Anorexia is an opponent that can push you down in a lot of ways. There’s also a lot of ways to fight back.
“[Work] on your relationship with food," suggests Relevé Counseling therapist, Jessica Olmo. In therapy, clients can learn, "Ways in which you can slowly make some life changes."
Another strategy a therapist could employ is to improve your sense of self-worth. This might include writing out affirmations, making a point to do activities you enjoy, or even taping a positive message to your mirror.
“Those coping mechanisms eventually become more natural and not as conscious minded.”
A big hurdle to clear with anorexia is the idea that extreme weight loss is needed for a person to feel a sense of worth or accomplishment. Jessica believes a good way to challenge that mentality is to project those negative feelings onto someone else.
“If you saw somebody else in the situation, where would your mind go? What would you think of someone else that had the same thing? Sometimes, that’s the key to getting somebody to kind of switch their thinking of themselves.”
Eating healthy fruits and vegetables will also help ensure your body gets the nutrients it needs.
You can also boost your self-esteem in many ways:
Don’t hide under a bulky hoodie, wear clothes that make you feel good
Get outside
Relax with a hot bath
Give your mind a rest
It takes a lot of energy to constantly weigh yourself or look at a mirror. If you catch yourself doing it, stop. Like many mental health disorders, anorexia can’t be healed.
However, keep building yourself up so you’re ready for life’s curveballs.
“Nobody expects you to walk into therapy and walk out... a completely different person. It takes some time. It takes some effort and it takes some figuring out what the right thing for you is.”