Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Helping yourself deal with anorexia
• Method 2 of 3: Get help from experts
• Method 3 of 3: Get help from family and friends
• Tips
• Warnings

Anorexia is a serious, life-threatening illness in which a person can starve himself to death from physical, psychological and cultural causes. The disease has a higher mortality rate than any other cause of death in women between the ages of 15-24. In addition, 10-15% are men, although the majority of people who suffer from anorexia are women. Coping with this disease takes strength, courage, and persistence from the patient, but with the right attitude and support, you can find a path to recovery.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Helping yourself deal with anorexia

1. Keep a journal about your feelings. Keeping a recovery journal in which you write about your feelings can help you stay aware of your condition. It helps keep track of how you feel every day, especially when you are dealing with nutritional issues.
   • You can use the "unwrapping" technique to delve deeper into your feelings. For example, if you wrote for a particular day that you felt "okay", ask yourself what was meant by the word "okay." This will help you explore your feelings more deeply.
2. Talk to your doctor. Anorexia can have serious health complications such as anemia, osteoporosis, gastrointestinal issues, heart problems, and even death. It's important to see a medical professional if you think you have anorexia so you can get the treatment you need to recover. Talk to your doctor about anorexia if you have the following symptoms:
   • Significant weight loss from not eating.
   • Fear of fat, even when your body is too thin for many people.
   • Excessive dieting and training.
   • Anxiety, mood swings or hyperactivity.
   • Difficulty sleeping.
   • Suppresses sexual desire.
   • In women, irregular or missing periods.
   • In men, preoccupation with weight lifting.
3. Set goals that are achievable. Unrealistic goals will cause problems because you will have difficulty achieving them and will soon give up. Rather focus on smaller goals first, then step up a gear once you've hit the first milestones. If your goals are realistic, you will be able to balance them with other things in your life. This can be a good way to check if the goals are achievable. If your goal requires so much effort and time that you don't have time left for fun or your other responsibilities, then you should reconsider them.
   • For example, if you only eat one meal a day, add a small snack to it. You don't have to start right away with three full meals a day.
   • Another example: If you step on the scale more than 10 times a day, try reducing this to 8. Don't aim for your weight not anymore because that's not realistic, but you can probably do this less often with a little effort.
   • Note that if your life is at risk due to anorexia, you could be admitted to the hospital to put on weight quickly and avoid life-threatening complications. In general, however, you can start working towards a healthy weight through small, achievable goals.
4. Watch out for your triggers. A trigger is something that upsets you and activates behaviors associated with your eating disorder. Knowing what your triggers are can help you take control of situations and people that cause you to engage in anorexic behavior. Once you know who and what is upsetting you, you can make a plan to address these triggers in time. Some triggers to watch out for are:
   • Stressful family situations.
   • Stressful work situations.
   • Images or events that trigger your body image problems.
   • Specific foods that you would rather not think about.
5. Read about intuitive eating. Intuitive Eating is a nutritional system designed by dietitian Evelyn Tribole and nutrition therapist Elyse Resch. With this you can learn to listen to the signals from your body, for example when you are hungry or when you are full. It can also help you develop alternative ways of comforting yourself that don't involve food. Some other things intuitive eating can do for you:
   • Helping you appreciate food as a pleasurable activity.
   • Help you respect your body, or as a "genetic blueprint."
   • Rejecting a diet mentality.
6. Embrace body diversity. There are a great number of varied and beautiful body types in this world. If you are having trouble accepting your body, look at all the colorful body types in the world to see how special and unique each of them are. You can see this diversity by going to an art museum and looking at classical paintings, when people appreciated different body types than they do today. You can also read news about body diversity by clicking this link.
7. Use positive affirmations should the anorexia arise. When you feel tense and want to switch to anorexic behavior to deal with it, use a mantra or positive statement to distract your feelings. Become your own coach.
   • For example, you can say something like, "I choose a new and healthy direction, even though I feel bad."
   • You can also say, "That's tricky and uncomfortable, but it's only temporary."

Method 2 of 3: Get help from experts

1. Get therapy. Most of the time, true recovery from eating disorders like anorexia requires outside help. You can only help yourself to a certain extent. A good first step besides talking to your doctor is to find a therapist. Therapy helps you change your relationship with your body and food by examining your thoughts and beliefs about your life. Here are some good forms of therapy you can look into:
   • Cognitive behavioral therapy. CBT is the most researched therapy for eating disorders. You can change your thoughts and behavior around your relationship with food.
   • Interpersonal Therapy. IPT is aimed at improving the relationships in your life so that the symptoms of anorexia disappear on their own. As your social life becomes healthier and more supportive, it will positively impact your anorexia.
   • Find a therapist by clicking this link.
2. Consider recording. Because the severity of the anorexia can vary, there are several options for professional treatment. Inpatient treatment involves admission to a clinic, where you can receive better care. This may include doctors monitoring your nutritional levels, individual and group therapy, and psychiatric medications.
   • This is especially important if you are severely malnourished and severely underweight.
3. Learn about outpatient care. Outpatient care is less intense than hospitalization. You are under treatment in a clinic, but you live independently or with your family. Here are some of the benefits of outpatient treatment:
   • If you are in the early stages of anorexia, you can ask for help without compromising your independence.
   • You can still go to school and find support at home because you are with your family.
   • The costs for outpatient care are much lower than for a full admission.
4. Go to a registered dietitian. While anorexia has psychological components, nutrition is just as important. In fact, there is research showing that people must first recover from malnutrition before they can fully recover from anorexia. A dietitian can teach you about your body's needs and get you on the right track.
5. Ask your doctor about the correct medication. Psychiatric medications can help deal with the symptoms of anorexia on a day-to-day basis. Antidepressants can keep your mood going and keep you from falling into depression because of your problems. Anti-anxiety medications can keep you from worrying too much and engaging in compulsive behaviors. This can be especially helpful if you have recurring anxiety or depression, which is common in people with eating disorders.

Method 3 of 3: Get help from family and friends

1. Ask for help. This is an important step towards recovery. Find someone in your life you can trust and rely on. It can be scary and painful to ask for help because of an eating disorder, but getting support from a trusted friend, family member, religious leader, school mentor, or coworker is the first step on the road to recovery for many people. Research suggests that feeling socially connected is an important factor in recovery.
   • For example, if your dietitian helped create an eating plan, ask a friend or family member to stick with it.
2. Find a support group. It is essential that you get a lot of support from your environment in order to recover from the anorexia. There are support groups across the country that you can connect with, where you can talk about your feelings as well as the struggles you have to endure. There are groups led by professional therapists and groups led by volunteers. Volunteer-led groups are usually led by someone who has had an eating disorder of his own. Use this link to find a group in your area:
   • click here.
3. Use the internet. If you can't find a support group to join but would like to talk to people about your anorexia, there are chat rooms and forums on the Internet where you can find likable people. Because of the importance of maintaining social contact for eating disorder recovery, consider using these websites. Many of these people have the same problems. Here are a few different options:
   • National Eating Disorders forum.
   • Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders forum.
4. Find support from family and friends. Many people with eating disorders tend to isolate themselves from the people in their lives, usually because of the strong belief about themselves that something is wrong. As tempting as it may be to isolate yourself and deal with anorexia in this way, you should avoid it at all costs. Isolation will only make your problems worse. Allowing your family and friends to be there for you is one of the keys to recovery.
5. Avoid malicious websites. Unfortunately, there are websites devoted to the spread of anorexia and other eating disorders. These websites support anorexia and bulimia as a lifestyle. They don't realize how harmful, painful, and even deadly eating disorders can be. They are usually called "pro-ana" or "pro-mia" websites and you should avoid them to keep yourself free from negative influences.

Tips

• Don't forget it gets better! It may seem difficult at this point, but many people have been completely cured of anorexia. Don't give up at the first sign of relapse.
• Reach out to people who have overcome anorexia.Hear their story.

Warnings

• Hiding an eating disorder from your family, friends, and doctor will only make the situation worse. Being honest with yourself and the people who love you is important.