Last Reviewed: 01 Oct 2022
The journey to recovery from an eating disorder is different for everyone. There is currently no set definition of what recovery is, but it generally involves challenging and overcoming the beliefs and behaviours associated with the illness, and developing healthier ways of eating, thinking, and behaving.
There is no set time for how long recovery will take. The length of recovery will depend on a number of factors, including the treatment and support received. Evidence suggests that the sooner you start treatment for an eating disorder, the better the outcomes will be, and potentially the shorter the recovery process will take (Byrne & Rosen, 2014).
Sometimes it may feel that recovery is slow or even impossible. However, with the appropriate treatment and support, and a high level of personal commitment, recovery from an eating disorder is definitely possible. The moment you decide you want freedom more than you want your disorder; recovery becomes possible.
Letting go of an eating disorder often triggers a great deal of uncertainty and fear. Recovery will open a new chapter in your life, one in which you can hopefully find joy and peace and look forward to life, whether than means finishing school, going to university, embarking on a new career, travelling, fostering a new positive relationship, or becoming a parent.
People who have recovered from an eating disorder often speak about how much stronger their relationships with their friends, family and carers became after working through the treatment together. Often people feel that they have a much better understanding of themselves and have grown as a person through their recovery journey.
Some women claim their experience of an eating disorder as part of their story, and not something that must be overcome and forgotten.
References
Byrne, P., & Rosen, A. (2014). Early Intervention in Psychiatry. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Conti, J. E. (2016). Recovering Identity from Anorexia Nervosa: Women’s Constructions of Their Experiences of Recovery from Anorexia Nervosa Over 10 Years. Journal of Constructivist Psychology, 31(1), 1-23. doi: 10.1080/10720537.2016.1251366
Costin, C., Schubert Grabb, G., & Rothschild, B. (2011). 8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder: Effective Strategies from Therapeutic Practice and Personal Experience. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
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