How do you feel about your body today?
Your chances of developing an eating disorder increase from the moment you think you don’t look good enough. You may overeat a couple of times and then avoid eating entirely for the rest of the week. Or, if you do consume regular meals, it’s also possible to force yourself to push the food back out afterward.
What is shame? And, why is it so impactful in the life of a person with an eating disorder? — Judy Scheel Ph.D., L.C.S.W., CEDS
It’s truly saddening to know that a lot of men and women go through this condition because they feel as if their weight makes them laughable. The folks around them, in reality, may contribute to such negative notions as well instead of alleviating them.
In case you’re ready to overcome your eating disorder, though, consider getting group therapy.
You Can Meet People With Same Issues In The Past Or Present
The primary advantage of signing up for group counseling is that you will never feel as if you’re the only person facing this problem. It’s possible to come across others who deal with anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating. Despite the different names, causes, and symptoms, the fact that you all developed the disorder because of self-image issues is real.
Now, when you go to a group therapy session, you’ll notice that the individuals there are in various stages of regaining their life. Some may just be as troubled as you are, while others are already halfway through the process. Even the ones who recovered from the illness may still be there to share their healing stories.
Motivating each other to get past the eating disorder, therefore, won’t be very difficult.
For those in the eating disorder community, it is an exciting time as progress is being observed. — Greta Gleissner LCSW
You Have A Strong Support System
Eating disorders, just like any mental health disease, can be too shameful to talk about in front of your loved ones. There’s always the fear of being rejected or disowned once the truth comes out. Thus, some patients tend to hide – and worsen – the problem.
You can expect the opposite, however, if you receive counseling. Especially when you obtain it with a few individuals, you can instantly feel the others’ belief in your capability to overcome the eating disorder. They will also cheer you on unconditionally and give you the confidence to face your fears. You may even acquire life-long friends from that cluster.
Eating disorder treatment involves a variety of tools and strategies for helping clients to reclaim their lives. However, one important element is helping them to learn how to identify, process, and cope with their emotions in ways that align with their life values. — Jennifer Rollin MSW, LCSW-C
You’ll Feel Safe There
Last but not least, getting group therapy entails that you will be in an environment where judgments are scarce.
Counseling sessions don’t aim for you to feel like everything is going well and that you aren’t battling issues within yourself from the get-go. They want you to accept that you experience the latter so that they can start helping you to feel the former. After all, that’s the first step to recovery.
The days when it seems awkward to talk about your situation in front of other people won’t last long. You’re ideally around patients with similar dilemmas as you, so you won’t feel judged before you speak. For sure, it is significantly different from being in the outside world, where even strangers may assume that it’s OK to depreciate your problems or pull you down further.