Anorexia is a serious, life-threatening illness in which a person can starve themselves to death for psychological, cultural and physical reasons. This disease has a higher mortality rate than all other causes of death for women aged 15 to 24 years. In addition, although most people with anorexia are women, 10-15% of people with anorexia are men. It takes strength, courage and endurance to cope with this disease, but with the right attitude and support, you will very soon be on the road to recovery.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: How to Help Yourself Cope with Anorexia
Step 1. Write down your feelings
Keep a recovery diary - writing down your feelings in it will help you maintain awareness of your condition. A diary can help you keep track of how you were feeling throughout the day, especially when you were having trouble eating.
You can use the unboxing technique to go deeper into your feelings. For example, if one day you wrote in your journal that you felt “normal,” ask yourself what you might mean by “normal.” This will help you explore your feelings more deeply
Step 2. Talk to your doctor
Anorexia can lead to serious health complications such as anemia, bone loss, gastrointestinal disease, heart problems, and even death. If you think you have anorexia, you should definitely consult with your doctor to get the treatment you need to recover. Talk to your doctor about anorexia if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Significant weight loss from food refusal
- Fear of being fat, even if you seem too thin to many
- Excessive obsession with diet and exercise
- Anxiety, mood swings, or hyperactivity
- Sleep problems
- Suppressed sexual desire
- In women, menstruation is irregular or absent
- Men are overly addicted to strength training
Step 3. Set achievable goals
Unrealistic goals will only create problems, as it will be difficult for you to achieve them, and you will want to give up early. It's best to aim low first and then aim for more when you reach the first milestones. If your goals are realistic, you can balance them with other aspects of your life. This is a great way to assess whether your goals are achievable. If your goal requires so much effort and time from you that you have no time for leisure or any other obligations, then it is worth reconsidering it.
- For example, if you only have one meal a day, try adding another small snack. You don't have to go straight to three full meals a day.
- Or else, for example, if you check your weight more than 10 times a day, try to reduce the number of times to 8. Trying to force yourself not to get on the scale at all is unreasonable, it is better to put in effort and try to lower this figure a little.
- Keep in mind that if your life is in immediate danger from anorexia, you may be hospitalized to quickly increase your weight and prevent life-threatening complications. But if your situation is not so serious, you can work on yourself to achieve a healthy weight with small, achievable goals.
Step 4. Avoid provoking factors
A trigger, or provocative factor, is what makes you upset and stimulates the eating disorder to intensify. By identifying your triggers, you can gain control over the situations and people that trigger your anorexia habits. Once you know who and what is putting you under such stress, you can plan ahead of time to deal with these factors. Your triggers can be:
- Intense family communication
- Stressful situations at work
- Images or events that awaken your complexes about the body
- Certain foods you find it difficult to think about
Step 5. Learn more about intuitive eating
Intuitive Nutrition is a nutritional system developed by nutritionist Evelyn Tribol and nutritionist Alice Resch. This system will help you learn to listen to your body's signals, for example, when it tells you that you are hungry or full. It can also help you develop alternative coping mechanisms so you can comfort yourself without eating. Plus, intuitive eating can help you:
- Begin to perceive food intake as enjoyable
- Respect your body or your "genetic program"
- Get rid of the dietary restriction mentality
Step 6. Accept that bodies are different
There are a huge number of different and beautiful body types in the world. If you find it difficult to accept your body, look at all the vibrant varieties of body types that exist in the world to see how special and unique each one is. This diversity can be seen, for example, by visiting an art museum and appreciating classical paintings, when people were valued for physical data, different from those that are currently appreciated.
Step 7. Use positive affirmations if you feel anorexia is coming
When you're stressed and want to address anorexic behavior to deal with the stress, use a mantra or positive affirmation to redirect your feelings. Be your own personal trainer.
- For example, you might say to yourself, "I may feel bad, but still take a new and healthy direction."
- You can also say to yourself the following: "This situation is difficult and uncomfortable, but this is only a temporary phenomenon."
Method 2 of 3: Professional help
Step 1. See a psychotherapist
True recovery and recovery from eating disorders such as anorexia usually requires outside help. There is not very much you can do on your own. A good first step, besides consulting a doctor, is finding a therapist. Psychotherapy can help you change the way you think about your body and food by analyzing your thoughts and beliefs about life. Here are some helpful psychotherapies you should consider:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. CBT is the most researched therapy for eating disorders. It can help you change your thoughts and eating habits.
- Interpersonal therapy. This type of therapy focuses on improving the relationships in your life so that the symptoms of anorexia go away on their own. If your social environment becomes healthier and more supportive, it will positively affect your condition and help you get rid of anorexia.
- You can find a therapist online or at your local hospital.
Step 2. Consider inpatient treatment
For anorexia, professional treatment options vary, depending on the severity of the situation. Inpatient care includes living in a hospital where you can receive more serious care. This may include dietary monitoring by your doctor, individual or group therapy, and psychiatric treatment.
This can be especially important if you are severely underweight and wasted
Step 3. Learn more about outpatient care
Outpatient care is much less intensive than inpatient care. With this type of treatment, you need to visit the hospital, but you will be staying at home. Some of the benefits of outpatient treatment include:
- If you have early stage anorexia, you can get help without compromising your independence.
- You can continue to go to school or work and receive family support while living at home.
- The cost of outpatient treatment is much less than inpatient treatment.
Step 4. See a certified dietitian
While anorexia has a psychological connotation, nutrition is just as important. In fact, one study even showed that a person needs to recover from undernutrition first before they can fully recover from anorexia. A dietitian will tell you what your body needs and give you the right direction.
Step 5. Ask your doctor about medications
Psychiatric treatment can help you manage your anorexia symptoms on a daily basis. Antidepressants can help maintain a good mood and prevent depression due to an eating disorder. Anxiety medications can help relieve excessive anxiety and compulsive behavior. These medications can be especially helpful if you have both anxiety and depression at the same time, which is very common in people with eating disorders.
Method 3 of 3: Helping Family and Friends
Step 1. Ask for help
This is an important step towards recovery. Find a positive person in your environment whom you can trust and rely on. Seeking help for an eating disorder can be scary or embarrassing, but getting the support of a trusted friend, family member, religious advisor, school counselor, or work colleague is the first step to recovery for many people. Research shows that a sense of social connectedness is a critical factor in the recovery process.
For example, if your dietitian helped you put together a meal plan, ask a friend or family member to help you stick with the plan
Step 2. Find a support group
You just need strong social support to recover from anorexia. There are many support groups throughout the country that you can join. In such a group, you can talk about your feelings and the difficulties you are experiencing. There are groups led by professional psychotherapists, and there are groups led by volunteers. Volunteer groups are usually led by someone who has managed to cope with an eating disorder himself.
Search online for anorexia support groups in your area
Step 3. Use the Internet
If you cannot join a support group, and you need people with whom you can discuss your problem, do not be discouraged - there are many chats and forums on the Internet where you can find caring people. Since it is very important to maintain a social connection when recovering from an eating disorder, you may want to post your posts on such sites. Many of these people go through the same difficulties as you.
There are many forums on the Internet for people who are being treated for eating disorders. Search for similar resources and choose the one you like best
Step 4. Don't turn your back on friends and family
Many people with an eating disorder tend to isolate themselves from other people in their lives, usually out of a strong belief that something is wrong with them. You, too, may want to cope with anorexia with isolation, but it should be avoided at all costs. Alienation will only make the problem worse. Letting family and friends be close and supportive is one of the main keys to recovery.
Step 5. Avoid harmful websites
Unfortunately, there are also sites on the Internet that are dedicated to the spread of anorexia and other eating disorders. These sites promote anorexia and bulimia as a way of life. The people who post to these sites may not realize how harmful, painful, and even deadly eating disorders can be. It is necessary to avoid such sites in order to protect yourself from negative influences.
Advice
- Remember that the situation will improve! It may not be easy for you now, but many have been able to completely recover from anorexia. Don't give up at the first sign of a relapse.
- Find people who have overcome anorexia. Hear their story.