Recovery
When a person has an eating disorder there is less connection to others. When someone is obsessed about being a certain weight, there is little time left to pursue relationships. Sometimes the person feels so badly about how they feel they look, they withdraw from social activities. This is because so much of the person’s sense of self is dependent on their appearance and weight.
And Purpose? When an eating disorder is present, purpose is all about being a certain number on the scale.
And what about Joy? There is no joy. Having an eating disorder takes so much time, energy and focus. Time is spent obsessing about food, weight and appearance, making sure one follows The Rules their particular eating disorder requires of them. When someone has an eating disorder they live in their heads. They are not in touch with their bodies or with others. Their feelings revolve around how well they are doing following their Rules. If they have restricted sufficiently, they feel good. If they have strayed from their Rules, they feel bad.
Recovery is liberation from The Rules. It is gradually developing a healthy sense of self dependent on who you are on the inside, not the outside. It is learning the truth about diets and how to have a healthy relationship with food. Recovery is losing the eating disorder voice, the inner critic and the perfectionist. As you gradually replace these harsh internal taskmasters with a kind, nurturing healthy self, you find you have the time, energy and focus to be with friends and enjoy that connection. You are in touch with all of your feelings and senses allowing you to live more in the present moment and not in your head. Being free from the burden that is an eating disorder allows you to feel more alive and motivated to pursue your interests and discover or return to your passion.
Recovery from an eating disorder can make you feel like you are experiencing life for the first time. Recovery allows you to once again feel joy.