Eating Disorder Sufferers: Tips For Avoiding Holiday Freak Out
28 Dec
You made it through Christmas, now New Years Eve is right around the corner. Here’s some great tips I found from NEDA;7. If it would be a support or help to you, consider choosing one loved one to be your ”reality check”
This person can serve as a reality check with food, to either help plate up food for you, or to give you a reality check on the food portions which you dish up for yourself.
8. Write down your vision of where you would like your mind and heart to be during this holiday time with loved ones.
Take time, several times per day, to find a quiet place to become in tune again with your vision, to remember, to nurture, and to center yourself into those thoughts, feelings, and actions which are congruent with your vision for yourself.
9. If you have personal goals for your time with loved ones during the holidays, focus the goals around what you would like to do.
Make your goals about “doing something” rather than about trying to prevent something. If you have food goals, then make sure you also add personal emotional, spiritual, and relationship goals as well.
10. Work on being flexible in your thoughts.
Learn to be flexible in guidelines for yourself, and in expectations of yourself and others. Strive to be flexible in what you can eat during the holidays. Take a holiday from self imposed criticism, rigidity, and perfectionism.
11. Stay active in your support group, or begin activity if you are currently not involved.
Many support groups can be helpful. 12-step group, co-dependency group, eating disorder therapy group, neighborhood “Bunco” game group, and religious or spiritually oriented groups are examples of groups which may give real support. Isolation and withdrawal from positive support is not the right answer for getting through trying times.
12. Avoid “overstressing” and “overbooking” yourself.
Avoid the temptation and pattern of becoming “too busy.” A lower sense of stress can decrease a felt need to go to eating disorder behaviors or other unhelpful coping strategies. Cut down on unnecessary events and obligations and leave time for relaxation, contemplation, reflection, spiritual renewal, simple service, and enjoying the small yet most important things in life. This will help you enjoy a sense of gratitude and peace.
SOURCE: NATIONAL EATING DISORDER ASSOCIATION
DOWNLOAD PDF OF THIS LIST HERE!
These are great tips- I often map out a similiar strategy with my friends and treatment team when I feel like all eyes are on me… did she eat? It sucks and it seems so simple to normal folk- just eat, you are at a party. It aint so easy for the Ed afflicted, even the ones like myself in recovery from a bad slip up with my anorexia which was a bitch to dig myself out of, but I did it, and the good news is, hard as it is, all of you here can too.
I wish I had done that back in the day I was trying to recover. The feeling that all eyes are on you (which they most definitely are, even if family tries to say they are not) makes it worse, you know? That always made me feel horribly judged, and shameful.
I wish i would have read this tips before christmas. *sigh*
Next time…
Sorry I was late with these Kat! Hey you can still use them this week and for new years.
I am posting at my other blog 20 tips for Body Love, you may like that, it will be live after 5pm today at WeAreTheRealDeal.com (sometimes these lists are cheesy, but this one is really good!)
Love,
mV
All these are really good tips except for number five. My family does not think I should go after my dreams like I am…they think I should check back into reality.
Thanks MamaV. I am following your blog (and watrd) via GoogleReader and got your other list.
I am fairly new to your site, but i already love it to pieces.
ps. sorry for any grammar mistakes, i am not a native speaker (or in this case “native writer”).
I think these tips will be helpful all year round so thank you for them. I try to keep a diary of my moods and how it often reflects my eating habits.. scary correlation!