Are you sick of living with an eating disorder but feel ambivalent and unsure about how to move forward? Please know you aren’t alone. For many people suffering from eating disorders, it’s common to experience resistance to change. Disordered behaviors often serve as coping mechanisms. Also, these behaviors provide a false sense of security and safety. Understandably, leaving these behaviors behind can feel frightening and overwhelming.
So, be gentle with yourself and take some time to identify where your resistance is coming from. Arming yourself with knowledge about how the mind works when someone has an eating disorder will provide much-needed clarity. In fact, it may be a deeper understanding you need to help you take steps to begin your healing journey.
Understand and Resolve Your Resistance and Ambivalence
In my years of working with adults and adolescents living with eating disorders, I have witnessed many things. I’ve seen how difficult it can be to walk away from the problematic behaviors that have provided them comfort. When things feel out of control, using food, binging, purging, and other actions bring them a sense of control. Through a quest to understand how I could best help these clients, I learned from my personal mentor, Dr. Linda Buchanan, a clinician I worked with in a residential inpatient environment.
In her workbook, “Understanding and Resolving Ambivalence,” Buchanan guides clients on learning to understand their disordered thinking and empowers them to do the work to overcome an eating disorder, even when it feels scary. I use her clinician’s guide in my work with clients. The guide helps them step-by-step through the self-discovery and healing process. Buchanan’s workbook effectively helps clients get “unstuck” to proceed on the path to transformation.
Find a Therapist Who Can Help You Move Forward
In addition, it’s typically not enough to decide you want to stop eating disorder behaviors on your own. That’s why finding a qualified therapist you can trust is an essential first step toward true healing. I am passionate about helping my clients implement proven strategies to move forward. I want them to live a life free from the pain and suffering eating disorders bring.
An important part of a successful therapeutic process is exploring your behaviors, symptoms, and how life events impact the disease. I use Enhanced Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT-E) for my adult clients and Family-Based Treatment (FBT) for my adolescent clients. Both are evidence-based treatment options that help clients process their experiences and change their lives for the better.
If you are ready to learn more about overcoming an eating disorder, connect with me at Positive Living Psychotherapy. Contact me online or call 770.552.0333 to begin your journey toward healing, hope, and a life free from eating disorders.