For those of us who suffer with disordered eating, the ‘happiest time of the year’ can be nothing short of terrifying.
And it's not just the sheer volume of food at Christmastime that ED patients find difficult. For me, I find it hard to eat around people, and eat food cooked by others. I just about trust my mum to make what I call a ‘safe’ roast dinner, in which my food is weighed and plated up in the kitchen, so I know it's what I consider the ‘right’ amount.
The obsession with calories and rules is something typical of anorexia, and actually got worse when I was diagnosed and given meal plans, as this seemed to be a maximum amount I could eat, and anything over this I now consider to be too much. Thestarts early on, when the first Christmas foods appear in the supermarket and songs start playing on the radio.
The anxiety starts early on, when the first Christmas foods appear in the supermarket and songs start playing on the radio. What will be expected of me, and can I manage this? Incorporating family and friends into recovery has been an important practice for me, too. Me, my boyfriend or my mum always remind people we are spending time with not to comment on my weight, what I’m eating, and to avoid diet talk. We start planning early on what the meals will be, who we will be spending Christmas with, and what times we will be eating. We also discuss where there are boundaries. Where they can push, and where to draw the line and let me do what feels comfortable.
It's almost like drawing up a contract, says recovered anorexic and registered nurse Mandy Scott, founder of thecharity, which has helped over 800 ED patients since its inception in 2014 Their mission is to ‘build a life to get well for’ which can encompass Christmas parties and festive fun, if that’s what you want. One of Mandy's recommendations is to “have a contract with negotiables and non negotiables.
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