As I and others have said, recovery is a marathon, not a sprint. As every long–distance runner knows, at some point you can “hit the wall” and doubt you have the resources to see you though to the finish line. So it can be invaluable to have experiences along the way that nourish and encourage you to keep going. If you are working away diligently on your recovery, but your spirits, inspiration or momentum seem to be dragging, here are some activities that could supply just the boost you need:
Add an alternative treatment Sometimes it can be really helpful to approach things from a new angle. As an adjunct to your primary therapy, an alternative treatment, such as acupuncture, dance, art or music therapy, biofeedback, EMDR (which can also be a stand–alone treatment) or hypnosis might offer just the fresh perspective or new entry point you need to jump–start your overall recovery. (See “Boosting Recovery with Experiential and Alternative Therapies,” 2/19/2010.)
Join an eating disorder therapy group Working with others can add a distinct dimension to your recovery. Guided by a professional, you get to experience the support, shared wisdom and personal feedback that others on the same path can offer. Groups can be a great place to develop skills of social connection and to discover how to do so safely.
Check out an online support group If a face–to–face group isn’t available, or you’re not ready for that experience, many people find online support groups to be a viable alternative. If you’re interested, you can check out reputable eating disorder web sites, such as something–fishy.org, bulimia.com or edreferral.com, for resources. Given how important it is to keep the conversation non–triggering and growth–oriented, I recommend you stick to groups that are moderated by eating disorder professionals.
Blog These days it’s common for people to journal about their personal experiences in the public forum of the blogosphere. As long as you stick to non–triggering content, your thoughts and experiences about recovery could be valuable to others. And you might get useful commentary back.
Participate in a body image workshop Improving the way you view and relate to your body is a crucial part of recovery. Spending a day or a weekend learning, sharing with others and participating in experiential exercises can be an eye–opening and inspiring add–on to your treatment.
No workshops in your area? Approach an eating disorder professional and ask him/her to offer one! (Note: If you come equipped with the names of a few other people who would like to attend, this will help your cause.)
Contact your body in some new way that’s joyful, soothing or enlivening Dance, dive, get a massage, learn to chant, consult with a body worker (for example, Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais Method, Somatic Experiencing, or Sensorimotor Psychotherapy), try yoga, t’ai chi, Qigong, or martial arts training, practice mindfulness meditation, experience intuitive eating, and so on.
Pursue an interest that has nothing to do with your eating disorder Develop a new skill: artistic, athletic, technical, craftsy… Learn more about a topic that interests you: a person, an era, a region, an activity, an art form… Visit a place you’ve never been: a new neighborhood, a nearby town, a site in nature…
Breaking out of your habitual mode can be energizing. Developing new knowledge or skills promotes self–esteem. All the while, you’re reinforcing that there’s more to you than your eating disorder. And you get an important reminder of your ever–present potential for growth.
Volunteer Engaging with needs or problems outside your own can boost your mood, provide perspective and enhance your self–image. Of course, the list of possible ways to volunteer is endless, so you can offer your time and energies to whatever cause touches you most: people or animals in need, the environment in need, policies or causes you care about, and more.
Try a goal–setting exercise In goal–setting exercises, you envision your future as you’d like it to be and then establish bite–size steps to help get you there. Here’s one commonly–used outline:
Set aside 30–45 minutes when you won’t be distracted. Start by writing a paragraph about how you’d like your life to look in five years. Include dimensions such as school/career, relationships, self–care, living situation, spiritual development, extra–career activities, and so on. Next, make a short list of what you will need to have accomplished in a year to be on the road to your five–year vision. When you have that list, list what you will have to accomplish in six months to move you toward your one–year goals. Now list what you will have to accomplish this month in service of those six–month goals. Finally, list what you will need to do this week in order to accomplish your one–month goals. Try to limit each list to no more than four or five goals. One–week and one–month goals should feel clearly doable. If not, break your goals down to smaller steps.
Working with concrete goals can help you clarify your personal values and priorities and invigorate them with some forward momentum. The success of the exercise depends on your ability to be realistic about short–term goals (not what your perfectionistic self tells you you should be able to do!) and your willingness to adjust, based on what you learn as you go along.
Alert! For some people, goal–setting exercises just feel overwhelming or discouraging, not invigorating. Pay attention to how you’re responding and honor any signals that tell you this won’t be helpful to you.
Connect with your “Future Self” Psychotherapist Nancy J. Napier describes the “future self” as the part of you that has already gone ahead on the path of healing, problem resolution or growth in a way that’s optimal for you. The future self draws on unconscious reserves of learning and life wisdom projected forward in time to an image or sense of yourself already experiencing the best possible outcome. Contacting a future you that’s recovered completely from your eating disorder or specific symptoms or issues can encourage forward momentum, act as a guide or a prompt for steps along the way, or help you arrive having already become familiar and comfortable with the changes involved. If you’d like to explore more about how to work with your future self, see Napier’s Recreating Your Self: Help for Adult Children of Dysfunctional Families (Norton, 1990).
To get the best results from adjunctive recovery activities or practices, review what you’re thinking of with your primary therapist. This will help you make sure any additions fit well with other work you’re doing and are well–timed for where you are in recovery. Your therapist’s participation will also ensure you of any support you might need for your efforts.
