...a day in my life with an Eating Disorder
My Recovery Story
As an individual recovering from an eating disorder I am faced with many challenges day in and day out.
The question each day is, what do I need to do in order to stay in recovery? The answer is simple stick to my meal plan, make time for much needed self care, don’t allow myself to be consumed by the opinions of others, and do whatever it takes to make it through the day behaviour free. Such a simple answer but such a difficult thing to follow through on.
Those people out there who have ever struggled with an addiction or have ever felt the pain of having to overcome an eating disorder can attest to this. However, I would take my hardest days in recovery over any day while dealing with my eating disorder.
So how do I personally manage to fight through each and everyday? A task that is the furthest thing from simple. Well it starts with the routine when I wake up in the morning. Each morning I wake up and prime myself for the day. This is a common technique used by many people. What I do is envision what I need to do in order to be successful in my recovery that day.
I think about following through on my meal plan, the tools that I am going to use throughout the day if stressors arise and the feeling of satisfaction I will have going to bed knowing that I did not act on behaviours that day.
Following this, I listen to a couple of my favourite motivational videos and inspirational speakers such as: Tony Robbins, Les brown and Eric Thomas during breakfast. These individuals have gone through a lot of struggle and hurt themselves and give me hope of recovering and being able to help others who struggle.
Following breakfast I usually focus my time on a project that I have been working on to help those that struggle with eating disorders. This project that I am working on empowers me because I know that I could help countless numbers of people who struggle.
Then when lunch comes around, I either tune into some of my favourite recovery songs or sit down to eat with family. Some days after lunch I spend time on social media sending out positive messages to my fellow warriors through Twitter, Facebook or on my YouTube page.
Other days I journal about how my day is going and examine my emotions up until that point (most days vary). When it comes time for dinner I settle down for the night and take care of my last meal. This is usually the hardest part of the entire day but I think back to how far I have made it throughout the day and keep pushing.
Some nights I eat with my family and others I don’t. Usually after this meal I take a light walk or listen to some music and reflect on the day. I marvel at the pros and cons of the day and try to focus on the positive things that I did. I give thanks for having made it through one more day recovered.
As I said earlier, recovery is by no means easy and this is a simplified version of a day in the life of my recovery. I am happy to be at the point that I have reached and give a lot of credit to my professional team. Those out there who struggle I advise you to seek help. In my own experience I have been able to gain a lot of knowledge on how to manage my behaviours and grow as an individual from my professional team.
Remember to continue to fight the good fight and that you matter, you are important and you are loved.
Your fellow warrior,
Brendan Griffin
Author's Bio
Brendan Griffin, a 20 year old from Chicago, IL has battled with bulimia and wants to raise awareness and hope for recovery. Follow Brendan on Twitter or join him for more thoughts on life, wellbeing and mental health on YouTube
