Falling Down
The voice of Anorexia is very unforgiving of mistakes and encourages guilt and punishments, but don't carry this habit into your recovery. Many of us have heard of the quote "Everyone makes mistakes", but that doesn't seem to make us feel better about our own. Sometimes we ignore our feelings and circumstances, and trash ourselves instead. Please accept the fact that falling down is normal during recovery, and see it as a reason to keep fighting, not to give up! Ignore any voices that try to coax you back to an eating disorder, or the ones that try to scold you for messing up. We think we deserve to feel miserable in order to show ourselves and others how regretful we are, but in doing this you're only hurting yourself and leaving a door open for this disease.
It's okay to cry and to feel disappointed; let these emotions emerge and release them, but don't dwell on them. If you make a mistake, that's okay. See tomorrow as a fresh start and an opportunity to get back on your feet. But remember, falling down doesn't undo your accomplishments! It doesn't undo the fact that you had the courage to choose recovery, and neither does it change the fact that you've made progress. Unfortunately I see so many people beating themselves up for making a mistake after winning the battle for a long time, and I know how that feels. But don't let one mistake distract you from your achievements.
If you've fallen down on your road to recovery, that's all you've done: fallen. You're not back at the starting line. The only way you could be is by giving into your mistakes long enough to feel like the only place to go is back. That's why you should allow yourself to lie on the ground for the night, but in the morning, try to get back on your feet and don't look back. Your mistakes don't define you or undo your progress! I know how difficult it is for some of you to believe that you're strong if you've felt powerless, but trust me, you are strong. You may have had your inner-strength emerge before you even decided to recover. Ever had a little voice telling you that you need to stop starving or hurting yourself? It was your inner-strength, trying to guide you away from this disorder.
The road to recovery won't be a smooth ride at first, but once you climb over all of those obstacles, they will become smaller and smaller. Even if you feel as though you've encountered the same roadblocks, don't fret and keep your eyes ahead! Remember that facing similar obstacles doesn't mean that you've failed, rather, acknowledge the fact that you conquered it before and you can do it again.
It's okay to cry and to feel disappointed; let these emotions emerge and release them, but don't dwell on them. If you make a mistake, that's okay. See tomorrow as a fresh start and an opportunity to get back on your feet. But remember, falling down doesn't undo your accomplishments! It doesn't undo the fact that you had the courage to choose recovery, and neither does it change the fact that you've made progress. Unfortunately I see so many people beating themselves up for making a mistake after winning the battle for a long time, and I know how that feels. But don't let one mistake distract you from your achievements.
If you've fallen down on your road to recovery, that's all you've done: fallen. You're not back at the starting line. The only way you could be is by giving into your mistakes long enough to feel like the only place to go is back. That's why you should allow yourself to lie on the ground for the night, but in the morning, try to get back on your feet and don't look back. Your mistakes don't define you or undo your progress! I know how difficult it is for some of you to believe that you're strong if you've felt powerless, but trust me, you are strong. You may have had your inner-strength emerge before you even decided to recover. Ever had a little voice telling you that you need to stop starving or hurting yourself? It was your inner-strength, trying to guide you away from this disorder.
The road to recovery won't be a smooth ride at first, but once you climb over all of those obstacles, they will become smaller and smaller. Even if you feel as though you've encountered the same roadblocks, don't fret and keep your eyes ahead! Remember that facing similar obstacles doesn't mean that you've failed, rather, acknowledge the fact that you conquered it before and you can do it again.