Reclaiming Your Power: Healing Your Relationship with Food and Body Image
Imagine looking in the mirror daily and thinking, “If I could change these things about my body then I’d be perfect.” Or getting on the scale multiple times daily because you hope to see the number go down. Measuring your food because all you can think about are the calories you are about to consume. Or you sat down to eat a couple of cookies and ended up eating the entire, brand new package. These are only a few examples of what it is like for someone struggling in their relationship with food. I want to acknowledge that if you have had thoughts or behaviors similar to this, it does not mean you have an eating disorder or struggle with your body image, however, research shows the examples mentioned above may lead to behaviors that can become detrimental to your health physically and mentally.
Having worked with disordered eating, eating disorders, and body image distortions, I have noticed an ongoing theme that many individuals struggle with: my behaviors and/or disorder control me and I want the control back. For many people, it can feel like their relationship with food and their body controls every aspect of their lives. “If I go to this social event, will people see how disgusting my body is? Maybe I should just stay home.” “Will people notice if I don’t eat while we’re out?” “I can’t believe I just ate that entire package of cookies, shouldn’t I have the willpower to stop myself?” These thoughts can spiral and feel unmanageable leading individuals to feel the only way to stop their thoughts and behaviors is by succumbing to them. However, succumbing to the thoughts and behaviors can give them more power and potentially increase the frequency of the thoughts and negative, or maladaptive, behaviors.
So how do we take control back from disordered eating/eating disorders/negative body image? What I have found to be most successful, for myself and my clients, is helping the individual understand they have the power to stop their thoughts or behaviors. This sounds simple, right? Unfortunately, it takes time and the rebuilding of their internal understanding of who they are, their worth, and their relationship with food and their body. When working with clients, we work together to help them personify the internal voice that is causing the harmful thoughts. By doing this, we begin to create a relationship with that internal person to understand the purpose behind the thoughts and behaviors. Once this is identified, the client can move forward, taking the control back from the internal person, and reestablishing a healthy relationship with food and their body. Again, it sounds pretty simple when you put it that way, but this takes time and in-depth effort for the client, and guidance from a mental health professional can encourage the client to ensure they are gaining healthy coping skills. Gaining coping skills and regaining your relationship with food and your body does not happen overnight and is more in-depth than you can put into a blog post, but, hopefully, you are encouraged to know there is an alternative to what you or someone you love is experiencing.
If you or someone you know is struggling in their relationship with food or their body, it does not have to be a life sentence. Having a mental health professional who understands the nuances of the different types of struggles with food and body image can be a beneficial resource that provides education, hope, and unconditional support. You do not have to go on your journey alone and you can reclaim your voice.
