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Coping and support
By Mayo Clinic staffWhen living with an eating disorder you may face an especially difficult struggle to cope, since food is essential to survival. There's no avoiding it — you have to deal with food on a daily basis. Having an eating disorder and being overweight is a double whammy. So how do you cope with a serious condition that may also subject you to ridicule and scorn?
- Ease up on yourself. Don't buy into your own self-criticism.
- Identify situations that are likely to trigger thoughts or behavior that may contribute to eating binges so that you can develop a plan of action to deal with them.
- Look for positive role models who can help lift your self-esteem, even if they're not easy to find. Remind yourself that the ultrathin models or actresses showcased in women's magazines or gossip magazines often don't represent healthy, realistic bodies.
- If you're hiding your eating disorder from loved ones, try to find a trusted confidante you can talk to about what's going on. Together, you may be able to come up with some treatment options.
- Try to find someone who can be your partner in the battle against binge eating — someone you can call on for support instead of bingeing.
- Find healthy ways to nurture yourself by doing something just for fun or to relax, such as yoga, photography, meditation or simply a walk.
- Consider journaling about your feelings and behaviors. Journaling can make you more aware of your feelings and actions, and how they're intertwined.
