Why is it so difficult to see past your eating disorder and see yourself as more than your eating disorder?

Eating disorders come with a specific level of thought and type of thought. These thoughts can be intrusive to the point of feeling as if they are in complete control. The best defense against feeling this way is to pursue a path towards recovery and to start forming new associations about yourself.

Because your eating disorder controls you in such a way that you lose your own identity. It's hard but you can get past it and love yourself again

Because Eating disorders are a constant "voice" that can be very overwhelming at times and can be very distracting.

Because the disorder's constantly on your thoughts, stopping you from being the beautiful person you are. You see your appearance everywhere, and every time you see someone you worry about what they think of you. You begin to think that your disorder is the only thing that matters, distracting you from the wonderful person you are, and the fact that you deserve to know that.

Eating disorders are typically about control. You try and control your eating and weight because you feel you have no control over your own life. It's hard to see the root of the problems and to want to try and fight something that seemed like it helped you at first. But you are a person, you have a life, and I believe you can get through this. Please seek help if you are not already seeing someone.

Sometimes other peoples' opinons about your weight matter more than your own because they were probably the reason why you started having an eating disorder in the first pleace and sometimes when you start having the eating disorder you can't stop.

Because that eating disorder has become a part of your life, a part of you and who you are. It has become all that you are and you focus solely on it. Once you have an eating disorder, you are that eating disorder, which can make it so tough to see around it.

It is the nature of the illness to feel this way. Try repeating a mantra to yourself every single day. Tell yourself that you are more than a body, and you are more than your weight. Remind yourself that you are a beautiful, lovable person with tons of great talents, qualities, and attributes. Consider joining/following some body positive communities on social media to surround yourself with positive people, messages and images. This could give you a better view of a perspective outside of your eating disorder. Also, if you are not doing so already, please consider talking to a doctor or therapist! I had an eating disorder when I was younger, but I've been recovered for over 10 years. Stay strong, you can get better.

It was difficult to see myself as more than my eating disorder because I was sucked in too far. I thought that I will never be able to get past it and feel whole again. It was impossible for me to feel okay. I thought that if I kept on starving myself that I would eventually feel okay, and feel as if I deserve to be loved. I was completely blinded by what I saw in the mirror, I could not see that I was slowly killing myself. I kept on seeing myself as a fat girl, and I could not see the bones poking out. That was why it was so difficult to see myself as more than my eating disorder.