3 Ways to Avoid the Horror of Eating Disorders Help That Doesn't Work

Seeking help for an eating disorder is the first step to getting healthy. But, not all help is created equal. Despite some opinions to the contrary, it's not true that "no one knows what works, so try everything."

Here are three ways you can avoid the horror of unhelpful eating disorders 'help'.

Method #1 – Take Charge of Your Treatment

Almost anyone with a serious ailment like anorexia or bulimia needs assistance. It's a rare person who can simply bootstrap herself to health all on her own. But that doesn't mean passively surrendering yourself to whatever an 'expert' recommends.

Taking responsibility for your own well being is the first step toward achieving it.

Easier said than done, of course. Long-established habits don't change easily, or overnight. Correcting misperceptions about body image, altering your relationship to food (and to people) is not easy or quick. But all successful treatments start from within.

They're also sustained from within. Many kind and knowledgeable people can offer support and useful advice along your road to recovery. But, ultimately, the most effective source of eating disorder help is yourself.

Method #2 — Be Patient With Yourself

That suggestion, too, might sound like just so much squishy (and useless) advice. We claim it's more concrete, and more important, than it first appears. Here's why...

Some individuals with an eating disorder , once they make the commitment to getting better, want to see continual improvement. Sure, that would be great. But the path to healthy eating is rarely so straight. There will be detours and backsliding. Accept that you will almost certainly have to regain lost ground sometimes.

There's no shame in that. The old saying "try, try again" still has value. It's the long-term results that are important.

Method #3 — Be a Sponge

What does "be a sponge" mean? Here, we're recommending you advance on Method #1 by learning all about your eating disorder. There is a ton of useful information now about how to get eating disorder help. Soak it up. Become an expert (gradually, of course).

That has a number of benefits, all of which assist you to avoid eating disorder help that doesn't really help.

There are all kinds of therapists and all kinds of treatment programs. There needs to be, since there are so many different individuals with unique reasons for their ailment. But they're not all equally good for you. (See Method #1)

The more you learn about the subject, the better you can differentiate ones that will help you from those that won't. Remember, a loved one or a support group (or even an experienced therapist) being well meaning is not enough. Some types of eating disorder help simply won't work for you.

Another benefit is the way that becoming super knowledgeable helps you self-treat. (See again Method #1 on eating disorder treatments coming from within.)

In particular, one way it does that is by raising your confidence level. The more you know about your condition from an 'outside' perspective as well as from within, the higher your ability to deal with it. Knowledge is power — the power to heal yourself.

Conclusion

Others can offer eating disorder help, but in the end only you can make yourself healthy. Use these methods to avoid what doesn't work, and discover what does. They've worked for thousands already.