly what our mind is telling us we see. There are a lot of different negative things that branch out from having an ED. A lot of the "community" can be really "competitive" for a lack of better wording, and numbers can be super triggering in a chat. Just, overall, be mindful of the words you put out.
@competentParadise6344
Yay! Thank you, Paradise for putting up such a wonderful post!
What would you like listeners to understand better about eating disorders?
I would say that Eating Disorders aren't the same for each individual. We are always surrounded by this stigma that Eating Disorders have this certain set of symptoms and you must look a certain way to have an ED. In all ways, this isn't true.
That's all from me! Thank you!
Parvi/Orange
Very informative @competentParadise6344 @24Help1
I might be in between the Contemplation Stage and the Preparation Stage. I know I have a problem and I am ready for change, but I am scared of open to my family or ask professional help. I should seek for professional help and educate myself more about recovery. I would like listeners to understand, that I know that I wouldn't be happier , if I would be skinnier and I know how stupid, what I do, but I can't change my feelings and can't control my thoughts.
Do you have anything to add to what recovery is and isn't?
No, thank you for this explanation it was really helpful :)
What stage are you currently in? Or do you know a loved one or someone with an eating disorder?
A friend of mine lives with one <3.
What would you like listeners to understand better about eating disorders?
I feel like there's a lot more we could do to recognise that eating disorders affect everyone differently, and there are so many different types of EDs. Also sometimes I think that chats can overly focus on the eating disorder and not the member as a whole? <3
As a listener, what do you wonder about eating disorders?
Sometimes I find it quite hard to know what direction to take chats in, and what members would like to chat about without being triggering, so I'd like to know how members feel that listeners can best support them with ED topics <3
Do you have anything to add to what recovery is and isn't?
No, thank you for this explanation it was really helpful :)
What stage are you currently in? Or do you know a loved one or someone with an eating disorder?
A friend of mine lives with one <3.
What would you like listeners to understand better about eating disorders?
I feel like there's a lot more we could do to recognise that eating disorders affect everyone differently, and there are so many different types of EDs. Also sometimes I think that chats can overly focus on the eating disorder and not the member as a whole? <3
As a listener, what do you wonder about eating disorders?
Sometimes I find it quite hard to know what direction to take chats in, and what members would like to chat about without being triggering, so I'd like to know how members feel that listeners can best support them with ED topics <3
As a listeners, I wonder if I could really be of support to someone with an eating disorder considering my little knowledge about it. I'd still try my best to let that person know that they are heard and valued, that I believe in them and that I will never judge them.
